MATERIALIZING VISIONS

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

COLD WORK TOOL STEEL

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

General

FORMING

Bohler-Uddeholm D2 is a high-carbon, high-chromium

tool steel alloyed with molybdenum and vanadium
characterized by:

High abrasive wear resistance

High compressive strength

Good through-hardening properties

High stability in hardening

Good resistance to tempering-back
Typical
analysis %

C
1.55

Standard
specification
Delivery
condition
Color code

Si
0.3

Mn
0.4

Cr
11.3

Mo
0.8

Hardness
HRC

V
0.8

Soft annealed to approx. 210 HB

Coining dies

5660

Cold extrusion dies, punches

5860

Tube- and section forming rolls; plain rolls

5660

Dies for molding of:

Ceramics, bricks, tiles, grinding wheels, tablets,
abrasive plastics

5862

Thread-rolling dies

5862

Cold-heading tools

5660

Crushing hammers

5660

Swaging tools

5660

Gauges, measuring tools, guide rails, bushes,

sleeves, knurling tools, sandblast nozzles

5862

Yellow/White

Applications
Bohler-Uddeholm D2 is recommended for tools requiring
very high abrasive wear resistance, combined with moderate
toughness (shock-resistance). Bohler-Uddeholm D2 can be
supplied in various finishes, including the hot-rolled, premachined and fine machined condition.

CUTTING
Material
thickness mm

Hardness
HRC
<180
HRC

up to 1/8 (3 mm)
1/81/4 (36 mm)

>180
HRC

6062
5860

5860
5456

Short, cold shears. Shredding knives for

waste plastics. Granulator knives
Circular shears
Clipping, trimming tools Hot
for forgings
Cold
Wood milling cutters, reamers, broaches

5660

5662

AISI D2, W.-Nr. 1.2379

This grade has been manufactured to our internal

specification guidelines.

Tools for:
Blanking, punching,
piercing, cropping,
shearing, trimming,
clipping

Tools for:
Bending, forming, deep-drawing, rim-rolling,
spinning and flow-forming

5860
5860
5658
5860

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

Properties

Heat treatment

PHYSICAL DATA

SOFT ANNEALING

Hardened and tempered to 62 HRC. Data at room

temperature and elevated temperatures.

Protect the steel and heat through to 1560F (850C).

Then cool in the furnace at 20F (10C) per hour to 1200F
(650C), then freely in air.

Temperature

Density
lbs/in3
kg/m3
Modulus of elasticity
ksi
MPa
Coefficient of thermal
expansion
low temperature
tempering
per F from 68F
per C from 20C
high temperature
tempering
per F from 68F
per C from 20C

68F
(20C)

390F
(200C)

750F
(400C)

0.277
7,700

0.276
7,650

0.275
7,600

30,450
210,000

29,000
200,000

26,100
180,000

After rough machining the tool should be heated through to

1200F (650C), holding time 2 hours. Cool slowly to 930F
(500C), then freely in air.

HARDENING
Preheating temperature: 11101290F (650750C).
Austenitizing temperature: 18101920F (990 1050C), but
usually 18301905F (10001040C).
Temperature

6.8 x 106
12.3 x 106

6.2 x 106
11.2 x 106

6.7 x 106
12 x 106

Thermal conductivity
Btu in/(ft2hF)
W/m C

139
20.0

146
21.00

159
23.00

Specific heat
Btu/lb F
J/kg C

0.11
460

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH
Approximate values.
Hardness

STRESS RELIEVING

Compressive yield strength, Rc0.2

MPa

ksi

62 HRC

2,200

319

60 HRC

2,150

312

55 HRC

1,900

276

50 HRC

1,650

239

Soaking*
time min.

Hardness before
tempering

1,815

990

60

approx. 63 HRC

1,850

1010

45

approx. 64 HRC

1,885

1030

30

approx. 65 HRC

* Soaking time = time at hardening temperature after the tool is fully

heated through.

Protect the part against decarburization and oxidation during

hardening.

QUENCHING MEDIA
Oil (Only very simple geometries)
Vacuum (high speed gas)
Forced air/gas
Martempering bath or fluidized bed at 360 930F
(180500C), then cooling in air.
Note: Temper the tool as soon as its temperature reaches 120
160F (5070C). Bohler-Uddeholm D2 typically hardens through
in most standard sizes.

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

Hardness as a function of austenitizing temperature

DIMENSIONAL CHANGES DURING

HARDENING
Heat treatment: Austenitizing temperature 1870F
(1020C), 30 minutes, cooling in vacuum equipment with 2
bar nitrogen overpressure.

TEMPERING
Choose the tempering temperature according to the
hardness required by reference to the tempering graph.
Temper twice with intermediate cooling to room temperature.
Lowest tempering temperature 360F (250C). Holding time
at temperature minimum 2 hours.

DIMENSIONAL CHANGES DURING

TEMPERING

Note: The dimensional changes on hardening and tempering should

be added together. The minimum recommended machining allowance is 0.15% per side assuming that stress relief is performed
between rough and semifinish machining, as recommended. If not,
machining allowances must be increased accordingly.

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

SUB-ZERO TREATMENT
Pieces requiring maximum dimensional stability should be
sub-zero treated, as volume changes may occur over the
course of time. This applies, for example, to measuring tools
such as gauges and certain structural components.
Immediately after quenching, the piece should be sub-zero
treated to between 95 to 110F (70 and 80C) soaking
time 34 hours followed by tempering. Sub-zero treatment
will give a hardness increase of 13 HRC. Avoid intricate
shapes as there will be risk of cracking

NITRIDING
Nitriding will give a hard surface layer which is very resistant
to wear and erosion, and also increases corrosion resistance.
A temperature of 975F (525C) gives a surface hardness of
approx. 1250 HV1.
Nitriding
temperature

Nitriding time

Depth of case,
approx.

hours

in.

mm

975

525

20

0.010

0.25

975

525

30

0.012

0.30

975

525

60

0.014

0.35

Nitrocarburizing at 1060F (570C) for 2 hours gives a surface hardness of approx. 950 HV1. The corresponding case
depth will be 0.00040.0008 (1020 m).

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

MILLING

Machining
The cutting data below are to be considered as guiding
values which must be adapted to existing local conditions.

TURNING
Cutting data
parameters

Turning with
carbide

Rough
turning
Cutting speed (vc)
f.p.m.
m/min
Feed (f)
i.p.r.
mm/r
Depth of cut (ap)
inch
mm
Carbide
designation
US
ISO

328492
100150

Fine
turning

492200
150200

0.0080.016 0.0020.008
0.20.4
0.050.2

0.080.20
26

0.08
2

Turning
with high
speed steel
Fine
turning

4050
1215

0.0020.012
0.050.3

0.08
2

Face and square shoulder milling

Cutting data
parameters

Milling with carbide

Cutting speed (vc)

f.p.m.
m/min
Feed (fz)
inch/tooth
mm/tooth
Depth of cut (ap)
inch
mm
Carbide
designation
US
ISO

Rough
milling

Fine
milling

Milling
with high
speed steel
Fine milling

330-400
100120

655785
200240

45
14

0.0080.016
0.20.4

0.0040.008
0.10.2

0.004
0.1

0.080.2
25

0.08
2

0.08
2

C2
K15*

C2
K15*

* Use a wear resistant Al2O3 coated carbide grade, for example

Sandvik Coromant GC 3015 or Seco T15M.
C2
K15K20*

C2
K15K20*

* Use a wear resistant Al2O3 coated carbide grade, for example

Sandvik Coromant GC 4015 or Seco TP100.

End milling
Cutting data
parameters

Type of milling
Solide
carbide

Carbide
indexable
insert

High speed
steel

Cutting
speed (vc)
f.p.m.
m/min

230328
70100

262360
80130

401)
12171)

Feed (fz)
inch/tooth
mm/tooth

0.0010.0082)
0.030.202)

0.0030.0082)
0.080.202)

0.0020.0142)
0.050.352)

Carbide
designation
US
C2
C2

ISO
K20
K15-K203)

1) For coated HSS end mill vc 56 f.p.m. (17 m/min.)

2) Depending on radial depth of cut and cutter diameter.
3) Use a Al2O3 coated carbide grade.

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

DRILLING

GRINDING

High speed steel twist drill

Drill diameter

General grinding wheel recommendations for BohlerUddeholm D2 is given below.

Cutting speed (vc)

Feed (f)

Wheel selection

inch

mm

f.p.m.

m/min

i.p.r.

mm/r

3/16

30*

10*

0.0020.006

0.050.15

3/163/8

510

30*

10*

0.0060.008

0.150.20

3/85/8

1015

30*

10*

0.0080.010

0.200.25

5/83/4

1520

30*

10*

0.0100.014

0.250.35

Type of grinding

Wheel recommendation
Soft annealed
condition

Hardened
condition

Face grinding
straight wheel

A 46 HV

B151 R75 B31)

3SG 46 HVS2)

Face grinding
segments

A 24 GV

3SG 36 HVS2)
A 36 G V

Cylindrical grinding

A 46 KV

B126 R75 B31)

3SG 60 KVS2)
A 60 KV

* For coated HSS drill vc 59-66 f.p.m. (12 m/min.)

Carbide drill
Cutting data
parameters

Cutting speed (vc)

f.p.m.
m/min

Type of drill
Indexable
index

Solid
carbide

Brazed
carbide1)

Internal grinding

A 46 JV

B126 R75 B31)

3SG 60 JVS2)
A 60 HV

426495
130150

230295
7090

115148
3545

Profile grinding

A 100 LV

B126 R100 B61)

5SG 80 KVS2)
A 120 JV

Feed (f)
i.p.r.
0.0020.012) 0.0040.013) 0.0060.014)
mm/r
0.050.252)
0.100.253)
0.150.254)
1) Drill with internal cooling channels and brazed carbide tip.
2) Feed rate for drill diameter 0.81.6 (2040 mm)
3) Feed rate for drill diameter 0.20.8 (520 mm)
4) Feed rate for drill diameter 0.40.8 (1020 mm)

Electrical-discharge
machiningEDM
If EDM is performed in the hardened and tempered condition,
the hard brittle white layer must be completely removed
through stoning and polishing operations and the tool should
then be given an additional temper at appr. 50F (25C)
below the highest tempering temperature used during the
heat treatment process.

Bohler-Uddeholm D2

Welding
Good results when welding tool steel can be achieved if proper
precautions are taken during welding (i.e., elevated working
temperature, joint preparation, choice of consumables and
welding procedure). If the tool is to be polished or textured,
it is necessary to work with an electrode type of matching
composition.
Welding
method

Working
temperature

Consumables

MMA
(SMAW)

390480F
200250C

Inconel
625-type
UTP 67S
Castolin
EutecTrode 2
Castolin
EutecTrode 6

TIG
(GTAW)

390480F
200250C

Inconel
625-type
UTPA 73G2
UTPA 67S
UTPA 696
CastoTig
45303W

Hardness
after welding

280 HB
5558 HRC
56-60 HRC
59-61 HRC

280 HB
5356 HRC
5558 HRC
6064 HRC
60-64 HRC

BOHLER-UDDEHOLM CORPORATION
2505 Millennium Drive, Elgin, IL 60124
www.bucorp.com | 1-800-638-2520 | info@bucorp.com
The Steel Store 1-877-783-3555

This information is based on our present state of knowledge and is intended to provide general notes on our products and their uses. It
should not therefore be construed as a warranty of specific properties of the products described or a warranty for fitness for a particular
purpose. The latest revised edition of this brochure is the English version, which is always published on our web site www.bucorp.com
Edition 1, 06.2013