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D2 Steel Equivalent – Full International Grade Comparison

Confused by various national grades when searching for D2 steel equivalent? This article lists matching grades, chemical compositions and performance features of D2 steel for US, Japan, China, Germany, Sweden, Austria, UK, France and ISO standards. It helps you pick correct material.

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D2 Steel Equivalent
D2 Alloy Steel
D2 Die Steel
AISI D2 Steel
D2 vs 154CM
AISI D2
D2 Steel
D2 Material
D2 Tool Steel
D2 Metal
AUS 8 vs D2
Nitro V vs D2
D2 vs 14C28N

What Is D2 Steel?

D2 material is a high‑carbon high‑chromium cold‑work die steel from the US AISI standard. It contains C:1.40%‑1.60%, Cr:11.00%‑13.00%, plus Mo:0.70‑1.20% and V:0.50‑1.10%. D2 steel is ledeburite steel. Lots of hard carbides give it outstanding wear resistance.
 
After quenching and tempering, D2 steel gets high hardness (58‑62 HRC), excellent wear resistance, good compressive strength and low heat‑treatment distortion (air‑hardening). However, D2 steel has relatively low toughness. This comes from the nature of ledeburite microstructure and cannot be fully fixed by heat treatment. D2 steel is widely used for stamping dies, shear blades, thread‑rolling dies, cold extrusion dies and wear‑resistant parts.

D2 Steel Equivalent — USA AISI

Grade:

AISI D2

Performance:

AISI D2 is the original US standard grade for D2 steel. It has high hardness (58‑62 HRC), great wear resistance, good compressive strength and very small heat‑treatment distortion. As air‑hardening steel, AISI D2 is widely used for stamping dies, shear blades, thread‑rolling dies and cold extrusion dies. Its main weakness is medium toughness, limited by coarse carbides.
 
 

Chemical Composition:

  • C: 1.40‑1.60%
  • Si: 0.10‑0.60%
  • Mn: 0.20‑0.60%
  • P: ≤0.030%
  • S: ≤0.030%
  • Cr: 11.00‑13.00%
  • Mo: 0.70‑1.20%
  • V: 0.50‑1.10%

D2 Steel Equivalent — Japan JIS

Grade:

 

Performance:

SKD11 is  Japanese JIS standard. Its chemical composition is nearly identical to AISI D2. SKD11 offers high wear resistance and good hardenability. It reaches 60‑62 HRC after vacuum heat treatment. It is widely used for cold‑work dies, forming tools and precision stamping parts.
 

Chemical Composition:

  • C: 1.50%
  • Si: ≤0.40%
  • Mn: 0.60%
  • P: ≤0.030%
  • S: ≤0.030%
  • Cr: 11.00‑13.00%
  • Mo: 0.80‑1.20%
  • V: 0.20‑0.50%

D2 Material Equivalent — China GB

Grade:

 

Performance:

Cr12Mo1V1 is China GB/T 1299 standard. It matches AISI D2, JIS SKD11 and DIN 1.2379. This grade has high hardenability, good wear resistance and good high‑temperature oxidation resistance. It hits 60‑65 HRC after quenching and tempering with tiny distortion. Delivery condition is annealed with hardness ≤255 HB.
 

Chemical Composition:

  • C: 1.40‑1.60%
  • Si: ≤0.60%
  • Mn: ≤0.60%
  • P: ≤0.030%
  • S: ≤0.030%
  • Cr: 11.00‑13.00%
  • Mo: 0.70‑1.20%
  • V: 0.50‑1.10%

D2 Steel Equivalent — Germany DIN

Grade:

 

Performance:

1.2379 (X153CrMoV12) is German DIN standard. It is 12% ledeburite chromium steel combining classic 12%‑Cr steel features and advanced tool‑steel properties. It delivers high wear resistance, good dimensional stability during heat treatment and excellent compressive strength. 1.2379 is widely used for cold‑work dies, forming tools and high‑precision stamping parts.
 

Chemical Composition:

  • C: 1.50‑1.60%
  • Si: 0.10‑0.40%
  • Mn: 0.15‑0.45%
  • P: ≤0.030%
  • S: ≤0.030%
  • Cr: 11.00‑13.00%
  • Mo: 0.70‑1.00%
  • V: 0.90‑1.00%

AISI D2 Steel Equivalent — Sweden

Grade:

XW‑42 / Sverker 21
 

Performance:

XW‑42 is Swedish D2 steel equivalent matching AISI D2, DIN 1.2379 and JIS SKD11. XW‑42 has high wear resistance, good compressive strength and excellent heat‑treatment dimensional stability. Sverker 21 is another Swedish D2 steel equivalent. Both suit cold‑work dies, forming tools and heavy‑wear working conditions.
 

Chemical Composition (XW‑42 / Sverker 21):

  • C: 1.55%
  • Si: 0.30%
  • Mn: 0.40%
  • Cr: 11.30%
  • Mo: 0.80%
  • V: 0.80%

D2 Steel Equivalent — Austria

Grade:

 

Performance:

K110 is Austrian D2 steel equivalent, equal to material number 1.2379 (X153CrMoV12, AISI D2). This 12% ledeburite chromium steel has even carbide distribution, great wear resistance and stable heat‑treatment dimension. K110 is widely used for cold‑work dies, forming tools, thread‑rolling dies and high‑precision stamping parts. Delivery condition is annealed at around 250 HB.
 

Chemical Composition:

  • C: 1.55%
  • Si: 0.30%
  • Mn: 0.30%
  • Cr: 11.30%
  • Mo: 0.75%
  • V: 0.75%

D2 Tool Steel Equivalent — United Kingdom BS

Grade:

BS BD2
 

Performance:

BD2 is British BS standard. It matches AISI D2, JIS SKD11 and DIN 1.2379. BD2 has high wear resistance and good compressive strength for cold‑work dies, forming tools and heavy‑wear conditions.


Chemical Composition:

  • C: 1.50‑1.60%
  • Si: 0.10‑0.40%
  • Mn: 0.15‑0.45%
  • P: ≤0.030%
  • S: ≤0.030%
  • Cr: 11.00‑12.00%
  • Mo: 0.60‑0.80%
  • V: 0.90‑1.10%

Material D2 Steel Equivalent — France AFNOR

Grade:

AFNOR Z160CDV12

Performance:

Z160CDV12 is French AFNOR standard. It matches AISI D2, JIS SKD11 and DIN 1.2379. With high wear resistance, Z160CDV12 fits cold‑work dies and forming tools.
 

Chemical Composition:

  • C: 1.50‑1.60%
  • Si: 0.10‑0.40%
  • Mn: 0.15‑0.45%
  • P: ≤0.030%
  • S: ≤0.030%
  • Cr: 11.00‑12.00%
  • Mo: 0.60‑0.80%
  • V: 0.90‑1.10%

FAQ of D2 Steel Equivalent

Q1: Are D2 steel and SKD11 the same material?

A: Not exactly. D2 follows US AISI standard, while SKD11 follows Japanese JIS standard. They have similar carbon and chromium content, but obvious difference in vanadium content. D2 has vanadium at 0.50‑1.10%, higher than SKD11’s 0.20‑0.50%. Molybdenum also has small difference: D2 0.70‑1.20%, SKD11 0.80‑1.20%. D2 delivers better wear resistance, and SKD11 usually has higher impact toughness. You may use them as equivalent reference for purchase, but their performance differs.

A: D2 steel has matching grades under global standards. US AISI: D2; Japan JIS: SKD11; China GB: Cr12Mo1V1; Germany DIN: 1.2379 / X153CrMoV12; Sweden: XW‑42 / Sverker 21; Austria: K110; UK BS: BD2; France AFNOR: Z160CDV12; International ISO: 1.2379 / X153CrMoV12. High‑end imported grades normally have higher purity.

A: Yes, but watch out for performance gaps. For grades like D2, SKD11, 1.2379, Cr12Mo1V1, K110, XW‑42, different makers have different production processes, purity control and heat‑treatment capacity. These cause variation on wear resistance, toughness and dimensional stability.

A: 1.2379 and X153CrMoV12 stand for the same material. Both are D2 equivalent grades under German DIN standard. Material number 1.2379 matches grade name X153CrMoV12. This material also equals AISI D2.

A: Five key indexes need confirmation. First, chemical composition — check C, Cr, Mo, V fall inside standard range. Second, delivery condition — D2 is normally supplied in annealed state (hardness ≤255 HB) for direct machining. Third, ESR process — electroslag remelting greatly improves steel purity, lowers inclusions and optimizes carbide distribution. Fourth, test certificate — each batch shall come with reports for chemical composition, hardness and inclusion rating. Fifth, UT test report — ultrasonic inspection following SEP1921 standard, quality grade shall reach E/e or D/d class.

Conclusion

You need to verify D2 equivalent grades from different countries against standards, chemical composition, hardness, heat‑treatment status and practical application requirements. Keyspark Steel can help you confirm matching grades, material requirements and full purchasing information.

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