Purohit Steel is a leading Grade D3 / 1.2080 Stockist and Exporter in India, supplying premium high-carbon, high-chromium cold work tool steel with verified chemical composition, mechanical properties and full traceability for die makers, tool rooms and manufacturers of high-wear cutting and forming tools.
As an ISO-certified company established in 1965, we maintain ready stock of Grade D3 / 1.2080 in round bar, flat bar and block form, with in-house bandsaw cutting, machining, grinding and EDM support for fast turnaround across India and export markets.
Table of Contents
- 1. What is Grade D3 / 1.2080 Steel
- 2. Why Purohit Steel for D3
- 3. Comparison: D3 vs D2 vs A2
- 4. Chemical Composition
- 5. Mechanical Properties
- 6. Physical & Thermal Properties
- 7. Equivalent International Grades
- 8. Heat Treatment Guidelines
- 9. Available Forms & Sizes
- 10. Machining & Selection Notes
- 11. Applications & Uses
- 12. Industries We Serve
- 13. Related Products
- 14. Authorized Stockist Brands
- 15. Cities We Supply in India
- 16. Our Services
- 17. Frequently Asked Questions
- 18. About Purohit Steel
- Our Certifications
- Countries We Export Worldwide
- Export Packaging & Shipping
- Quality Inspection & Testing
- Latest Price List
- MOQ & Payment Terms
- People Also Search For
What is Grade D3 / 1.2080 Steel?
Grade D3 (DIN Werkstoffnummer 1.2080, chemical designation X210Cr12) is a high-carbon, high-chromium, oil-hardening cold work tool steel manufactured to DIN EN ISO 4957. With roughly 2% carbon and around 12% chromium, D3 forms a very high volume of hard chromium carbides in its microstructure, giving it outstanding wear resistance and the ability to hold a sharp cutting edge under abrasive, high-load conditions.
After heat treatment, D3 typically achieves 58-62 HRC, contributing to excellent cutting performance, long die life and good dimensional stability during hardening. However, the high carbide content that gives D3 its wear resistance also makes it more brittle than lower-carbide grades, so toughness is lower than D2 and it is not recommended for applications with heavy shock or impact loading.
D3 is not secondary hardenable and is sensitive to overheating during austenitizing, so heat treatment must be carefully controlled — see the heat treatment guidelines and the comparison table below.
Why Purohit Steel for Grade D3 / 1.2080
- Ready Stock: Round bar, flat bar and block sizes held in inventory for immediate dispatch
- ISO-Certified Quality: Documented quality management since 1965
- Authorized Stockist: Sourced through globally reputed manufacturers, including NLMK Verona and SeAH CSS
- Value-Added Machining: In-house bandsaw cutting, precision machining, grinding, drilling, gun drilling, EDM and wire-cut
- Technical Support: Assistance with grade selection, heat treatment guidance and equivalence mapping
- Pan-India & Export Supply: Warehousing in Vasai with a sales outlet in Mumbai, serving customers across India and international markets
- Export-Ready Packaging: Palletised, moisture-protected packing suitable for both domestic transport and export shipment
Comparison: D3 vs D2 vs A2
Buyers often need to choose between related high-chromium and air-hardening cold work grades. The table below compares D3 / 1.2080 against two other grades Purohit Steel stocks, to help select the right material for the application.
| Factor | D3 / 1.2080 | D2 / 1.2379 / Dumac 11 | A2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Key alloying difference | ~2.1% C, ~12% Cr, no Mo | ~1.5% C, ~12% Cr, + Mo, V | ~1.0% C, ~5% Cr, + Mo, V |
| Working hardness | 58-62 HRC | 58-62 HRC | 56-62 HRC |
| Wear resistance | Excellent, highest of the three | Excellent, slightly less than D3 | Good |
| Toughness | Low to moderate | Moderate, better than D3 | Good, best of the three |
| Hardening method | Oil quench, sensitive to overheating | Air or oil hardening, deep hardening | Air-hardening, minimal distortion |
| Best suited for | Maximum-wear blanking, forming & cutting tools with light to moderate shock | Dies and punches needing wear resistance plus better toughness than D3 | General-purpose stamping, forming dies where toughness matters more |
Grade D3 / 1.2080 Chemical Composition
Composition as per DIN EN ISO 4957 (typical mill range, weight %):
| Element | Symbol | Composition (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Carbon | C | 1.90 - 2.20 |
| Silicon | Si | 0.10 - 0.60 |
| Manganese | Mn | 0.20 - 0.60 |
| Chromium | Cr | 11.00 - 12.50 |
| Phosphorus | P | 0.030 max |
| Sulphur | S | 0.030 max |
| Iron | Fe | Balance |
Mechanical Properties of Grade D3 / 1.2080
Typical values; supplied soft-annealed and hardened by the customer or on request:
| Property | Typical Value |
|---|---|
| Supply hardness (annealed) | ≤255 HB |
| Hardness (hardened & tempered) | 58 - 62 HRC (up to ~62-63 HRC at low tempering temperature) |
| Wear Resistance | Excellent, very high due to dense chromium-carbide network |
| Compressive Strength | High |
| Impact Toughness | Low to moderate; lower than D2 |
| Dimensional Stability | Excellent during hardening (very slight size change) |
| Secondary Hardening | Not secondary hardenable |
| Modulus of Elasticity (E) | ~210 GPa |
Values are typical and vary with section size, tempering temperature and mill batch. Mill test certificates (EN 10204 2.2 / 3.1) are available on request.
Physical & Thermal Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Density | ~7.70 g/cm³ |
| Thermal Conductivity (room temp.) | ~15-20 W/(m·K) (lower than low-alloy grades due to high Cr content) |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (20-200°C) | ~10.4 × 10-6 /K |
| Specific Heat Capacity | ~460 J/(kg·K) |
| Modulus of Elasticity | ~210 GPa |
Equivalent International Grades
| Country / Standard | Designation |
|---|---|
| Germany (Werkstoffnummer, DIN EN ISO 4957) | 1.2080 / X210Cr12 |
| USA (AISI / SAE, ASTM A681) | D3 |
| Japan (JIS) | SKD1 |
| USA (UNS) | T30403 |
| China (GB/T 1299) | Cr12 (closest equivalent) |
D3 is closely related to, but not identical to, D2 / 1.2379 — refer to the comparison table above before substituting grades.
Heat Treatment Guidelines
| Process | Guideline |
|---|---|
| Supply condition | Soft-annealed, ≤255 HB — ready to machine before hardening |
| Preheating | Slow preheat to 800-850°C before raising to hardening temperature |
| Hardening (austenitizing) | 950-980°C, soak until fully equalised (approx. 20-25 min plus 5 min per inch of thickness); do not overheat |
| Quenching | Oil quench; interrupt at approx. 480-500°C and cool further in still air to 50-65°C |
| Tempering | Temper immediately after quenching; hold 1 hr per inch of section (2 hrs minimum), then air cool. 150-180°C for max wear resistance (~62-63 HRC); 230-260°C for a toughness/wear balance (~58-60 HRC) |
| Caution | D3 is extremely sensitive to overheating during hardening — excess temperature causes coarse carbides and brittleness |
Available Forms & Sizes
- Round Bars
- Flat Bars / Plates
- Blocks
- Custom sizes cut to drawing via in-house bandsaw cutting
Material is machined, ground, drilled and finished in-house through our precision machining, grinding, drilling, gun drilling, EDM and wire-cut facilities, so blocks and dies can be supplied close to finished dimensions.
Machining & Selection Notes
- Machinability: Machine in the soft-annealed condition; the high carbide content makes D3 harder on cutting tools than lower-alloy grades, so moderate speeds and rigid setups are recommended.
- Grinding: After hardening, grind with light cuts and adequate coolant to avoid surface burning or micro-cracking.
- Shock loading: Avoid using D3 where heavy impact or shock loading is expected; the low-to-moderate toughness makes it prone to chipping under such conditions.
- EDM finishing: D3 is well suited to EDM for complex die profiles; a light stress-relief temper after heavy EDM is recommended.
- Grade selection: Choose D3 where maximum wear resistance is the priority and shock loading is limited; step up to D2 for a better balance of wear resistance and toughness, or A2 where toughness is the primary requirement — see the comparison table above.
Applications of Grade D3 / 1.2080 Steel
D3's strong wear resistance and high compressive strength make it a preferred choice for cold working applications such as blanking, stamping, forming and cutting where abrasive wear, not shock, is the dominant failure mode.
- Punches, dies and blanking tools
- Shear blades and slitting cutters
- Drawing and forming dies
- Embossing and stamping tools
- Reamers, broaches and hand tools
- Wear plates and guide rails
- Woodworking cutters
- Cold forging applications
Blanking & Stamping Dies
D3's very high wear resistance and dimensional stability suit it to long-run blanking and stamping dies where edge life and consistent tolerances matter most.
Wear Components
Guide rails, wear plates and similar components benefit from D3's ability to resist abrasive wear over extended service life in sliding-contact applications.
Industries We Serve
- Sheet metal stamping industry
- Tool room industry
- Automotive component manufacturing
- Die & mould manufacturing
- Wood and packaging tooling
- General engineering & industrial manufacturing
Authorized Stockist
Grade D3 / 1.2080 Supply Locations Across India
We supply Grade D3 / 1.2080 steel across major industrial cities including Mumbai, Pune, Khopoli, Nashik, Aurangabad, Navi Mumbai, Palghar, Umbergaon, Vapi, Valsad, Daman, Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Cochin, Delhi, Gurgaon, Manesar and Sonipat — as well as to export markets.
Our Steel Products
Our Services
Frequently Asked Questions
About Purohit Steel
Purohit Steel was established in 1965 by Shree Bherumalji Rajpurohit, a visionary in metallurgy. Over the decades, we have built a strong reputation as a trusted stockist and exporter of tool steel, plastic mould steel and engineering steel products across India.
As an ISO-certified company, we source premium materials from globally reputed manufacturers and operate a modern warehousing facility in Vasai along with a sales outlet in Mumbai, enabling efficient storage, fast processing and timely delivery across India and export markets.
With decades of relationships with tool & die manufacturers and a customer-focused approach, Purohit Steel continues to deliver reliable, technically supported steel solutions for the tooling industry.
Read more about Purohit Steel, view our certifications, or get in touch with our technical sales team.
Our Certifications
Purohit Steel operates as an ISO-certified company, backed by documented quality management, safety and compliance certifications that support reliable supply to domestic and export customers.
View all certificates in detail on our Certifications page.
Countries We Export Worldwide
Beyond India, Purohit Steel exports tool & mould steel grades to customers across the following countries and regions:
| Export Destinations | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE | Saudi Arabia | Oman | Bangladesh | Sri Lanka | Nepal |
| Vietnam | Thailand | Indonesia | Kenya | Nigeria | South Africa |
For export enquiries and destination-specific documentation, please contact our sales team.
Export Packaging & Shipping
Bars, flats and blocks are packed to withstand handling, transit and marine shipment, whether for domestic dispatch or export orders.
- Palletised and strapped packing for round bars, flat bars and blocks
- Moisture-protected wrapping to prevent surface corrosion in transit
- Seaworthy export packing with clear shipping marks and material identification
- Documentation support including packing lists, invoices and mill test certificates for customs clearance
- Shipment by road, rail or sea freight as per order requirement and destination
Quality Inspection & Testing
Every batch held in our stock is checked through documented inspection procedures before dispatch, so mould makers and OEMs receive material with verified, traceable quality.
- Chemical composition verification against mill certificates
- Hardness testing (Brinell / Rockwell) on received stock
- Dimensional inspection as per standard bar and block tolerances
- Visual and surface defect inspection
- EN 10204 2.2 / 3.1 mill test certificates provided on request
- Third-party inspection coordination available for export orders
Full material traceability is maintained from incoming stock through to dispatch for every order.
Latest Price List
Pricing depends on section size, quantity, form (round bar / flat bar / block) and current raw material rates. Indicative guidance is below — contact us for a firm, up-to-date quotation.
| Form | Typical Price Basis |
|---|---|
| Round Bar | Per Kg, based on diameter & length — contact for latest rate |
| Flat Bar / Plate | Per Kg, based on thickness & size — contact for latest rate |
| Block (cut to size) | Per Kg / Per Piece, based on drawing — contact for latest rate |
Prices are subject to change with raw material and freight costs. Share your required size and quantity via the quotation form or WhatsApp for the latest price.
MOQ & Payment Terms
Minimum Order Quantity: Flexible MOQ depending on size and form — from small trial quantities for tooling houses up to bulk orders for OEMs, subject to confirmation at enquiry stage.
Payment Terms: Advance payment / part-advance with balance before dispatch for domestic orders; T/T (bank transfer) or Letter of Credit (LC) for export orders, depending on order value and destination.