Today we turn to another stainless steel alloy and introduce you to stainless steel 1.4301. As you can surely imagine, material 1.4301 also has special properties that distinguish it and determine where it can be used to particular advantage. Perhaps it is exactly the right choice for you too.
An outstanding property of stainless steel 1.4301 is its tensile strength. In this category it is clearly superior to other alloys, and that is also the main reason why so many of our customers enquire about and order it. If you too are looking for a source of made-to-measure 1.4301, you will certainly be interested in how to order from us. More on that later.
What is stainless steel 1.4301?
You could almost call it the standard stainless steel, as it is the most common representative of the austenitic chromium-nickel steels. It is used in many ways thanks to its good processing characteristics and high-quality appearance.
The chemical composition of 1.4301 consists of a chromium content between 17.5 and 19.5%. Nickel must be present at a minimum of 8.0% and a maximum of 10.0%. For all other constituents there are only upper limits: carbon may account for a maximum of 0.07%, silicon 1.0%, manganese 2.0%, phosphorus 0.045% and sulphur 0.03%.
Where is 1.4301 used?
Because material 1.4301 is very widespread and available in large quantities, it is used in many places - for example in food technology, the automotive industry and the construction industry. It is used both as thin sheet and as solid steel sections that can carry very large loads.
In sanitary engineering, fittings are made from this stainless steel because it is highly corrosion-resistant. It is also very popular in apparatus and vessel construction. Its uses could be summed up by saying it is an excellent all-round stainless steel.
How can steel 1.4301 be processed?
This material can be processed in many different ways. It is, for example, very well suited to welding, and you have a free choice of welding process, since with the exception of gas fusion welding all common processes such as TIG welding and arc welding work excellently.
Thermal treatment of 1.4301 is possible in the temperature range of 900-1,200 degrees Celsius; these temperatures are suitable for hot forming. Either water or ambient air can be used for cooling - rapid cooling is not necessary. Quenching and tempering is not possible, nor is soft annealing. Solution annealing is possible at temperatures of 1,000-1,100 degrees Celsius.
The tensile strength of 1.4301
Let us come to the outstanding material property of 1.4301: its tensile strength. This is one of the most important strength parameters of a material - for textiles, one speaks of tear resistance. Tensile strength is determined through several tests with different forces. The tensile strength value always refers to the cross-section of the material and is stated in N/mm² or MPa.
The tensile strength of stainless steel 1.4301 is 500-700 N/mm². By comparison, the tensile strength of conventional structural steel is only 300-590 N/mm². Cast iron reaches values of just 100-350. An even higher value is achieved by high-alloy steel, which exhibits a tensile strength of 1,100-1,300 N/mm².
Tensile strength indicates the force at which a material would tear. This makes it possible to determine which mechanical loads the various metals may be subjected to. Material 1.4301 is resistant to large loads and dimensionally stable. This is also reflected in the yield strength of 1.4301, which is above 190 N/mm².
Is this the right stainless steel for you?
If you do not intend to use a sheet in an environment with particularly high temperatures, 1.4301 could be the right choice for you. To be on the safe side, feel free to call our colleagues in sales. They know the various stainless steel alloys very well and can advise you quickly and without obligation.
If you want to order from us, you will need to contact us anyway. Personal advice is very important to us, because only in this way can we guarantee that you receive the optimum stainless steel for your purposes. With a few questions, we can find out whether 1.4301 is the right choice for you or whether you would perhaps be better off with stainless steel 1.4828.
You learn the price immediately
Unlike a small local business, we can calculate any stainless steel sheet immediately and quote you the price on the phone. Do not hesitate to enquire about a small order with us. While we can cut large quantities of sheet, we are equally pleased about individual orders from private customers. Our production has been set up so efficiently that we complete almost every order within 48 hours of receipt.
This makes us attractive not only in terms of price but also in terms of time. We combine the advice of a small local supplier with the delivery speed of a large corporation. We keep most alloys in stock in large quantities and various thicknesses - especially 5 mm and 10 mm stainless steel plates, which are requested particularly often by our customers.
Service from a single source
Incidentally, we can offer you more than just millimetre-precise cutting. We have two further departments dedicated to sheet processing. Firstly, we offer surface treatment, including various grinding processes that produce different finishes. Foil protection and pickling are also part of our offer.
As a further service, we can offer the forming of sheets, using various processes such as hot rolling, cold rolling and press-brake bending. Multiple bends are no problem either, so you can also order Z-profiles or U-profiles in stainless steel from us in the dimensions you specify.
See our offer for yourself
Give us a call and find out how quickly we can deliver stainless steel 1.4301 and other alloys in the dimensions you specify. At the same time, you make sure that you have made no mistake in selecting the material and have chosen the right thickness for the planned load - we will be happy to advise you. As we dispatch our products within 48 hours, you will only have to wait briefly for the stainless steel parts you need. You can use this time to prepare for assembling the workpieces by welding, brazing or bolting.
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