Stainless Steel Properties

Most stainless steels have relatively high strength, good corrosion resistance and ductility. The differences are due to the structure and the different alloying elements used. Some general guidelines are:

A) 300 Series:
Excellent corrosion resistance
Typical strength (in the annealed condition) 85 ksi – tensile, 40 ksi – yield and 50% elongation
Cannot be heat treated but can be hardened by “cold working” (up to 185 ksi – tensile, 140 ksi – yield
Non-magnetic
Good high and low temperature mechanical properties
Can be polished to a bright mirror finish
B) “Non-Hardenable” 400 Series
Good corrosion resistance
Typical strength 65 - 75 ksi – tensile, 35 - 50 ksi – yield and elongation 20 - 35%
Magnetic
Limited temperature use
Can be polished
C) “Hardenable” 400 Series
Some adequate corrosion resistance
Hardenable by heat treatment
Magnetic
Somewhat limited temperature use
*The SSINA Designer Handbook “Design Guidelines for the Selection and Use of Stainless Steel” has more data on all the common stainless steels