· KAIPU Engineering · materials-encyclopedia · 1 min read
AISI D4 High-Carbon, High-Chromium + Tungsten Cold-Work Tool Steel
Materials encyclopedia entry for D4.
AISI D4 High-Carbon, High-Chromium + Tungsten Cold-Work Tool Steel is a reference entry for industrial cutting tools and blades. The composition, hardness, heat treatment and application guidance are summarised below for engineering reference.
Standard composition: C 2.05–2.40 %, Cr 11.0–13.0 %, Mo 0.70–1.20 %, V 0.15–1.00 %, W 0.50–0.80 %, Mn ≤ 0.60 %, Si ≤ 0.60 %, balance Fe
Hardness: Annealed HB 217–248; hardened HRC 58–64
Heat treatment: Austenitise 970–1,010 °C, air or oil cool, double temper 150–200 °C
Properties: Slightly better hot hardness than D3 from the W addition. Wear resistance and toughness similar to D3.
Applications: Slitter blades on highly abrasive substrates; cold-heading dies; blanking and piercing dies for thick stainless plate.
Cross-reference: ≈ DIN 1.2436, GB Cr12W.
See also: D2 vs SKD11 comparison, Material Grade Converter, The KAIPU 5-Factor Blade Selection Framework.