{ "spore": "profile", "id": "tool-steel-a2", "spore_version": "0.2", "family": "tool-steels", "name": "AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel (EN 1.2363, X100CrMoV5)", "abbreviation": "A2 (UNS T30102, EN 1.2363)", "role": "cold-work tool steel", "category": "metals", "type": "steels-and-stainless", "summary": "AISI A2 (EN 1.2363, X100CrMoV5, JIS SKD 12, UNS T30102) is an air-hardening cold-work tool steel with about 1 percent carbon and 5 percent chromium. Dörrenberg describes it as having high achievable hardness, high through hardenability, good dimensional stability and high wear resistance. It is used for blanking, forming and trimming tools, and no corrosion rating for it was found in the sources read here.", "best_for": "Blanking, punching, trimming and forming tools that need good dimensional stability and wear resistance", "weakest_at": "Corrosion, hardness after tempering and impact toughness: the sources read here give no numbers for these", "identity": { "formula": "Fe balance; 0.95 to 1.05 C, 0.50 Si, 1.00 Mn, 4.75 to 5.50 Cr, 0.90 to 1.40 Mo, 0.15 to 0.50 V, 0.30 Ni, 0.25 Cu, 0.03 P, 0.03 S (wt%, eFunda composition table; Mn, Si, Ni, Cu, P and S are printed as single values, not as ranges or maxima)", "designations": [ { "system": "AISI", "code": "A2", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Page title 'AISI A2' and Class line" }, { "system": "UNS", "code": "T30102", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, United States: UNS T30102" }, { "system": "EN", "code": "1.2363", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Header, Material No. 1.2363" }, { "system": "EN name", "code": "X100CrMoV5", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Header, Code X100CrMoV5" }, { "system": "JIS", "code": "SKD 12", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, Japan: JIS SKD 12" }, { "system": "BS", "code": "BA 2", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, United Kingdom: B.S. BA 2" }, { "system": "AFNOR", "code": "Z 100 CDV 5", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, France: AFNOR Z 100 CDV 5" }, { "system": "SS", "code": "2260", "note": "Swedish standard SS 2260", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, Sweden: SS 2260" }, { "system": "ASTM", "code": "A681", "note": "tool steel specification; A2 is one of its grades", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, United States: ASTM A681" }, { "system": "SAE", "code": "J437", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, United States: SAE J437" }, { "system": "SAE", "code": "J438", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations line, United States: SAE J438" }, { "system": "Trade name", "code": "P5M", "note": "Dörrenberg brand name", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Header, DE - Brand column" } ], "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Designations and Composition tables of the eFunda AISI A2 page; EN 1.2363, X100CrMoV5 and P5M from the Dörrenberg datasheet header" }, "tags": { "environments": [], "stresses": [], "applications": [ "mechanisms" ] }, "properties": [ { "benchmark": "density", "label": "Density at 25 C", "value": 7.86, "bound": "exact", "unit": "g/cm3", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "25 C", "unit_in_source": "x1000 kg/m3 (column header), printed as 7.86" }, "method": "eFunda Mechanical Properties table, Density row, printed as 7.86 under the header Density (x1000 kg/m3) at 25 C; 7.86 x 1000 kg/m3 is the same as 7.86 g/cm3", "status": "ground", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Mechanical Properties table, Density (x1000 kg/m3) row, 25 C", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Properties of Tool Steel AISI A2 (designations, composition, density, Poisson's ratio, elastic modulus)", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=all", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=all&Page_Title=AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "poissons_ratio", "label": "Poisson's ratio at 25 C (range)", "value": 0.27, "value_high": 0.3, "bound": "range", "unit": "-", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "25 C" }, "method": "eFunda Mechanical Properties table, Poisson's Ratio row, printed as 0.27 - 0.30 at 25", "status": "ground", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Mechanical Properties table, Poisson's Ratio row, 25 C", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Properties of Tool Steel AISI A2 (designations, composition, density, Poisson's ratio, elastic modulus)", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=all", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=all&Page_Title=AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "elastic_modulus", "label": "Elastic modulus at 25 C (range)", "value": 190, "value_high": 210, "bound": "range", "unit": "GPa", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "25 C" }, "method": "eFunda Mechanical Properties table, Elastic Modulus (GPa) row, printed as 190 - 210 at 25", "status": "ground", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Mechanical Properties table, Elastic Modulus (GPa) row, 25 C", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Properties of Tool Steel AISI A2 (designations, composition, density, Poisson's ratio, elastic modulus)", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=all", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=all&Page_Title=AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "cte", "label": "Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 100 C", "value": 10.7, "bound": "exact", "unit": "ppm/K", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "20 to 100 C", "unit_in_source": "10 -6 /C" }, "method": "eFunda Thermal Expansion Coeff. table (10 -6 /C), row 20 - 100, printed as 10.7; 10 -6 per C is the same as ppm/K", "status": "ground", "source": "efunda-a2-cte", "where": "Thermal Expansion Coeff. table, row 20 - 100", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Tool Steel AISI A2, thermal expansion coefficient table", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=cte", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=cte&Page_Title=Tool%20Steel%20AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "cte", "label": "Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 260 C", "value": 10.6, "bound": "exact", "unit": "ppm/K", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "20 to 260 C", "unit_in_source": "10 -6 /C" }, "method": "eFunda Thermal Expansion Coeff. table (10 -6 /C), row 20 - 260, printed as 10.6; 10 -6 per C is the same as ppm/K", "status": "ground", "note": "The printed value is lower than the 20 to 100 C value; the page gives no reason", "source": "efunda-a2-cte", "where": "Thermal Expansion Coeff. table, row 20 - 260", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Tool Steel AISI A2, thermal expansion coefficient table", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=cte", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=cte&Page_Title=Tool%20Steel%20AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "cte", "label": "Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 425 C", "value": 12.9, "bound": "exact", "unit": "ppm/K", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "20 to 425 C", "unit_in_source": "10 -6 /C" }, "method": "eFunda Thermal Expansion Coeff. table (10 -6 /C), row 20 - 425, printed as 12.9; 10 -6 per C is the same as ppm/K", "status": "ground", "source": "efunda-a2-cte", "where": "Thermal Expansion Coeff. table, row 20 - 425", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Tool Steel AISI A2, thermal expansion coefficient table", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=cte", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=cte&Page_Title=Tool%20Steel%20AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "cte", "label": "Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 540 C", "value": 14, "bound": "exact", "unit": "ppm/K", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "20 to 540 C", "unit_in_source": "10 -6 /C" }, "method": "eFunda Thermal Expansion Coeff. table (10 -6 /C), row 20 - 540, printed as 14; 10 -6 per C is the same as ppm/K", "status": "ground", "source": "efunda-a2-cte", "where": "Thermal Expansion Coeff. table, row 20 - 540", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Tool Steel AISI A2, thermal expansion coefficient table", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=cte", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=cte&Page_Title=Tool%20Steel%20AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "cte", "label": "Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 650 C", "value": 14.2, "bound": "exact", "unit": "ppm/K", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)", "temperature": "20 to 650 C", "unit_in_source": "10 -6 /C" }, "method": "eFunda Thermal Expansion Coeff. table (10 -6 /C), row 20 - 650, printed as 14.2; 10 -6 per C is the same as ppm/K", "status": "ground", "source": "efunda-a2-cte", "where": "Thermal Expansion Coeff. table, row 20 - 650", "source_detail": { "title": "eFunda: Tool Steel AISI A2, thermal expansion coefficient table", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=cte", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=cte&Page_Title=Tool%20Steel%20AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" } }, { "benchmark": "hardness_brinell", "label": "Maximum hardness, soft-annealed delivery condition", "value": 241, "bound": "upper", "unit": "HB", "scope": "material", "conditions": { "heat_treatment": "soft annealed at 800 to 840 C, furnace cooled", "basis": "delivery condition, maximum as printed" }, "method": "Dörrenberg heat treatment table, Soft annealing row (800 - 840 C, furnace, max. 241 HB); the Condition of delivery line prints the same maximum", "status": "ground", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Heat treatment table, Soft annealing row; Condition of delivery", "source_detail": { "title": "Dörrenberg Edelstahl: 1.2363 X100CrMoV5 datasheet (English, brand P5M), printed 02/24", "id": "Material No. 1.2363, code X100CrMoV5", "url": "https://doerrenberg.com/fileadmin/special_steel/files/pdf_en_products_neues_Design/1.2363_en.pdf", "year": 2024, "kind": "datasheet", "license": "supplier datasheet, cited not reproduced" } } ], "corrosion": [ { "environment": "Atmosphere, humidity and general service (no test given)", "headline": "No corrosion rating or test for A2 was found in the sources read in this run.", "effect": "The eFunda, Dörrenberg and Wikipedia pages read here give no corrosion figure or rating for A2. The Wikipedia corrosion statement, about D-type tool steels with 10 to 13 percent chromium, is about the D series and not A2. Treat A2 corrosion resistance as unrated.", "rating": "unknown", "conditions": { "basis": "qualitative statements only, no test conditions" }, "source": "wikipedia-tool-steel", "where": "Tool steel article, D-series paragraph; the A-series section has no corrosion statement" } ], "risks": { "hazards": [ { "text": "Chromium trioxide, a related compound and not the steel itself: PubChem's aggregated ECHA notifications list it as fatal if inhaled (H330), may cause genetic defects (H340), may cause cancer (H350) and causes organ damage through prolonged or repeated exposure (H372).", "ghs": [ "H330", "H340", "H350", "H372" ], "source": "pubchem-cro3", "where": "GHS Classification, aggregated ECHA C and L notifications, CID 14915" }, { "text": "Vanadium pentoxide, a related vanadium compound and not the steel itself: PubChem lists it as toxic if swallowed (H301), fatal if inhaled (H330), suspected of causing genetic defects (H341) and may cause cancer (H350).", "ghs": [ "H301", "H330", "H341", "H350" ], "source": "pubchem-v2o5", "where": "GHS Classification, aggregated ECHA C and L notifications, CID 14814" }, { "text": "Chromium metal, not the steel itself: PubChem's notifications list it as possibly causing an allergic skin reaction (H317), serious eye irritation (H319) and allergy or breathing difficulties if inhaled (H334); about half of its reports say it does not meet GHS criteria.", "ghs": [ "H317", "H319", "H334" ], "source": "pubchem-cr", "where": "GHS Classification, aggregated ECHA C and L notifications, CID 23976" } ], "failure_risks": [], "side_effects": [], "handling": [ { "text": "Soft anneal at 800 to 840 C and cool in the furnace; the delivery maximum is 241 HB.", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Heat treatment table, Soft annealing row" }, { "text": "Stress relieve at 600 to 650 C and cool in the furnace.", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Heat treatment table, Stress relief annealing row" }, { "text": "Harden from 950 to 980 C, then quench in oil, pressure gas (N2) or air, or in a hot bath at 500 to 550 C.", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Heat treatment table, Hardening row" }, { "text": "Tempering follows the Dörrenberg tempering diagram, which is an image with no printed values in the text.", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Heat treatment table, Hardening row, and the Tempering Diagram page" } ], "mitigations": [] }, "uses": [ { "application": "mechanisms", "device": "Blanking and forming punches, trimming dies, thread-rolling dies and injection-molding dies", "example": "Wikipedia says A2 is the most commonly used air-hardening tool steel and is commonly used for these tools.", "source": "wikipedia-tool-steel", "where": "Tool steel article, Air-hardening A series table, A2 row" }, { "application": "mechanisms", "device": "Shear blades, cutting, punching and stamping tools, bending tools, form rolls, cold pilger mandrels, plastic moulds and embossing dies", "example": "Dörrenberg lists these applications for 1.2363 (X100CrMoV5).", "source": "doerrenberg-1-2363", "where": "Applications line of the datasheet" } ], "supply": [ { "subject": "Chromium", "abundance": "World resources are greater than 12 billion tons of shipping-grade chromite, and 95 percent of world chromium resources are in Kazakhstan and southern Africa. Net import reliance was 79 percent of apparent consumption in 2025e. Mine production 2025e, gross weight in thousand t: South Africa 23,000; Turkey 9,000; Kazakhstan 7,000; India 3,000; Brazil 2,000; Zimbabwe 2,000; Finland 1,900; other countries 3,000; world total 51,000 (rounded).", "producers": [ { "country": "South Africa", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Turkey", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Kazakhstan", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "India", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Brazil", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Zimbabwe", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Finland", "year": 2025 } ], "critical_lists": [ { "list": "USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals (chromium, used in stainless steel)", "listed": true } ], "recycling": "In 2025, recycled chromium in reported stainless-steel scrap receipts accounted for 21 percent of apparent consumption.", "substitutes": [ "Chromium has no substitute in stainless steel, the leading end use, or in superalloys, the major strategic end use (USGS 2026)." ], "source": "usgs-mcs2026-chromium", "where": "Salient Statistics (net import reliance 2025e); World Mine Production and Reserves (2025e, gross weight); World Resources; Substitutes; Recycling; list status from usgs-critical-2025 (read with WebFetch in this run)" }, { "subject": "Molybdenum", "abundance": "World reserves were 17,000 thousand t (rounded). Identified resources are about 5.4 million tons in the United States and about 20 million tons in the rest of the world. Mine production 2025e in metric tons of molybdenum content: China 97,000; Chile 42,000; United States 40,000; Peru 39,000; Mexico 17,000; world total 260,000 (rounded). Net import reliance is printed as E (net exporter). The Government of China imposed export controls on molybdenum powders in February 2025.", "producers": [ { "country": "China", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Chile", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "United States", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Peru", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Mexico", "year": 2025 } ], "critical_lists": [ { "list": "USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals (molybdenum not named on the list page read with WebFetch)", "listed": false } ], "recycling": "Molybdenum recycled as part of new and old steel and other scrap may be as much as 30 percent of the apparent supply of molybdenum.", "substitutes": [ "There is little substitution for molybdenum in steels and cast irons. Potential substitutes include boron, chromium, niobium (columbium) and vanadium in alloy steels, and tungsten in tool steels (USGS 2026)." ], "source": "usgs-mcs2026-molybdenum", "where": "Domestic Production and Use; World Mine Production and Reserves (2025e, metric tons of molybdenum content); World Resources; Substitutes; Recycling; Events, Trends, and Issues" }, { "subject": "Vanadium", "abundance": "World resources of vanadium exceed 63 million tons, and world reserves were 21,000 thousand t (rounded). Metallurgical use, mainly as an alloying agent for iron and steel, was more than 90 percent of reported domestic consumption in 2025. Net import reliance was 41 percent of apparent consumption in 2025e. Mine production 2025e in metric tons of vanadium content: China 82,000; Russia 21,000; Brazil 5,300; South Africa 5,000; world total 110,000 (rounded). The printed national figures sum to more than the printed world total, so no shares are calculated.", "producers": [ { "country": "China", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Russia", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "Brazil", "year": 2025 }, { "country": "South Africa", "year": 2025 } ], "critical_lists": [ { "list": "USGS 2025 List of Critical Minerals (vanadium, used to strengthen iron and steel)", "listed": true } ], "recycling": "Recycling of vanadium is mainly associated with reprocessing vanadium catalysts into new catalysts (USGS 2026).", "substitutes": [ "Steels with other combinations of alloying elements can be substituted for vanadium steels. Manganese, molybdenum, niobium (columbium), titanium and tungsten are to some degree interchangeable with vanadium as alloying elements in steel (USGS 2026)." ], "source": "usgs-mcs2026-vanadium", "where": "Domestic Production and Use; Salient Statistics (net import reliance 2025e); World Mine Production and Reserves (2025e); World Resources; Substitutes; Recycling; list status from usgs-critical-2025 (read with WebFetch in this run)" } ], "media": [], "documents": [ { "title": "Dörrenberg Edelstahl datasheet 1.2363 X100CrMoV5 (English, brand P5M), printed 02/24", "type": "datasheet", "url": "https://doerrenberg.com/fileadmin/special_steel/files/pdf_en_products_neues_Design/1.2363_en.pdf", "year": 2024 }, { "title": "eFunda: Properties of Tool Steel AISI A2", "type": "database", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=all&Page_Title=AISI%20A2" }, { "title": "eFunda: Tool Steel AISI A2, thermal expansion table", "type": "database", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=cte&Page_Title=Tool%20Steel%20AISI%20A2" }, { "title": "USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Chromium", "type": "report", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-chromium.pdf", "year": 2026 }, { "title": "USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Molybdenum", "type": "report", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-molybdenum.pdf", "year": 2026 }, { "title": "USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Vanadium", "type": "report", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-vanadium.pdf", "year": 2026 }, { "title": "USGS: About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals", "type": "report", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program/science/about-2025-list-critical-minerals", "year": 2025 }, { "title": "PubChem CID 14915: chromium trioxide, GHS classification", "type": "database", "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/14915/JSON?heading=GHS+Classification" }, { "title": "PubChem CID 14814: vanadium pentoxide, GHS classification", "type": "database", "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/14814/JSON?heading=GHS+Classification" }, { "title": "PubChem CID 23976: chromium, GHS classification", "type": "database", "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23976/JSON?heading=GHS+Classification" } ], "gaps": [ "Property bar not reached: nine sourced values, not twelve. No A2 hardness after tempering, dimensional change, toughness, specific heat or thermal conductivity number was read as a value in this run.", "Web search was unavailable in this run because its budget was used up, so sources were fetched by URL. MatWeb, Hudson Tool Steel, Windsor Steel and PV Steel blocked the fetch (Cloudflare, Incapsula, 403), and no A2 manufacturer datasheet other than Dörrenberg was reachable.", "Dörrenberg thermal conductivity (15,8 W/mK at 20 C, 26,7 at 350 C, 28,9 at 700 C) and thermal expansion (11,6, 12,9, 13,2 and 13,7 x 10-6/K over 20 to 100, 200, 300 and 400 C) are printed with decimal commas, which the source check cannot match, so they are not recorded as values.", "The Dörrenberg tempering diagram and CCT diagram are images with no printed values, so no hardness-versus-tempering-temperature numbers were recorded.", "The eFunda values for density, Poisson's ratio, elastic modulus and thermal expansion state no heat treatment (the Treatment column is blank), so their conditions give the test temperature only.", "hardness_brinell is not in spores/property-canon.yaml; the short snake_case name is used, as the brief allows.", "Composition: eFunda prints Mn 1.00, Si 0.50, Ni 0.30, Cu 0.25, P 0.03 and S 0.03 as single values without saying whether they are maxima. The Dörrenberg typical analysis (1,00 C, 5,30 Cr, 1,10 Mo, 0,25 V) has decimal commas and is not used as numbers.", "Corrosion: no A2 corrosion test, rating or numeric rate was found in the sources read here.", "Failure modes: no cracking, chipping, softening or distortion figure for A2 was found. Dörrenberg describes toughness only as good.", "No SDS for an A2 steel was read. The hazard entries are PubChem GHS data for related compounds (chromium trioxide, vanadium pentoxide, chromium metal), not a classification of the steel.", "Vanadium: the printed national 2025e mine figures sum to more than the printed world total of 110,000 t, so no producer shares were calculated. Printed tonnages are in the abundance text; chromium and molybdenum shares are not calculated either.", "Molybdenum net import reliance is printed as E (net exporter) and has no number.", "Critical list: molybdenum is not named on the USGS 2025 list page read with WebFetch, so it is recorded as not listed. That page calls the list final in one FAQ and draft in others.", "No flight, space, vacuum, radiation, cryogenic or hydrogen data for A2 was read. The application slug mechanisms is the closest fit in the site taxonomy for tooling.", "Total Materia: no A2 page was reached; the related IDs on the D2 page are D2-type grades.", "The FED QQ-T-570 designation printed by eFunda is left out because FED is not in the designation systems list.", "The Wikipedia cold-work text (high hardenability, average toughness) is a group statement for the O, A and D grades, not A2 data." ], "story": { "why": "AISI A2 (EN 1.2363, X100CrMoV5) is an air-hardening cold-work tool steel. Wikipedia calls A2 the most commonly used air-hardening grade and says air-hardening steels show low distortion in heat treatment because of their high chromium content. The Dörrenberg datasheet describes good dimensional stability and high wear resistance. Each value here carries its own heat-treatment condition, and the eFunda values state none.", "uses": [ { "where": "Blanking, forming and trimming tools", "line": "Wikipedia says A2 is commonly used for blanking and forming punches, trimming dies, thread-rolling dies and injection-molding dies." }, { "where": "Shear blades, bending tools and form rolls", "line": "Dörrenberg lists shear blades, cutting, punching and stamping tools, bending tools, form rolls, cold pilger mandrels, plastic moulds and embossing dies for 1.2363." } ], "can_do": [ { "label": "Stiffness", "line": "The elastic modulus is printed as 190 to 210 GPa at 25 C (eFunda), with no heat treatment stated.", "benchmark": "elastic_modulus", "scope": "material" }, { "label": "Density", "line": "The density is printed as 7.86 g/cm3 at 25 C (eFunda).", "benchmark": "density", "scope": "material" }, { "label": "Thermal expansion", "line": "eFunda prints 10.7 ppm/K for 20 to 100 C and 14.2 ppm/K for 20 to 650 C; no heat treatment is stated for either.", "benchmark": "cte", "scope": "material" }, { "label": "Delivery hardness", "line": "After soft annealing at 800 to 840 C and furnace cooling, the Dörrenberg datasheet gives a maximum of 241 HB.", "benchmark": "hardness_brinell", "scope": "material" }, { "label": "Wear and toughness", "line": "Dörrenberg describes high wear resistance, good toughness and excellent compressive strength. No number was read for any of them.", "scope": "material" } ], "compare": "Wikipedia places the air-hardening A series between the D series and the shock-resistant grades for the balance of wear resistance and toughness. This profile holds no D2 values from this run, so it makes no numeric A2 versus D2 comparison. The compare rows name the benchmarks to set beside the D2 profile.", "compare_rows": [ { "label": "Density", "benchmark": "density", "scope": "material" }, { "label": "Elastic modulus", "benchmark": "elastic_modulus", "scope": "material" }, { "label": "Thermal expansion", "benchmark": "cte", "scope": "material" } ], "handling": [ "Soft anneal at 800 to 840 C and cool in the furnace; the delivery maximum is 241 HB (Dörrenberg).", "Stress relieve at 600 to 650 C and cool in the furnace (Dörrenberg).", "Harden from 950 to 980 C and quench in oil, pressure gas (N2) or air, or in a hot bath at 500 to 550 C (Dörrenberg).", "Temper using the Dörrenberg tempering diagram; the datasheet text gives no tempering number." ], "good_for": [ "Blanking, punching and trimming tools (Wikipedia and Dörrenberg).", "Thread-rolling dies and injection-molding dies (Wikipedia).", "Form rolls, bending tools and embossing dies (Dörrenberg)." ], "watch_out": [ "Corrosion: no A2 rating or test was found, so do not assume corrosion resistance.", "Toughness: Dörrenberg says good toughness; Wikipedia rates the cold-work group as having average toughness, a group statement and not A2 data.", "Tempering: the Dörrenberg tempering curve is an image without printed values, so tempered hardness is not recorded." ], "verdict": "AISI A2 is a widely used air-hardening cold-work steel for punches, dies and blades. The sources read in this run support its density, stiffness, thermal expansion and soft-annealed hardness, but not its tempered hardness, toughness or corrosion, so check a full manufacturer datasheet before a design decision.", "recipe": { "line": "AISI A2 is an iron-based air-hardening steel with about 1 percent carbon and about 5 percent chromium, with molybdenum and vanadium as the other main additions. The eFunda composition table gives the ranges used here: carbon 0.95 to 1.05, chromium 4.75 to 5.50, molybdenum 0.90 to 1.40 and vanadium 0.15 to 0.50 percent by weight, with manganese, silicon, nickel, copper, phosphorus and sulphur printed as single values. Hardness comes from the heat treatment; the Dörrenberg datasheet gives a hardening range of 950 to 980 C.", "parts": [ { "name": "Iron", "symbol": "Fe", "role": "Matrix of the steel; the composition table lists iron as the balance.", "share_note": "balance (the rest)" }, { "name": "Carbon", "symbol": "C", "role": "Main carbon content; the Dörrenberg datasheet describes the steel as medium alloyed with 1 percent carbon.", "share_percent": 0.95, "share_high": 1.05, "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, C row" }, { "name": "Manganese", "symbol": "Mn", "role": "Alloying addition listed in the composition table.", "share_percent": 1, "share_note": "single value printed; no range or maximum stated", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, Mn row" }, { "name": "Silicon", "symbol": "Si", "role": "Listed in the composition table.", "share_percent": 0.5, "share_note": "single value printed; no range or maximum stated", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, Si row" }, { "name": "Chromium", "symbol": "Cr", "role": "About 5 percent chromium. Wikipedia links the high chromium content of air-hardening steels to low distortion in heat treatment.", "share_percent": 4.75, "share_high": 5.5, "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, Cr row" }, { "name": "Molybdenum", "symbol": "Mo", "role": "Alloying addition listed in the composition table; the fetched pages give no separate function.", "share_percent": 0.9, "share_high": 1.4, "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, Mo row" }, { "name": "Vanadium", "symbol": "V", "role": "Alloying addition listed in the composition table; the fetched pages give no separate function.", "share_percent": 0.15, "share_high": 0.5, "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, V row" }, { "name": "Nickel", "symbol": "Ni", "role": "Listed in the composition table.", "share_percent": 0.3, "share_note": "single value printed; no range or maximum stated", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, Ni row" }, { "name": "Copper", "symbol": "Cu", "role": "Listed in the composition table.", "share_percent": 0.25, "share_note": "single value printed; no range or maximum stated", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, Cu row" }, { "name": "Phosphorus", "symbol": "P", "role": "Impurity listed at 0.03 as a single value.", "share_percent": 0.03, "share_note": "single value printed; no range or maximum stated", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, P row" }, { "name": "Sulphur", "symbol": "S", "role": "Impurity listed at 0.03 as a single value.", "share_percent": 0.03, "share_note": "single value printed; no range or maximum stated", "source": "efunda-a2", "where": "Composition table, S row" } ] }, "risk_groups": [ { "title": "For people", "lead": "No SDS for an A2 steel was read. The watch points below come from PubChem data for related compounds of two of the steel's alloying metals.", "points": [ { "label": "Stock as supplied", "line": "No SDS or GHS classification for an A2 steel was found in the sources read in this run." }, { "label": "Processing", "line": "PubChem lists chromium trioxide and vanadium pentoxide, related compounds of chromium and vanadium, as fatal if inhaled and as causes of cancer. No source read here says whether machining this steel releases them." }, { "label": "Sensitisation", "line": "PubChem lists chromium metal as possibly causing an allergic skin reaction and allergy or breathing difficulties if inhaled." } ], "level": 2, "verdict": "Fumes from processing are the watch point" }, { "title": "Heat treatment", "lead": "The datasheet gives annealing, stress-relief and hardening temperatures. The tempering curve is an image, so no tempered hardness is recorded.", "points": [ { "label": "Annealing", "line": "Soft anneal at 800 to 840 C, furnace cooled; the delivery maximum is 241 HB." }, { "label": "Stress relief", "line": "Stress relief at 600 to 650 C, furnace cooled." }, { "label": "Hardening", "line": "Harden from 950 to 980 C, then quench in oil, pressure gas (N2) or air, or in a hot bath at 500 to 550 C." }, { "label": "Tempering", "line": "The tempering diagram is an image; no tempering temperature or hardness number was read." } ], "level": 1, "verdict": "The cycle steps come from Dörrenberg" }, { "title": "Corrosion", "lead": "The sources read here give no corrosion test, rating or numeric rate for A2.", "points": [ { "label": "Rating", "line": "None found. The Wikipedia corrosion statement is about the D series, not A2." } ], "verdict": "No A2 corrosion rating in these sources" } ] }, "updated": "2026-10-24", "review": { "status": "draft", "method": "assistant", "checked_values": 9, "unreachable": 0, "caveats": 8, "note": "Read by an AI assistant on 2026-10-24 from pages fetched in this run. Web search was unavailable, so the pages were fetched by URL. Nine values are sourced, short of the twelve-value bar. Eight eFunda values state no heat treatment and are caveated in their conditions." }, "sources": { "doerrenberg-1-2363": { "title": "Dörrenberg Edelstahl: 1.2363 X100CrMoV5 datasheet (English, brand P5M), printed 02/24", "id": "Material No. 1.2363, code X100CrMoV5", "url": "https://doerrenberg.com/fileadmin/special_steel/files/pdf_en_products_neues_Design/1.2363_en.pdf", "year": 2024, "kind": "datasheet", "license": "supplier datasheet, cited not reproduced" }, "efunda-a2": { "title": "eFunda: Properties of Tool Steel AISI A2 (designations, composition, density, Poisson's ratio, elastic modulus)", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=all", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=all&Page_Title=AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" }, "efunda-a2-cte": { "title": "eFunda: Tool Steel AISI A2, thermal expansion coefficient table", "id": "AISI A2 page, show_prop=cte", "url": "http://www.efunda.com/materials/alloys/tool_steels/show_tool.cfm?ID=AISI_A2&show_prop=cte&Page_Title=Tool%20Steel%20AISI%20A2", "kind": "web", "license": "eFunda, cited not reproduced" }, "wikipedia-tool-steel": { "title": "Tool steel (Wikipedia): air-hardening A series table and text, cold-work group text, D-series corrosion text", "id": "en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_steel", "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tool_steel", "kind": "web", "license": "CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikipedia)" }, "usgs-mcs2026-chromium": { "title": "USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Chromium", "id": "mcs2026-chromium, February 2026", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-chromium.pdf", "year": 2026, "kind": "report", "license": "public domain (USGS)" }, "usgs-mcs2026-molybdenum": { "title": "USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Molybdenum", "id": "mcs2026-molybdenum, February 2026", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-molybdenum.pdf", "year": 2026, "kind": "report", "license": "public domain (USGS)" }, "usgs-mcs2026-vanadium": { "title": "USGS Mineral Commodity Summaries 2026: Vanadium", "id": "mcs2026-vanadium, February 2026", "url": "https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2026/mcs2026-vanadium.pdf", "year": 2026, "kind": "report", "license": "public domain (USGS)" }, "usgs-critical-2025": { "title": "USGS: About the 2025 List of Critical Minerals", "id": "2025 List of Critical Minerals", "url": "https://www.usgs.gov/programs/mineral-resources-program/science/about-2025-list-critical-minerals", "year": 2025, "kind": "web", "license": "public domain (USGS)" }, "pubchem-cro3": { "title": "PubChem CID 14915: chromium trioxide, GHS classification (aggregated ECHA notifications)", "id": "CID 14915", "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/14915/JSON?heading=GHS+Classification", "kind": "database", "license": "PubChem (NIH), cited not reproduced" }, "pubchem-v2o5": { "title": "PubChem CID 14814: vanadium pentoxide (V2O5), GHS classification (aggregated ECHA notifications)", "id": "CID 14814", "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/14814/JSON?heading=GHS+Classification", "kind": "database", "license": "PubChem (NIH), cited not reproduced" }, "pubchem-cr": { "title": "PubChem CID 23976: chromium, GHS classification (aggregated ECHA notifications)", "id": "CID 23976", "url": "https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/rest/pug_view/data/compound/23976/JSON?heading=GHS+Classification", "kind": "database", "license": "PubChem (NIH), cited not reproduced" } }, "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "url": "https://spacemushroom.com/profiles/tool-steel-a2/" }