301 Stainless Steel

Description:

Type 301 Stainless Steel is an austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steel that provides high strength and good ductility when cold worked. The chromium and nickel contents are lowered to increase the cold work-hardening rate. This generates higher tensile strengths when cold rolled with a lower loss of ductility than with Types 302 and 304. The grade is essentially non-magnetic when annealed. When cold worked, it becomes slightly more magnetic than other standard austenitic stainless steels. NKS is your stainless steel distributor for 301 Stainless Steel.

Product Forms:

  • Sheet
  • Strip

Specifications:

  • ASTM A240
  • A666 Typical

Applications:

Typical uses include springs, structural parts, trailer bodies, diaphragms, utensils, architectural and automotive trim, hose clamps, wheel covers, roofing products, kitchen utensils

 

Chemical Composition:

ElementType
Carbon0.15 max.
Manganese2.00 max.
Sulfur0.030 max.
Phosphorus0.045 max.
Silicon0.75 max.
Chromium16.00 – 18.00
Nickel6.00 – 8.00
Nitrogen0.10 max.

Mechanical Properties:

TypeYield Strength 0.2% offset (KSI)Tensile Strength (KSI)% Elongation (2″ Gauge length)
301 Ann (typical)40110 min.60
301 ¼ Hard75 min.125 min.25 min.
301 ½ Hard110 min.150 min.18 min.
301 ¾ Hard135 min.175 min.12 min.
301 Full Hard145 min.185 min.8 min

Physical Properties:

Density (lb./ in^2) @ RT0.285
Modulus of Elasticity in Tension (psi x 10^6)28.0
Specific Heat (BTU/o F/lb.)32 to 212 F0.12
Thermal Conductivity (BTU/hr/ft^2/ft)212 F9.4
932 F12.4
Mean Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (in. x 10^-6 per o F)32 to 2129.4
32 to 6009.9
32 to 1,000 F10.2
32 to 1,200 F10.4
Electrical Resistivity (micro ohms – cm)at 70 F27.4
Melting Point Range (oF)2550 – 2590
Oxidation Resistance – Continuous Service(oF)1600
Oxidation Resistance – Intermittent Service(oF)1450

Processing:

Type 301 is non-hardenable by heat treatment. Annealing: Heat to 1900 – 2050°F (1038 – 1121°C), then water quench. Stress Relief Annealing: Heat to 500 – 900°F (260 – 482°C), then air cool.

Forming:

Type 301 can be formed and drawn. Due to its high work-hardening rate, intermediate annealing may be necessary for severe drawing and forming operations.

Welding:

301 has similar weldability to the most common 18-8 stainless alloys. The major difference is the high C content of this alloy, which causes the weld heat affected-zones to be susceptible to accelerated corrosion in certain environments. When filler is needed, AWS E/ER 308 is most often specified.

Corrosion:

Type 301 exhibits corrosion resistance comparable to Types 302 and 304 in the mild service conditions. Resistance to atmospheric corrosion, food, juices and road de-icing salt is excellent. The best corrosion resistance is obtained in the annealed condition.

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