Stainless Steel Technical Datasheets

AISI 201 is a low-nickel austenitic stainless steel using manganese and nitrogen as partial nickel substitutes. It offers good corrosion resistance in moderate environments and is more economical than grade 304.

201J1 is a Chinese variant of AISI 201 with additional manganese and copper to compensate for very low nickel content. Widely used in decorative and low-cost cookware applications.

201J2 is a lower-nickel variant than 201J1 with chromium reduced to 13.5–15.5% and higher manganese. Suitable for non-corrosive indoor environments.

201J3 has the highest manganese in the J family, with very low chromium and nickel. Limited to low-demand indoor applications.

201J4 is the lowest-cost grade in the family with minimal nickel and reduced chromium. Suitable only for dry indoor environments.

201J5 represents the most economical end of the low-Ni austenitic family. Use must be strictly limited to dry environments with no corrosion requirements.

AISI 202 is an austenitic grade similar to 201 but with higher chromium (17–19%), improving oxidation resistance. Manganese partially replaces nickel.

204Cu contains copper (2–4%) that significantly improves cold formability and deep drawing. It is the preferred grade for cutlery manufacturing without intermediate annealing.

AISI 301 is an austenitic grade with high work-hardening rate. In annealed condition it is highly ductile; cold rolling can achieve tensile strengths up to 1300 MPa, making it ideal for springs and structures.

301L has reduced carbon (≤0.030%) and added nitrogen to maintain mechanical strength. It offers better intergranular corrosion resistance than standard 301, especially in welded zones.

AISI 302 is the predecessor of 304 with higher carbon content. Properties are similar to 304 but with slight reduction in corrosion resistance in aggressive media. Used where greater surface hardness is required.

AISI 303 is the free-machining grade of the 18-8 group. Added sulfur (≥0.15%) forms MnS inclusions that act as chip breakers, significantly improving machinability at the cost of lower corrosion resistance.

AISI 304 (EN 1.4301) is the world's most widely used stainless steel grade, known as '18-8' for its nominal 18% chromium and 8% nickel composition. It offers excellent corrosion resistance in most environments, good weldability, formability, and surface finish. It is the reference grade against which other stainless steels are benchmarked.

304L is the low-carbon variant of 304. Carbon reduction to ≤0.030% eliminates the risk of sensitization (chromium carbide precipitation in weld zones), maintaining intergranular corrosion resistance without post-weld heat treatment.

309S has higher chromium (22–24%) and nickel (12–15%) than 304, providing excellent oxidation resistance up to 1100°C in continuous service and 1150°C in intermittent service.

310S is the ultimate high-temperature grade. With 24–26% Cr and 19–22% Ni, it resists oxidation up to 1150°C continuous and 1200°C intermittent, being the benchmark for high-temperature applications.

AISI 316 (EN 1.4401) is the world's second most used grade, known as 'marine grade' due to molybdenum (2–3%) that dramatically improves pitting corrosion resistance in chloride environments including seawater.

AISI 316L (EN 1.4404) combines the molybdenum of 316 (chloride resistance) with low carbon (≤0.030%) to eliminate sensitization during welding. It is the grade of choice for welded structures in aggressive environments, being the standard in pharmaceutical, chemical, and offshore industries.

316Ti contains stabilizing titanium (5×C minimum) that fixes carbon, preventing sensitization even at elevated temperatures (400–900°C). It offers the chloride resistance of 316 with intergranular protection at high temperatures.

317L surpasses 316L with higher molybdenum (3–4%), providing excellent resistance to very aggressive media with chlorides and dilute acids. Low carbon ensures intergranular corrosion resistance.

AISI 321 is grade 304 stabilized with titanium for high-temperature service. Titanium fixes carbon in Ti carbides rather than Cr carbides, preventing sensitization during prolonged service between 425–900°C.

EN 1.4828 is a high-temperature austenitic with elevated silicon (1.5–2.5%) that improves oxidation resistance and protection in sulfurous atmospheres. It offers good mechanical strength at high temperatures up to 1100°C.

AISI 409 is the standard ferritic grade for automotive exhaust systems. Its low chromium (10.5–11.75%) and stabilizing titanium make it economical with good high-temperature oxidation resistance.

409L is the low-carbon variant of 409 with reduced C for better weldability and improved intergranular corrosion resistance in welded exhaust parts.

409M adds niobium to 409 to improve high-temperature mechanical strength and stability in prolonged service, being preferred in Asian markets for high-performance exhaust.

410L (EN 1.4003) is a low-carbon ferritic combining good mechanical strength with improved weldability. Widely used in South Africa and Europe for railway and agricultural structures.

410S is the non-hardenable ferritic version of 410 with very low carbon (≤0.030%). It offers good oxidation resistance and dimensional stability at moderate temperatures without risk of martensitic embrittlement.

AISI 430 (EN 1.4016) is the world's most widely used ferritic grade. With 16–18% chromium, it offers good oxidation and atmospheric corrosion resistance, without nickel, at significantly lower cost than 304. It is magnetic and cannot be hardened by heat treatment.

436 improves 430 with added molybdenum (0.75–1.25%) and stabilizing niobium. It offers better corrosion resistance than 430 and improved oxidation resistance at moderate temperatures.

436L (EN 1.4526) is the ultra-low carbon and nitrogen version of 436, optimized for deep drawing and weldability. It offers better ductility than standard 436.

439 is a titanium-stabilized ferritic with higher chromium than 409. It offers better corrosion and oxidation resistance than 409, being suitable for hotter exhaust zones and domestic thermal equipment.

441 (EN 1.4509) is a premium titanium+niobium stabilized ferritic with higher chromium and better oxidation resistance than 439. It is the reference grade for high-temperature exhaust systems in European cars.

444 (EN 1.4521) is a high-performance ferritic with molybdenum (1.75–2.50%), offering corrosion resistance similar to 316L without nickel. Excellent for hot water and sanitary applications where 430 falls short.

AISI 410 is the general-purpose martensitic grade. It can be hardened by heat treatment up to 1380 MPa, providing good wear resistance and hardness, with moderate corrosion resistance in non-aggressive media.

AISI 420 is the higher-carbon martensitic grade for applications requiring maximum hardness. Heat treated it can reach 50–52 HRC. It is the standard for stainless steel cutlery.

420J2 has higher carbon than 420J1, reaching the maximum hardness possible in a standard martensitic stainless steel (up to 56 HRC). Preferred for high-end knives and precision cutting tools.

40Cr13 (EN 1.4034) is a high-hardness martensitic stainless steel with 0.36–0.42% carbon. Hardened and tempered it reaches >52 HRC, being the European reference for high-performance industrial cutlery.