What Is CR12MOV Material?

Cr12MoV is a high-carbon, high-chromium cold work die steel in the Chinese standard GB/T 1299, corresponding to German standard 1.2601 and American standard D2. It is a classic material in the field of cold working dies.

I. Chemical Composition

Cr12MoV is a high-carbon, high-chromium ledeburitic steel with the following chemical composition:

Carbon (C): 1.45%～1.70%

Silicon (Si): ≤0.40%

Manganese (Mn): ≤0.40%

Phosphorus (P): ≤0.030%

Sulfur (S): ≤0.030%

Chromium (Cr): 11.00%～12.50%

Nickel (Ni): Residual content allowed ≤0.25%

Copper (Cu): Residual content allowed ≤0.30%

Vanadium (V): 0.15%～0.30%

Molybdenum (Mo): 0.40%～0.60%

II. Main Characteristics

High Wear Resistance: Cr12MoV has 3-4 times higher wear resistance than general low-alloy tool steels. Its carbide hardness reaches 2000-2200 HV, and the life of cold stamping dies can reach 100,000 to 1,000,000 cycles. High hardenability: Cross-sectional dimensions below 400mm can be fully hardened with minimal quenching deformation. Workpieces ≤200mm thick can be fully hardened by air cooling, with a core-to-surface hardness difference ≤2HRC.

Good strength and toughness: Tensile strength ≥1900MPa, yield strength ≥1600MPa, capable of withstanding significant impact loads. Carbides can be broken down through reforging, improving transverse mechanical properties.

Good thermal stability: Softening temperature upon heating is approximately 520℃, maintaining hardness and wear resistance even at high temperatures of 300～400℃.

High dimensional stability: Low retained austenite content after heat treatment (≤5%), linear expansion coefficient of 10.5×10⁻⁶/℃ (20～500℃), minimal deformation, suitable for precision mold manufacturing.

III. Heat Treatment Processes

Annealing: Temperature 860–900℃, holding for 2–4 hours, cooling to below 500℃ at a rate of 20–30℃/h, then cooling to room temperature at a rate of 10–20℃/h. The purpose is to eliminate internal stress and improve plasticity and toughness.

Quenching: Temperature 980–1050℃, holding for 15–30 minutes. Oil quenching or gas quenching can be used to achieve the highest hardness and wear resistance of the steel. The hardness after quenching is usually greater than 58 HRC.

Tempering: Temperature between 150–550℃, the specific temperature is selected according to the required hardness and toughness. Holding time is 2 hours or multiple tempering cycles to eliminate internal stress, improve toughness, and prevent cracking.

IV. Application Areas

Cold Working Dies: Such as cold blanking dies, cold bending dies, cold drawing dies, cold extrusion dies, wire drawing dies, powder metallurgy pressing dies, etc.

Tools and Wear-Resistant Components: Including high-speed cutting tools such as taps, dies, and broaches, as well as wear-resistant bushings, precision measuring tools, cold rolling rolls, and crusher hammers.

General Machinery: Can be used to manufacture mechanical parts that withstand high loads and high wear, such as gears, cams, and drive shafts.