A2 / X100CrMoV5
1.2363Air-hardening cold-work tool steel. Combines good wear resistance with excellent dimensional stability during heat treatment (minimal distortion). Used for punching/blanking dies, forming tools, shear blades, gauges, and precision tooling where low distortion is critical.
International equivalents
| Flag | Standard | Country | Grade | Number | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 | AISI | USA | AISI A2 | T30102 | REF |
| 🇪🇺 | EN | Europe | X100CrMoV5 | 1.2363 | 100% |
| 🇯🇵 | JIS | Japan | SKD12 | — | 90% |
Sources: ASTM A681, EN ISO 4957, JIS G4404
Chemical composition comparison (wt%)
Side-by-side: A2 / X100CrMoV5 (EN) (EN ISO 4957) vs SKD12 (JIS)
| Element | A2 / X100CrMoV5 (EN) | SKD12 (JIS) | Overlap |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | 0.95–1.05% | — | — |
| Si | 0.1–0.4% | — | — |
| Mn | 0.4–0.8% | — | — |
| Cr | 4.8–5.5% | — | — |
| Mo | 0.9–1.4% | — | — |
| V | 0.15–0.35% | — | — |
Mechanical properties
Hardened Tempered
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HRC | 57–62 | HRC |
| Elastic Modulus | ≥ 210 | GPa |
| Density | ≥ 7.86 | g/cm3 |
Annealed
| Property | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Hardness HB | ≤ 229 | HB |
Heat treatment
| Process | Temperature | Medium | Holding Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| quenching | 940–980 °C | air | 20-40 min | AIR hardening — the defining feature. Minimal distortion. |
| tempering | 180–400 °C | air | 1 hour x2 | Double temper. 200°C for max hardness, 400°C for toughness. |
| annealing | 800–830 °C | furnace | 4 hours | Slow furnace cool ≤20°C/hour to 600°C |
Compatibility verdict
A2 / X100CrMoV5 and SKD12: 90% composition match
Close equivalents but NOT identical.
Related materials
P20 / 40CrMnMo7
1.2311Pre-hardened plastic mold steel (usually delivered at 28-34 HRC). The most widely used mold base steel globally. Good machinability in pre-hardened condition, good polishability. Used for injection molds, die-casting dies, extrusion tooling, and structural mold components.
M2 / HS6-5-2
1.3343The most widely used high-speed steel worldwide. W-Mo-Cr-V composition gives excellent red hardness (cuts at temperatures up to 600°C). Used for twist drills, end mills, taps, reamers, bandsaw blades, and general-purpose cutting tools. The benchmark HSS grade.
X45NiCrMo4
1.2767Nickel cold-work tool steel with exceptional toughness from ~4% Ni content. Excellent through-hardenability, polishability, and impact resistance. Used for plastic injection molds (high-gloss), embossing dies, scrap shear blades, punches, cutlery dies, and bending tools.
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