DX52D steel (1.0350): properties, composition, equivalents
DX52D (1.0350) is the EN 10346 hot-dip coated drawing grade: a 140–300 MPa yield band, 270–420 MPa tensile and 26 % elongation, one step above DX51D.
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What is DX52D?
DX52D is the second rung of the EN 10346 forming ladder for hot-dip coated sheet, and it is bought for one reason: DX51D bent and cracked. The designation decodes as D for cold forming, X for a rolling condition left to the producer, 52 for the formability class and D for hot-dip coating. Its Werkstoff number is 1.0350.
Where DX51D is specified only by a tensile ceiling and 22 % elongation, DX52D adds a guaranteed yield band of 140–300 MPa, drops the tensile ceiling to 420 MPa and lifts elongation to 26 %. The yield band is the operationally useful part: it tells a press shop how hard the material can possibly arrive, which is what sets springback compensation and what decides whether a die works on every coil or only on some.
The coating is a separate specification written after the plus sign — +Z for zinc, +ZF for galvannealed, +ZM for zinc-magnesium, +AZ for aluminium-zinc — followed by the coating class, most commonly Z140 or Z275. DX52D+Z275 and DX52D+Z100 are the same steel with different corrosion lives.
DX52D chemical composition
| Element | Mass % | Note |
|---|---|---|
| C | ≤ 0.12 | 0.06 % below DX51D |
| Mn | ≤ 0.6 | half the DX51D ceiling of 1.20 % |
| P | ≤ 0.1 | |
| S | ≤ 0.045 | |
| Ti | ≤ 0.3 |
Ladle analysis per EN 10346:2015. The composition is a ceiling, not a recipe: mills run well below these limits on modern production, and the difference that matters commercially is the manganese cap, which is what keeps DX52D soft enough to draw.
DX52D mechanical properties
| Thickness / condition | Yield strength ReH / Rp0.2 MPa (ksi) | Tensile strength Rm MPa (ksi) | Elongation A % | Hardness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DX52D+Z (transverse) | 140–300 (20.3–43.5) | 270–420 (39.2–60.9) | 26 | — |
| DX51D+Z (the grade below) | — (no minimum specified) (— (no minimum specified)) | 270–500 (39.2–72.5) | 22 | — |
| DX53D+Z (the grade above) | 140–260 (20.3–37.7) | 270–380 (39.2–55.1) | 30 | — |
| DX54D+Z | 120–220 (17.4–31.9) | 260–350 (37.7–50.8) | 36 | — |
| DX56D+Z | 120–180 (17.4–26.1) | 260–350 (37.7–50.8) | 39 | — |
Values are transverse, A80 elongation, for coating classes up to Z275 and thicknesses from 0.5 mm. EN 10346 limits how long after delivery the mechanical values remain valid, because coated forming grades age — an old coil tests harder than a fresh one, which is a real cause of press problems on stock material.
Impact toughness
DX52D requires a minimum Charpy V-notch energy of J at °C (not applicable). No impact test applies. DX grades are forming steels specified by yield band, tensile ceiling and elongation; a coated sheet formed at room temperature has no notch-toughness requirement.
DX52D equivalent grades
| Grade | System | Match | Why / differences |
|---|---|---|---|
| DX51D | EN (European) | Near | One formability step below: no guaranteed yield, tensile up to 500 MPa and 22 % elongation. Interchangeable only on simple bends. |
| S250GD | EN (European) | Functional | Same standard and coatings but a structural grade with a 250 MPa minimum yield — specified when the sheet carries load rather than being formed. |
| SPHC | JIS (Japan) | Functional | Uncoated hot-rolled commercial sheet; comparable base metal but no coating and no yield band. The coated JIS counterpart is SGCD1 in G3302. |
Identical = same composition and mechanical limits within rounding. Near = one limit differs (e.g. carbon max or impact temperature). Functional = interchangeable for most uses after an engineering check. Full cross-reference for DX52D →
Old and superseded designations
| Old name | Standard | Note |
|---|---|---|
| St 03 Z | DIN 17162 (withdrawn) | Legacy German designation for the drawing quality of hot-dip zinc coated sheet. |
| FeP02G | EN 10142:1990 (withdrawn) | The pre-2000 European designation before EN 10346 merged the coating standards. |
| DX52D+Z | EN 10142 / EN 10327 (both withdrawn) | Same designation, earlier standards; EN 10346 replaced EN 10142, 10214, 10215, 10326 and 10327 in one document. |
Product forms and tolerance standards
Product forms: galvanized coil and sheet (+Z), galvannealed coil (+ZF), zinc-magnesium coated coil (+ZM), aluminium-zinc coated coil (+AZ), slit strip and cut-to-length sheet.
Dimensional tolerances: dimensional: EN 10143 (continuously coated sheet and strip); coating mass: EN 10346 Table 6 (Z100 to Z600); flatness and edge: EN 10143, normal or special class by agreement; surface quality: EN 10346 classes A and B, appearance MA or MB.
Key property values
DX52D mechanical properties
Yield 140–300 MPa, tensile 270–420 MPa, elongation A80 ≥ 26 %, measured transverse. The yield is a band and not a minimum, which is deliberate: for a forming steel, material that arrives too hard is the failure mode, so the standard caps it.
DX52D vs DX51D
DX51D has no yield requirement at all, a tensile ceiling of 500 MPa and 22 % elongation. DX52D narrows all three. On a simple 90° bend the two behave the same; on a deep flange, a tight radius or a drawn corner, DX51D is the one that splits, and that is when the specification is stepped up.
DX52D coating options
+Z zinc (Z100 to Z600), +ZF galvannealed for painting and welding, +ZM zinc-magnesium for two to three times the corrosion life at the same coating mass, +AZ aluminium-zinc for heat and reflectivity. The coating class and the steel grade are two independent lines on the order; ordering DX52D without naming a coating class leaves the most important number blank.
DX52D welding and painting
Resistance spot and seam welding are standard on coated sheet, with electrode life shortened by zinc pickup; MAG welding needs extraction because of zinc fume. For painting, the surface treatment matters more than the grade: order it unpassivated and unoiled if it goes to a paint line, because chromate film and protective oil both prevent primer bonding.
DX52D thickness and availability
Commonly rolled from 0.35 to 3.0 mm, widths to 1500 mm, with Z100–Z275 the stock coating classes and heavier classes made to order. Anything below about 0.4 mm or above Z350 tends to be a mill order with a minimum quantity rather than a stock item.
Weldability
DX52D welds by every process used on coated sheet, and the complications come from the zinc rather than the steel. Resistance spot welding is the production norm: currents run higher than on uncoated sheet and electrode dressing intervals are shorter because zinc alloys with the copper. For MAG welding, zinc vaporises ahead of the pool and causes porosity unless a gap is left and the travel speed is controlled; extraction is mandatory for fume. Laser welding works well on thin coated sheet with a controlled gap. In every case the coating is destroyed locally and the joint has only the galvanic protection thrown by the surrounding zinc, which is adequate on thin material and not on thick.
Machining, forming and heat treatment
As a thin coated flat product DX52D is processed by shearing, punching, laser and roll forming rather than by cutting tools. Minimum inside bend radius is typically 0.5–1.0 × thickness depending on coating class and bend direction — heavier zinc classes crack at tighter radii than lighter ones, which is the usual reason a Z600 part fails a bend test that a Z140 part passes. Cut edges need no coating repair up to roughly 2–3 mm thickness, where the surrounding zinc protects the exposed steel galvanically.
Typical applications
- Roll-formed profiles with tight radii: purlins, cable tray, drywall framing
- Ventilation and ducting components with drawn flanges and spun ends
- Enclosure and cabinet panels with formed edges and corner draws
- Appliance housings and structural backing panels
- Automotive and agricultural non-visible pressings on coated substrate
- Welded tube where the strip is formed and seam welded on the mill
DX52D compared with related grades
Frequently asked questions
What is DX52D steel?
DX52D is the drawing-quality grade of EN 10346, the European standard for continuously hot-dip coated steel strip. It guarantees a yield band of 140–300 MPa, a tensile of 270–420 MPa and 26 % elongation, which places it one formability step above DX51D.
What is the difference between DX51D and DX52D?
DX51D has no guaranteed yield, a tensile ceiling of 500 MPa and 22 % elongation; DX52D narrows the yield to 140–300 MPa, the tensile to 270–420 MPa and lifts elongation to 26 %. In practice DX52D forms more deeply and, just as importantly, more consistently from coil to coil.
What does the D in DX52D mean?
There are two. The first D means the steel is for cold forming; the final D means it is intended for hot-dip coating. The X between them says the rolling condition — hot or cold rolled — is left to the producer, and 52 is the formability class.
What does DX52D+Z275 mean?
DX52D is the steel and +Z275 is the coating: zinc applied on both faces to a total mass of 275 g/m², roughly 20 µm per side. The grade and the coating class are separate specifications, so the same steel is sold as Z100, Z140, Z275 or heavier.
Can DX52D be welded?
Yes, by resistance, MAG and laser processes. The zinc rather than the steel sets the practice: spot welding needs higher current and more frequent electrode dressing, and MAG welding needs fume extraction and a controlled gap to avoid porosity from vaporising zinc.
Is DX52D structural steel?
No. It is specified by a yield band with a ceiling rather than a minimum, so there is no guaranteed value to design against. For a coated sheet that carries load, the structural grades in the same standard are S220GD to S350GD.
What is the equivalent of DX52D?
In the JIS system, SGCD1 to G3302; in ASTM terms, A653 FS (forming steel) is the nearest class. Both are equivalences rather than identities — the property bands and the coating designations differ, so the certificate has to be read against the actual requirement.
Related grades
Verified against EN 10346:2015; EN 10346:2015 Tables 3, 4 and 6; EN 10143:2006 (dimensional tolerances for continuously coated sheet). Last checked: October 2026.