Die steels include carbon tool steel, low alloy tool steel and P2.

1. Carbon tool steels

Carbon tool steels mainly include T7, T8A, T1A, etc., and their carbon content is between .7% and 1.4%. These steels are characterized by good machinability and low price. However, their hardenability and red hardness are poor, their heat treatment deformation is large, and their bearing capacity is low.

2. Low-alloy tool steel

Low-alloy tool steel is a carbon tool steel with a proper amount of alloying elements added. Compared with carbon tool steel, it reduces the tendency of quenching deformation and cracking, improves the hardenability of steel and has better wear resistance. Low-alloy steels used to manufacture molds include CrWMn, 9Mn2V, 7CrSiMnMoV, 6CrNiMnMoV, etc.

3, P2

P2 is a commonly used plastic die steel with a hardness of 28~32HRC. It has good electric welding and polishing properties, and is often used for making toy molds. In addition, P2 material is also commonly used in injection molds because it is cheap and easy to obtain.

Use of die steel

Die steel is used when processing dies. Because of the wide use of dies and the great differences in working conditions of various dies, there is a wide range of materials for manufacturing dies, and die steel is the most widely used one.

From carbon structural steel, carbon tool steel, alloy structural steel, alloy tool steel, spring steel, high-speed tool steel, stainless heat-resistant steel to maraging steel, powder high-speed steel and powder high-alloy die steel which meet the needs of special dies. Die steel can be generally divided into three categories according to its use: cold-working die steel, hot-working die steel and plastic die steel.

1. Cold-working die steel

Cold-working die steel is mainly used to manufacture dies for pressing and forming workpieces in a cold state. Such as: cold stamping die, cold stamping die, cold drawing die, stamping die, cold extrusion die, thread pressing die and powder pressing die. Cold-working die steel covers a wide range, ranging from various carbon tool steels, alloy tool steels and high-speed tool steels to powder high-speed tool steels and powder high-alloy die steels.

2. Hot-working die steel

Hot-working die steel is mainly used to manufacture dies for pressure processing of workpieces at high temperature. Such as hot forging die, hot extrusion die, die casting die, hot upsetting die, etc. Commonly used hot working die steels are: alloy die steels with medium and high carbon content and alloying elements such as Cr, W, Mo and V; Hot-working die steel with special requirements is sometimes made of high-alloy austenitic heat-resistant die steel.

3. Plastic mold steel

Because there are many kinds of plastics, the requirements for plastic products are also very different, and different performance requirements are also put forward for the materials used to make plastic molds. Therefore, many industrialized countries have formed a wide range of steel series for plastic molds. Include carbon structural steel, carburized plastic mold steel, pre-hardened plastic mold steel, age-hardening plastic mold steel, corrosion-resistant plastic mold steel, free-cutting plastic mold steel, integral hardened plastic mold steel, maraging steel and plastic mold steel for mirror polishing.

refer to Baidu encyclopedia-die steel for the above contents.