Steel Cr12 · temper · default condition
Steel Cr12 Annealed
Properties of the Annealed condition, compared with the other Cr12 tempers.
Standard delivery condition for machining and die sinking before hardening.
What is Cr12 Annealed?
Cr12 Annealed is Cr12 in the Annealed temper — standard delivery condition for machining and die sinking before hardening. Cr12 Annealed has a yield strength of 480 MPa (69.6 ksi) and a tensile strength of 820 MPa (119 ksi) — stronger than 60% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 12% and the elastic modulus is 210 GPa (30.5 Msi). Cr12 Annealed has a density of 7.7 g/cm³ (0.278 lb/in³), lighter than 95% of steel grades. It melts at 1,400°C (2,552 °F).
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 24/100, better than 90% of steel grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 70/100, better than 87% of steel grades
Limitations
- Poor heat conductor — 20 W/m·K (11.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 96% of steel grades
- Low electrical conductivity — 2.7 % IACS, worse than 96% of steel grades
- Difficult to weld — 12/100, worse than 96% of steel grades
- Limited service temperature — 200°C (392 °F), worse than 93% of steel grades
- Limited formability — 12/100, worse than 91% of steel grades
Cr12 Annealed properties
Typical room-temperature values for Cr12 Annealed — 12 properties are specific to this condition; the rest are grade-level values shared by every Cr12 temper. Each bar shows where the value sits among the steel grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher.
Physical3
Cr12 Annealed has a density of 7.7 g/cm³ (0.278 lb/in³), lighter than 95% of steel grades. It melts at 1,400°C (2,552 °F).
Mechanical13
Cr12 Annealed has a yield strength of 480 MPa (69.6 ksi) and a tensile strength of 820 MPa (119 ksi) — stronger than 60% of steel grades. Elongation at break is 12% and the elastic modulus is 210 GPa (30.5 Msi).
Thermal6
Cr12 Annealed is rated for continuous service to 200°C (392 °F). It conducts heat at 20 W/m·K (11.6 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 96% of steel grades. Thermal expansion is 11.5 µm/m·K (6.39 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
Cr12 Annealed conducts electricity at 2.7 % IACS, worse than 96% of steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is poor (24/100), better than 90% of steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of Cr12 Annealed takes about 36 MJ of energy and emits 2.6 kg of CO₂ — more than 88% of steel grades. Typical recycled content is 45%.
Manufacturability8
Cr12 Annealed's machinability is poor (32/100, worse than 87% of steel grades); weldability not recommended (12/100); formability not recommended (12/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Other Cr12 tempers and conditions
Cr12 is also supplied in 5 other conditions. The full side-by-side table is on the Cr12 overview.
- AnnealedDefaultStandard delivery condition for machining and die sinking before hardening.480 MPa yield · 22 HRC
- Hardened & TemperedPeak-hardness setting for pure abrasive wear (thread rolling dies, wire drawing dies, cold extrusion inserts) where shock loading is absent.2,100 MPa tensile
- Q&TGeneral hardened die condition: maximum wear resistance for blanking and drawing tools with modest impact.1,700 MPa yield · 61 HRC
- Q&T 55-58 HRCChoose when the tool sees edge chipping or impact and some wear resistance can be traded for toughness.1,550 MPa yield · 57 HRC
Working with Cr12 Annealed
Is Cr12 easy to machine?
Machine only in the annealed state with rigid setups, low speeds and coated carbide/TiAlN tooling; abrasive carbides cause fast edge wear, and above ~58 HRC use CBN grinding or EDM.
Can Cr12 be welded?
Essentially not weldable in service; repair welding requires 400–500 °C preheat, matching high-Cr electrode, immediate post-weld temper and slow cooling to avoid quench cracks.
Can Cr12 be formed, bent or molded?
Hot forge 1050–1100 °C, stop above 900 °C, cool slowly in furnace then spheroidize anneal 840–870 °C; virtually no cold forming capability.
What surface finishes work on Cr12?
Takes a fine ground/lapped finish but coarse carbides limit true mirror polish; protect with nitriding, hard chrome or PVD TiN/CrN and oil rust-preventive during storage.
Cr12 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| CGB/T 1299 Cr12 | 2 – 2.3 | 2.15 |
| Cr | 11.5 – 13 | 12.2 |
| Si | 0.1 – 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Mn | 0.15 – 0.4 | 0.3 |
| P | ≤ 0.03 | — |
| S | ≤ 0.03 | — |
| Niresidual, max | ≤ 0.25 | — |
| Curesidual, max | ≤ 0.3 | — |
| Monot intentionally added (unlike Cr12MoV) | ≤ 0.3 | — |
| Fe | balance | — |
Cr12 Annealed — frequently asked
What is Cr12 Annealed used for?
Cr12 Annealed is typically used for cold blanking and piercing dies, thread-rolling dies, wire and tube drawing dies, shear and slitter blades, cold-forming rolls and punches for thin sheet. In short: cold-work die tool.
What is the yield strength of Cr12 Annealed?
Cr12 Annealed has a typical yield strength of 480 MPa (69.6 ksi) and a tensile strength of 820 MPa (119 ksi) — stronger than 60% of steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is Cr12 Annealed easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (32/100, worse than 87% of steel grades). Machine only in the annealed state with rigid setups, low speeds and coated carbide/TiAlN tooling; abrasive carbides cause fast edge wear, and above ~58 HRC use CBN grinding or EDM.
Can Cr12 Annealed be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated not recommended (12/100). Essentially not weldable in service; repair welding requires 400–500 °C preheat, matching high-Cr electrode, immediate post-weld temper and slow cooling to avoid quench cracks.
What surface finishes work on Cr12 Annealed?
Takes a fine ground/lapped finish but coarse carbides limit true mirror polish; protect with nitriding, hard chrome or PVD TiN/CrN and oil rust-preventive during storage.
Can Cr12 Annealed be formed, bent or molded?
Hot forge 1050–1100 °C, stop above 900 °C, cool slowly in furnace then spheroidize anneal 840–870 °C; virtually no cold forming capability.
What is the maximum service temperature of Cr12 Annealed?
Cr12 Annealed is rated for continuous use to about 200°C (392 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Can FabDigit make parts in Cr12 Annealed?
Yes — Cr12 Annealed is available for CNC machining with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- GB/T 1299 (Alloy tool steels) — SAC (2014)
- ASTM A681 Standard Specification for Tool Steels Alloy (D3) — ASTM (2015)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1 — Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels, and High-Performance Alloys (tool steels) — ASM International (1990)
- ASM Handbook Vol.16 — Machining (tool steel machinability ratings) — ASM International (1989)
- X210Cr12 / 1.2080 cold work tool steel datasheet — Böhler / Voestalpine (2020)
- Cr12/Cr12MoV — Mysteel / 1688 (2025)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.