SAE-AISI D3 (T30403) Chromium Cold-Work Steel
SAE-AISI D3 steel is a tool steel. D3 is the designation in both the SAE and AISI systems for this material. T30403 is the UNS number. It has the lowest electrical conductivity among the tool steels in the database.
The properties of SAE-AISI D3 steel include two common variations. This page shows summary ranges across both of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare SAE-AISI D3 steel to: tool steels (top), all iron alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
190 GPa 28 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
9.8 to 15 %
Fatigue Strength
310 to 940 MPa 45 to 140 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Shear Modulus
74 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
470 to 1220 MPa 68 to 180 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
770 to 2050 MPa 110 to 300 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
480 to 1550 MPa 70 to 230 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
270 J/g
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1430 °C 2600 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1390 °C 2530 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
31 W/m-K 18 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
12 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
3.0 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
3.5 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
8.0 % relative
Density
7.7 g/cm3 480 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.2 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
48 MJ/kg 21 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
100 L/kg 12 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
13
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
97 to 180 MJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
28 to 74 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
24 to 47 points
Thermal Diffusivity
8.3 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
23 to 63 points
Alloy Composition
Fe | 80.3 to 87 | |
Cr | 11 to 13.5 | |
C | 2.0 to 2.4 | |
W | 0 to 1.0 | |
V | 0 to 1.0 | |
Mn | 0 to 0.6 | |
Si | 0 to 0.6 | |
Ni | 0 to 0.3 | |
Cu | 0 to 0.25 | |
P | 0 to 0.030 | |
S | 0 to 0.030 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
SAE J437: Selection and Heat Treatment of Tool and Die Steels
ASTM A681: Standard Specification for Tool Steels Alloy
Tool Steels, 5th ed., George Roberts et al., 1998
Tool Steels: Properties and Performance, Rafael A. Mesquita (editor), 2016
ASM Specialty Handbook: Carbon and Alloy Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1996