AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel (EN 1.2363, X100CrMoV5) A2 (UNS T30102, EN 1.2363)
Fe balance
Also known as UNS T30102, EN 1.2363, EN name X100CrMoV5, AISI A2, JIS SKD 12, SAE J437 · 6 more
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.
Evidence level
2 of 5
Lab-measured
- 0Predicted only. No one has made it, or no measurement exists.
- 1Calculated. Only calculated or predicted values from sources.
- 2Lab-measured. Measured properties with their conditions stated.
- 3Space-relevant tests. Measured in conditions relevant to space, such as vacuum or atomic oxygen.
- 4Ground-qualified. Qualified for an application on the ground.
- 5Flown or field-proven. Flight or field results exist.
Stiffness
190 to 210 GPa
Density
7.86 g/cm³
Thermal expansion
10.7 ppm/K
Delivery hardness
< 241 HB
Recipe, share of the weight
- Fe balance (the rest)Iron
- C 0.95 to 1.05%Carbon
- Mn single value printed; no range or maximum statedManganese
- Si single value printed; no range or maximum statedSilicon
- Cr 4.75 to 5.5%Chromium
- Mo 0.9 to 1.4%Molybdenum
- V 0.15 to 0.5%Vanadium
- Ni single value printed; no range or maximum statedNickel
- Cu single value printed; no range or maximum statedCopper
- P single value printed; no range or maximum statedPhosphorus
- S single value printed; no range or maximum statedSulphur
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
Risk at a glance
- People Moderate. Fumes from processing are the watch point
- If it fails No data. No failure risks recorded
- Corrosion No data. No corrosion data recorded
Quick facts: A2 (UNS T30102, EN 1.2363)
| Property | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 7.86 g/cm³ | 1 sourced value |
| Young's modulus | 190 to 210 GPa | 1 sourced value |
| Hardness (Brinell) | 241 HB | 1 sourced value |
| Thermal expansion (CTE) | 10.6 to 14.2 ppm/K | 5 sourced values across conditions |
What is the density of AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel?
AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel has a density of 7.86 g/cm³. The source and test conditions are listed in the properties table on this page.
What is the coefficient of thermal expansion of AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel?
AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel has a coefficient of thermal expansion of 10.6 to 14.2 ppm/K. The range covers 5 sourced values across the tempers, forms and test conditions the sources report; room-temperature values are used where a source states a temperature.
What is the Young's modulus of AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel?
AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel has a Young's modulus of 190 to 210 GPa. The source and test conditions are listed in the properties table on this page.
What is the hardness of AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel?
AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel has a Brinell hardness of 241 HB. The source and test conditions are listed in the properties table on this page.
What are the other names and codes for AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel?
AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel is also written as UNS T30102, EN 1.2363, EN name X100CrMoV5, AISI A2, JIS SKD 12, SAE J437. Each code is printed in the source listed beside it in the designations table.
What is AISI A2 air-hardening cold-work tool steel used for?
Uses recorded in the sources include Blanking and forming punches, trimming dies, thread-rolling dies and injection-molding dies; Shear blades, cutting, punching and stamping tools, bending tools, form rolls, cold pilger mandrels, plastic moulds and embossing dies.
Why it exists
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.
Where it's used
Blanking, forming and trimming tools
Wikipedia says A2 is commonly used for blanking and forming punches, trimming dies, thread-rolling dies and injection-molding dies.
Shear blades, bending tools and form rolls
Dörrenberg lists shear blades, cutting, punching and stamping tools, bending tools, form rolls, cold pilger mandrels, plastic moulds and embossing dies for 1.2363.
Recipe
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)
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.
| Ingredient | Share of the weight | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Iron Fe | balance (the rest) | Matrix of the steel; the composition table lists iron as the balance. |
| Carbon C | 0.95 to 1.05% | Main carbon content; the Dörrenberg datasheet describes the steel as medium alloyed with 1 percent carbon. |
| Manganese Mn | single value printed; no range or maximum stated | Alloying addition listed in the composition table. |
| Silicon Si | single value printed; no range or maximum stated | Listed in the composition table. |
| Chromium Cr | 4.75 to 5.5% | About 5 percent chromium. Wikipedia links the high chromium content of air-hardening steels to low distortion in heat treatment. |
| Molybdenum Mo | 0.9 to 1.4% | Alloying addition listed in the composition table; the fetched pages give no separate function. |
| Vanadium V | 0.15 to 0.5% | Alloying addition listed in the composition table; the fetched pages give no separate function. |
| Nickel Ni | single value printed; no range or maximum stated | Listed in the composition table. |
| Copper Cu | single value printed; no range or maximum stated | Listed in the composition table. |
| Phosphorus P | single value printed; no range or maximum stated | Impurity listed at 0.03 as a single value. |
| Sulphur S | single value printed; no range or maximum stated | Impurity listed at 0.03 as a single value. |
Weight shares are as printed in the sources.
What it can do
Stiffness
190 to 210 GPa
measured
The elastic modulus is printed as 190 to 210 GPa at 25 C (eFunda), with no heat treatment stated.
Density
7.86 g/cm³
measured
The density is printed as 7.86 g/cm3 at 25 C (eFunda).
Thermal expansion
10.7 ppm/K
measured
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.
Delivery hardness
< 241 HB
measured
After soft annealing at 800 to 840 C and furnace cooling, the Dörrenberg datasheet gives a maximum of 241 HB.
Wear and toughness
Dörrenberg describes high wear resistance, good toughness and excellent compressive strength. No number was read for any of them.
How it compares
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.
The same measurements for each material, so you can compare them. Each row names the key condition under the value; the full conditions and methods are in the numbered notes under Technical details. Other materials are shown beside it; each was measured under its own conditions, so open its page before comparing closely. Compare every grade in the family.
| Measurement | A2 (UNS T30102, EN 1.2363) | D2 (UNS T30402, EN 1.2379) | P20 (UNS T51620) | 1.2316 (X38CrMo16) | 1.2738 (P20+Ni) | H13 (EN 1.2344) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physical and electrical | ||||||
| Density at 25 C | 7.86 g/cm³1 | 7700 kg/m3 | 7.83 g/cm³ | 7.7 g/cm³ | 7.8 g/cm³ | 7800 kg/m3 |
| Maximum hardness, soft-annealed delivery condition | < 241 HB9 | 210 HB | 280 to 325 HB | < 325 HB | 300 HB | < 229 HB |
| Other measurements | ||||||
| Poisson's ratio at 25 C (range) | 0.27 to 0.3 -2 | 0.27 to 0.3 - | 0.27 to 0.3 - | no data | no data | no data |
| Elastic modulus at 25 C (range) | 190 to 210 GPa3 | 2.1×10^5 MPa | 210 GPa | no data | 205 GPa | 2.1×10^5 MPa |
| Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 100 C | 10.7 ppm/K4 | 12.3 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K | 10.5 ppm/K | 11.5 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K |
| Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 260 C | 10.6 ppm/K5 | 12.3 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K | 10.5 ppm/K | 11.5 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K |
| Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 425 C | 12.9 ppm/K6 | 12.3 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K | 10.5 ppm/K | 11.5 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K |
| Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 540 C | 14 ppm/K7 | 12.3 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K | 10.5 ppm/K | 11.5 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K |
| Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 650 C | 14.2 ppm/K8 | 12.3 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K | 10.5 ppm/K | 11.5 ppm/K | 12.6 ppm/K |
Why choose it, and why not
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 for
- 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.
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.
Technical details
For scientists and researchers. Everything above comes from the record below: every number with its method, its conditions and its source.
Other names and standards
The same grade under other systems, as datasheets and standards print them. Each code was checked against the page it comes from.
| System | Codes |
|---|---|
| UNS | T30102 |
| EN | 1.2363 |
| EN name | X100CrMoV5 |
| AISI | A2 |
| JIS | SKD 12 |
| SAE | J437, J438 |
| BS | BA 2 |
| AFNOR | Z 100 CDV 5 |
| SS | 2260 (Swedish standard SS 2260) |
| ASTM | A681 |
| Trade name | P5M (Dörrenberg brand name) |
Notes
The method, full conditions and any caveat for the numbered rows above.
| # | Measurement | Method | Conditions | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Density at 25 C | 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 | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 25 Cunit in source x1000 kg/m3 (column header), printed as 7.86 | — |
| 2 | Poisson's ratio at 25 C (range) | eFunda Mechanical Properties table, Poisson's Ratio row, printed as 0.27 - 0.30 at 25 | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 25 C | — |
| 3 | Elastic modulus at 25 C (range) | eFunda Mechanical Properties table, Elastic Modulus (GPa) row, printed as 190 - 210 at 25 | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 25 C | — |
| 4 | Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 100 C | 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 | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 20 to 100 Cunit in source 10 -6 /C | — |
| 5 | Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 260 C | 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 | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 20 to 260 Cunit in source 10 -6 /C | The printed value is lower than the 20 to 100 C value; the page gives no reason |
| 6 | Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 425 C | 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 | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 20 to 425 Cunit in source 10 -6 /C | — |
| 7 | Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 540 C | eFunda Thermal Expansion Coeff. table (10 -6 /C), row 20 - 540, printed as 14; 10 -6 per C is the same as ppm/K | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 20 to 540 Cunit in source 10 -6 /C | — |
| 8 | Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 650 C | 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 | heat treatment not stated on the page (Treatment column blank)temperature 20 to 650 Cunit in source 10 -6 /C | — |
| 9 | Maximum hardness, soft-annealed delivery condition | Dörrenberg heat treatment table, Soft annealing row (800 - 840 C, furnace, max. 241 HB); the Condition of delivery line prints the same maximum | heat treatment soft annealed at 800 to 840 C, furnace cooledbasis delivery condition, maximum as printed | — |
Corrosion and compatibility
What happens when it meets other materials and environments.
| Environment | Concern | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Atmosphere, humidity and general service (no test given) | not rated | No corrosion rating or test for A2 was found in the sources read in this run.1 |
| # | Environment | Details | Test conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atmosphere, humidity and general service (no test given) | 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. | basis qualitative statements only, no test conditions |
Risks and side effects
Hazards to people, what happens when a cell overheats, and how the material is handled and stored.
For people
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.
- Stock as supplied
- No SDS or GHS classification for an A2 steel was found in the sources read in this run.
- Processing
- 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.
- Sensitisation
- PubChem lists chromium metal as possibly causing an allergic skin reaction and allergy or breathing difficulties if inhaled.
Heat treatment
The datasheet gives annealing, stress-relief and hardening temperatures. The tempering curve is an image, so no tempered hardness is recorded.
- Annealing
- Soft anneal at 800 to 840 C, furnace cooled; the delivery maximum is 241 HB.
- Stress relief
- Stress relief at 600 to 650 C, furnace cooled.
- Hardening
- 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.
- Tempering
- The tempering diagram is an image; no tempering temperature or hardness number was read.
Corrosion
The sources read here give no corrosion test, rating or numeric rate for A2.
- Rating
- None found. The Wikipedia corrosion statement is about the D series, not A2.
Test details
The original wording and numbers from the sources, for readers who want them.
Handling and storage
- Soft anneal at 800 to 840 C and cool in the furnace; the delivery maximum is 241 HB.
- Stress relieve at 600 to 650 C and cool in the furnace.
- 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.
- Tempering follows the Dörrenberg tempering diagram, which is an image with no printed values in the text.
Supply and geography
How common the raw materials are and where they come from.
Chromium
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).
- Top producers (2025)
- South Africa, Turkey, Kazakhstan, India, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Finland
- Critical mineral lists
- US: listed
- 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).
Molybdenum
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.
- Top producers (2025)
- China, Chile, United States, Peru, Mexico
- Critical mineral lists
- US: not listed
- 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).
Vanadium
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.
- Top producers (2025)
- China, Russia, Brazil, South Africa
- Critical mineral lists
- US: listed
- 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).
Documents
Datasheets, safety data sheets, papers and standards you can open.
Full record
The complete spore, as stored. Free to reuse under CC-BY-4.0. Images keep the licence shown with each one.
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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
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
- 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
- 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
- benchmark: cte
label: Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 100 C
value: 10.7
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
- benchmark: cte
label: Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 260 C
value: 10.6
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
note: The printed value is lower than the 20 to 100 C value; the page gives no reason
status: ground
source: efunda-a2-cte
where: Thermal Expansion Coeff. table, row 20 - 260
- benchmark: cte
label: Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 425 C
value: 12.9
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
- benchmark: cte
label: Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 540 C
value: 14
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
- benchmark: cte
label: Thermal expansion coefficient, 20 to 650 C
value: 14.2
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
- 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
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.
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
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.
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.
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
share_note: balance (the rest)
role: Matrix of the steel; the composition table lists iron as the balance.
- name: Carbon
symbol: C
share_percent: 0.95
share_high: 1.05
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, C row
role: Main carbon content; the Dörrenberg datasheet describes the steel as medium alloyed with 1 percent carbon.
- name: Manganese
symbol: Mn
share_percent: 1
share_note: single value printed; no range or maximum stated
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, Mn row
role: Alloying addition listed in the composition table.
- name: Silicon
symbol: Si
share_percent: 0.5
share_note: single value printed; no range or maximum stated
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, Si row
role: Listed in the composition table.
- name: Chromium
symbol: Cr
share_percent: 4.75
share_high: 5.5
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, Cr row
role: About 5 percent chromium. Wikipedia links the high chromium content of air-hardening steels to low distortion in heat treatment.
- name: Molybdenum
symbol: Mo
share_percent: 0.9
share_high: 1.4
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, Mo row
role: Alloying addition listed in the composition table; the fetched pages give no separate function.
- name: Vanadium
symbol: V
share_percent: 0.15
share_high: 0.5
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, V row
role: Alloying addition listed in the composition table; the fetched pages give no separate function.
- name: Nickel
symbol: Ni
share_percent: 0.3
share_note: single value printed; no range or maximum stated
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, Ni row
role: Listed in the composition table.
- name: Copper
symbol: Cu
share_percent: 0.25
share_note: single value printed; no range or maximum stated
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, Cu row
role: Listed in the composition table.
- name: Phosphorus
symbol: P
share_percent: 0.03
share_note: single value printed; no range or maximum stated
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, P row
role: Impurity listed at 0.03 as a single value.
- name: Sulphur
symbol: S
share_percent: 0.03
share_note: single value printed; no range or maximum stated
source: efunda-a2
where: Composition table, S row
role: Impurity listed at 0.03 as a single value.
risk_groups:
- title: For people
level: 2
verdict: Fumes from processing are the watch point
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.
- title: Heat treatment
level: 1
verdict: The cycle steps come from Dörrenberg
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.
- title: Corrosion
verdict: No A2 corrosion rating in these sources
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.
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
- label: Density
line: The density is printed as 7.86 g/cm3 at 25 C (eFunda).
benchmark: density
- 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
- 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
- label: Wear and toughness
line: Dörrenberg describes high wear resistance, good toughness and excellent compressive strength. No number was read for any of them.
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.
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
- label: Elastic modulus
benchmark: elastic_modulus
- label: Thermal expansion
benchmark: cte
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.
References
Every number above carries a reference number. Click one to see the source and where in it the value comes from.