Hudson Tool Steel
California:800-996-0411 New Hampshire:866-557-2874 North Carolina:800-991-0306 Tennessee:888-848-0037
Illinois:800-338-4566 Michigan:833-235-1678

Tool Steel & High Speed Steel For Manufacturers

Pay Now
Order Summary
Items: 0 Cut Charge: $0.00 Total: $0.00
Login
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Products
  • Order Online
  • Technical Data
  • View Blog
  • Contact

Purchase Tool Steel

Type | Category | Advanced
Tool Steel
Mold Steel
High Speed Steel
Knife Steel

Quick Inquiry

Technical Data » Grade » A2

A2 Tool Steel

A2 Tool Steel is a versatile, air-hardening tool steel that is characterized by good toughness and excellent dimensional stability in heat treatment. A2 is intermediate in wear resistance between O1 oil-hardening tool steel and D2 high-carbon, high-chromium tool steel. A2 provides an effective combination of strength and toughness, tool performance, price, and a wide variety of product forms.

APPLICATIONS: Punches and dies, chuck jaws, cutting tools for woodworking, tooling for plastic injection, dowel pins, hammers, industrial knives, and gage

Composition
C Mn Si Cr Mo V
1.00 0.75 0.30 5.0 1.00 0.25
Relative Properties
A2 Tool Steel Comparison, High Speed Steel, Hudson Tool SteelThermal Expansion A2 Tool Steel Chart, Cold Work Tool Steel, Hudson Tool Steel
Physical Properties
  • Density: 0.284 lb/in3 (7861 kg/m3)
  • Specific Gravity: 7.86
  • Modulus of Elasticity: 30 x 106 psi (207GPa)
    (207 GPa W/m/°K)
  • Machinability: 70% of a 1% carbon steel
Heat Treatment Response, A2 Tool Steel, Hudson Tool Steel
Heat Treating Instructions
Hardening

Critical Temperature:  Ac1: 1460°F (793°C)

Preheating: Heat at a rate not exceeding 400°F per hour (222°C per hour) to 1150-1250°F (621-677°C) and equalize. Then heat to 1300-1400°F (704-760°C).

Austenitizing (High Heat): Heat slowly from the preheat. Furnace or Salt: 1725-1750°F (941-954°C) Soak for 30 minutes for the first inch (25.4 mm) of thickness, plus 15 minutes for each additional inch (25.4 mm).

Quenching: Air, pressurized gas, or interrupted oil to 150-125°F(66-51°C).

Note: Sizes over 3 inches (76.2mm) in cross section may not achieve full hardness by cooling in still air. It is usually necessary to increase the quench cooling rate between 1400 to 900°F (760 to 482°C) by using an air blast, pressurized gas, or an interrupted oil quench. For the oil quench, quench until black, about 900°F (482°C), then cool in still air to 150-125°F(66-51°C).

Tempering: Temper immediately after quenching. Hold at temperature for 1 hour per inch (25.4 mm) of thickness, 2 hours minimum, then air cool to ambient temperature. The typical tempering range is 350 to 500°F (177 to 260°C).

To minimize internal stresses in cross sections greater than 6 inches (152.4 mm) and to improve stability in tools that will be EDM'd after heat treatment, a soaking time of 4 to 6 hours at the tempering temperature is strongly recommended.

Cryogenic Treatment: Some prefer to do cryogenic treatment as an extension of the quench from the austenitizing treatment. Others prefer to cryogenically treat after tempering.

Annealing

Annealing must be performed after hot working and before re-hardening.

Heat at a rate not exceeding 400°F per hour (222°C per hour) to 1550°F (843°C), and hold at temperature for 1 hour per inch (25.4mm) of maximum thickness; 2 hours minimum. Then cool slowly with the furnace at a rate not exceeding 50°F per hour (28°C per hour) to 1000°F (538°C). Continue cooling to ambient temperature in the furnace or in air. The resultant hardness should be a maximum of 235 HBW.


All tool steel is sold as annealed with the exception of P20 and 4140HT, which are heat treated to HRC 28/32
Hudson Tool Steel Corporation© 2023 Hudson Tool Steel
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Order Online
  • Products
  • Technical Data
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Google+

California800-996-0411

17871 Park Plaza Dr., Suite #135
Cerritos, CA 90703

New Hampshire866-557-2874

14 Industrial Park Dr
Dover, NH 03820

North Carolina800-991-0306

434 Springbrook Road
Charlotte, NC 28217

Illinois800-338-4566

7987 Crest Hills Drive
Loves Park, IL 61111

Sales Offices: Tennessee 888-848-0037 Michigan 833-235-1678