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Table of Contents
Introduction: D2 VS D3 Steel
D2 tool steel is a high carbon, high chromium alloy steel that is widely used in industrial tool and mold manufacturing. It has excellent wear resistance, hardness and toughness, can withstand high loads and impact without wear or cracks. The chemical component of D2 steel include C, Cr, Si, Mn, V, Mo, etc., the carbon content is about 1.5%, chromium content is about 11.5%-13%, this makes the hardness of D2 steel after heat treatment can reach 60 HRC.
D3 tool steel is a high carbon, high chromium cold working die steel, with high wear resistance, hardenability, toughness, thermal stability, compressive strength and other characteristics. This kind of steel is usually used to manufacture tools with small impact load and high wear resistance, such as dies, punches, cold cutting knife, drill bushing, gauge, drawing die, etc.
Chemical Composition: D2 VS D3 steel
D2 tool steel
| C | Si | Mn | V | P | S | Cr | Mo |
| 1.40～1.60% | ≤0.60% | ≤0.60% | ≤1.00% | ≤0.030% | ≤0.030% | 11.50～13.00% | 0.70～1.20% |
D3 tool steel
| C | Si | Mn | P | S | Cr |
| 2.00～2.30% | ≤0.40% | ≤0.40% | ≤0.030% | ≤0.030% | 11.50～13.00% |
D2 VS D3 tool steel Comparison
D2 tool steel has V and Mo elements, which enhance the strength and toughness of the steel, while D3 steel has a higher carbon content, with higher hardness and wear resistance, but may with low toughness. D3 steel is usually used in application requiring high wear resistance and high hardness, while D2 tool steel is for application requiring good toughness and wear resistance.
Application Scenario: D2 VS D3 Steel
D2 is generally used to manufacture cutting tools, such as cutting knives, slitting knives, and guillotine knives in the industry of paper, textile and food processing. It is also used for cold work molds, including stamping and forming tools, punches, dies and rotary slitting machines in the automotive, aerospace and construction industries. Metal processing tools , such as roll mills, thread rolling dies, forming rolls.
D3 is commonly used in silicon steel sheet dies, simple shape drawing and punching dies, and complex shape bending dies that require high wear resistance. It is also used for the convex and concave dies of bending molds, wear-resistant concave dies in drawing molds, convex dies for cold extrusion molds of aluminum parts, and for bending carbon steel sheets with a carbon content of 0.65%-0.80%.
D2 VS D3 Steel: Which Should I Use?
When choosing D2 or D3 steel, consider the following key factors:
Wear resistance:
D2: Because of Cr and V alloying elements, D2 tool steel has excellent wear resistance, suitable for high load and wear conditions.
D3: The carbon content is higher than D2, D3 tool steel also has high wear resistance, suitable for long-term production and applications with high wear resistance requirement.
Toughness:
D2: With good toughness, can withstand certain impact load without crack, suitable for molds and tools requiring toughness.
D3: It has high hardness, but the toughness may be slightly lower than D2 at the same hardness level, suitable for applications with lower impact loads.
Heat treatment:
Both D2 and D3 can be heat treated to improve hardness and wear resistance, although the process may different.
Machinability:
Both D2 and D3 have good machinability after annealing, but with the increase of the hardness, the processing difficulty will also increase.
Application scenario:
D2: Suitable for making molds that withstand high impact load, low cutting speed, high wear resistance requirement, such as stamping mold, punches, forming rolls, cutting machines, tools etc.
D3: Suitable for making high-wear resistance dies and punches, cold cutting knives, drill bushings and drawing dies with low impact loads.
Corrosion resistance:
D2: Has some corrosion resistance, but not as good as stainless steel.
D3: Suitable for high wear application in dry environments.
Cost:
The cost of D2 and D3 may vary, usually depending on alloy composition, processing difficulty, market supply and demand.
Compressive strength:
Both D2 and D3 have high compressive strength, but the specific value depends on the hardness level after heat treatment.
Conclusion: D2 VS D3 steel
D2 tool steel is usually used for applications that require high wear resistance and certain toughness, while D3 tool steel is suitable for application that require high wear resistance with low impact loads. When choosing, machining conditions, cost and the property requirements of the final product should also be considered.
FAQ
D2 VS D3 steel, which one is better in wear resistance?
D3 tool steel better than D2 tool steel in wear resistance, making it suitable for tools and dies requiring high wear resistance. However, D2 tool steel also has excellent wear resistance and hardness, and it has better dimensional stability during hardening.
D2 VS D3 steel, which is more cost-effective?
D2 id generally more cost-effective due to its wider applications and possibly lower price.
D2 VS D3 steel, which has better corrosion resistance?
Although D2 tool steel is not completely stainless, its higher chromium content gives it better corrosion resistance than D3 tool steel. D3 tool steel is known for its wear resistance and dimensional stability, but D2 has better corrosion resistance. If the application environment is humid or corrosive, D2 might be the better choice.
