The OnlineMetals Guide to Stainless Steel

 

OnlineMetals.com currently stocks eighteen (18!) grades of stainless steel in various shapes and sizes:
303 Stainless Steel (available in Hex, Rectangle, Round, Square)
304 Stainless Steel (available in Angle, BACKSPLASH, Foil, Hex, Perforated Sheet, Pipe, Plate, Rectangle, Rectangle Tube, Round, Sheet, Square, Square Tube, TILE, Tread Plate, Tube)
316 Stainless Steel (available in Angle, Foil, Hex, Pipe, Plate, Rectangle, Round, Sheet, Square, Square Tube, Tube)
301 Stainless Steel (available in Sheet)
302 Stainless Steel (available in Sheet)
310 Stainless Steel (available in Sheet)
321 Stainless Steel (available in Hex, Plate, Round, Sheet)
347 Stainless Steel (available in Hex, Plate, Round, Sheet)
410 Stainless Steel (available in Plate, Rectangle, Round, Sheet, Square)
416 Stainless Steel (available in Round)
420 Stainless Steel (available in Rectangle, Square)
430 Stainless Steel (available in Sheet, TRIM STRIP)
440c Stainless Steel (available in Rectangle, Round, Square)
15-5 Stainless Steel (available in Hex, Round, Sheet)
17-4 Stainless Steel (available in Plate, Rectangle, Round, Sheet)
17-7 Stainless Steel (available in Sheet)
Nitronic 50 Stainless Steel (available in Round)
Nitronic 60 Stainless Steel (available in Round)

 

303 Stainless Steel
T-303 is one of the 3 main alloys of commercially available stainless steel. It has mechanical properties that are comparable to both 304 and 316 stainless. The primary reason to use 303 is when you need a stainless steel with machining capabilites better than that of 304 and 316. It has roughly the same corrosion resistance as 304, but not as good as 316. The main drawback with the alloy is that it is not generally considered to be weldable. This material is hardenable by cold work.

 

303 stainless steel (cold drawn annealed, room temperature)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 89,900
Yield Strength, psi 34,800
Elongation 50%
Rockwell Hardness B83
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 69%
Carbon (C) 0.15% max
Chrome (Cr) 18%
Manganese (Mn) 2% max
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.6% max
Nickel (Ni) 9%
Phosphorus (P) 0.2% max
Sulphur (S) 0.15% min
Silicon (Si) 1% max

 

304 Stainless Steel
T-304 is the most commonly used stainless in the world. You can find it in everything from forks and knives to backsplashes. It is weldable, machinable with the right techniques, and has good corrosion resistance, but is not for use in salt water environments. This material is hardenable by cold work.

 

304 Stainless Steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 73,200
Yield Strength, psi 31,200
Elongation 70%
Rockwell Hardness B70
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 66.5 - 74%
Carbon (C) 0.08% max
Chrome (Cr) 18 - 20%
Manganese (Mn) 2% max
Nickel (Ni) 8 - 10.5%
Phosphorus (P) 0.045% max
Sulphur (S) 0.03% max
Silicon (Si) 1% max

 

316 Stainless Steel
Also known as marine-grade stainless steel, T-316 is similar in machinability and weldability to T-304, but has far superior corrosion resistance. It has a far higher yield strength than both 303 and 304, meaning that it will not bend as easily. This material is hardenable by cold work.

 

316 stainless steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 84,100
Yield Strength, psi 42,100
Elongation 50%
Rockwell Hardness B79
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 62%
Carbon (C) 0.08% max
Chrome (Cr) 17%
Manganese (Mn) 2%
Molybdenum (Mo) 3%
Nickel (Ni) 14%
Phosphorus (P) 0.045%
Sulphur (S) 0.03% min
Silicon (Si) 1%

 

301 Stainless Steel
There are a lot of stainless steel alloys. We're still trying to think of something interesting to write about this one This alloy is normally used for decorative or ornamental applications, as it has a bright surface finish. Its yield strength is comparable to T-304. This material is hardenable by cold work.

 

301 stainless steel
Minimum Properties
(annealed condition)		 Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 74,700 min
Yield Strength, psi 29,700 min
Elongation 40% min
Rockwell Hardness B85
Minimum Properties
(1/4 hard condition)		 Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 125,000 min
Yield Strength, psi 75,000 min
Elongation 25% min
Rockwell Hardness C25
Minimum Properties
(1/2 hard condition)		 Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 150,000 min
Yield Strength, psi 110,000
Elongation 18% min
Rockwell Hardness C32
Minimum Properties
(full hard condition)		 Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 185,000 min
Yield Strength, psi 140,000 min
Elongation 9% min
Rockwell Hardness C41
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 75%
Carbon (C) 0.15% max
Chrome (Cr) 16 - 18%
Manganese (Mn) 2% max
Nitrogen (N) 0.1% max
Nickel (Ni) 6 - 8%
Phosphorus (P) 0.045% max
Sulphur (S) 0.03% max
Silicon (Si) 0.75% max

 

302 Stainless Steel
Under normal circumstances T-304 can be dual-certified as T-302 because the standards overlap. T-302 has better corrosion resistance than T-301. This material is hardenable by cold work.

 

302 Stainless Steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 89,900
Yield Strength, psi 39,900
Elongation 55%
Rockwell Hardness B85
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 70%
Carbon (C) 0.15% max
Chrome (Cr) 18%
Manganese (Mn) 2% max
Nickel (Ni) 9%
Phosphorus (P) 0.045% max
Sulphur (S) 0.03% max
Silicon (Si) 1% max

 

310 Stainless Steel
This alloy of stainless is chosen primarily for its high resistance to scaling at temperatures up to 2000° F. This material is hardenable by cold work.

 

310 Stainless Steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 89,900
Yield Strength, psi 45,000
Elongation 45%
Rockwell Hardness B85
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 48 - 53%
Carbon (C) 0.25%
Chrome (Cr) 26%
Manganese (Mn) 2%
Nickel (Ni) 19 - 22%
Phosphorus (P) 0.045% max
Sulphur (S) 0.03%
Silicon (Si) 1.5%

 

321 Stainless Steel
This material has similar properties to alloy 304, but its titanium content limits carbide precipitation, making it somewhat easier to machine. This material is hardenable by cold work.

 

321 Stainless Steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 89,900
Yield Strength, psi 34,800
Elongation 45%
Rockwell Hardness B80
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 68%
Carbon (C) 0.08%
Chrome (Cr) 18%
Manganese (Mn) 2%
Nickel (Ni) 11%
Phosphorus (P) 0.045% max
Sulphur (S) 0.03%
Silicon (Si) 1%
Titanium (Ti) 0.15%

 

347 Stainless Steel
Like T-321 stainless, T-347 is comparable to to T-304, with limits on carbide precipitation provided by the addition of Niobium and Tantalum. Yes, Niobium and Tantalum. Who the heck thinks of these things? Then again, we shouldn't be ones to talk. We came up with this crazy idea for a metals service center, then went and built it. Oh, by the way, this material is hardenable by cold work.

 

347 Stainless Steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 95,000
Yield Strength, psi 39,900
Elongation 45%
Rockwell Hardness B85
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 68%
Carbon (C) 0.08% max
Chrome (Cr) 17%
Manganese (Mn) 2%
Nickel (Ni) 11%
Niobium (Nb) + Tantalum (Ta) 0.8%
Phosphorus (P) 0.045% max
Sulphur (S) 0.03%
Silicon (Si) 1%

 

410 Stainless Steel
This material is hardenable by heat treatment.

 

410 Stainless Steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 65,000
Yield Strength, psi 30,000
Elongation 20 - 34%
Rockwell Hardness B82
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 86%
Carbon (C) 0.15% max
Chrome (Cr) 12.5%
Manganese (Mn) 1% max
Phosphorus (P) 0.04% max
Sulphur (S) 0.03%

 

416 Stainless Steel
This material is hardenable by heat treatment. The addition of Silicon makes for easier machining.

 

416 Stainless Steel (annealed condition)
Minimum Properties Ultimate Tensile Strength, psi 74,700
Yield Strength, psi 39,900
Elongation 30%
Rockwell Hardness B82
Chemistry Iron (Fe) 84%
Iron (Fe) 84%
Carbon (C) 0.15% max
Chrome (Cr) 13%
Manganese (Mn) 1.25% max
Molybdenum (Mo) 0.6% max
Phosphorus (P) 0.06% max
Sulphur (S) 0.15% min
Silicon (Si) 1% max