316 stainless is quite workable........316L is what most stainless watches are made of because it won't rust and has anti-magnetic properties etc. However it would not be my metal of choice to work on as it is gummy and not user friendly.
416 stainless is great to work with. You might also check out the stainless that GRS uses for their key fobs etc as that is also nice to work on. (not sure of the number on that one)
For jewellery that is different again depending on what you want to do. Silver and gold are the main ones for that....and Arnaud has had great success with his titanium which looks great. But if you wanted to make key fob type things then stainless is a good alternative. Rings are now becoming popular in stainless.
One of the things you want to be very aware of is the rust factor. Clients are not used to oiling metal jewellery so be careful.
So there are no "one metal suits everything" type answers.
Cheers
Andrew
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The term stainless steel is applied to a family of carbon steel alloys that contain large amounts of chromium. The alloys can have different compositions but all exhibit some of the same behaviors. Stainless steels are iron-based alloys with a minimum chromium content of 10.5%. The chromium generates a self-healing chromium-oxide layer on the surface that prevents the underlying iron from rusting. Stainless steel types fall within three single-phase structure classes, a two-phase structure class, and a single heat treatment class. These five classes of stainless steel are: martensitic, austenitic, ferritic, duplex, and precipitation-hardenable.
This article will discuss the different types and grades of stainless steel.
This group of stainless steels has a martensitic crystalline structure in the hardened conditions. Martensitic stainless steel has a body-centered tetragonal (BCT) crystalline structure composed of iron, chromium, and carbon. Chromium content ranges from 10.5-18%, with carbon not exceeding 1.2%. The 403 grade is the basic martensitic stainless; others differ in their alloying compositions to achieve different effects. The martensitic group includes: 403, 410, 414, 431, 422, 420, 416, and 440.
This group is typically used in applications like: jet engines, gas turbines, valve trains, cutlery, petrochemical equipment, and medical instruments.
Useful mechanical properties of martensitic stainless steel include:
Austenitic stainless steels are the most widespread types in terms of alloys and usage. They possess an austenitic crystalline structure (face-centered cubic or FCC) similar to that of high-temperature iron. This group can be divided into two categories based on the main alloying elements: chromium-nickel (Cr-Ni) alloys and chromium-manganese-nitrogen (Cr-Mn-N) alloys.
The general composition of the austenitic stainless steel group consists of: 16-26% chromium, up to 0.15% carbon, up to 35% nickel, up to 15% manganese, 0.75-3% silicon, and 0.045-0.2% phosphorus. Additionally, some types include other alloying elements like: sulfur, nitrogen, molybdenum, selenium, copper, titanium, tantalum, niobium, and cobalt. The standard austenitic group includes: 201, 202, 205, 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 308, 309, 310 314, 316, 317, 321, 330, 347, 348, and 384.
Applications include: cutlery, fasteners, pressure vessels, chemical mixing vessels, exhaust systems, and hydraulic components.
Mechanical properties that make austenitic stainless steel useful include:
Ferritic stainless steels possess a ferritic body-centered cubic (BCC) crystalline structure. The main alloying element, chromium, makes up between 10.5% and 30% and carbon never exceeds 0.2%. These metals are thus classed as iron-chromium (Fe-Cr) alloys. Other common alloying elements include: molybdenum, silicon, aluminum, titanium, and niobium. Titanium and aluminum are important elements for ensuring a ferritic structure. The base ferritic stainless steel grade is 430 and alterations to the alloying formula are made to achieve certain effects. 430 and 434 are first-generation standard-grade ferritic stainless steels, while 409 and 439 are second-generation standard grades. 444 is a third-generation superferritic stainless steel. The superferritic stainless steel class remains free of austenitic structures at all temperature ranges.
Applications include: food handling equipment, aqueous chloride solution piping, moderate-temperature chemical heat exchangers (up to 250 °C), domestic ovens, kitchen sinks, and solar panel support frames for desert environments.
Mechanical properties of ferritic stainless steel are:
Duplex stainless steel possesses a mixture of ferritic structure (body-centered cubic), and austenitic structure (face-centered cubic). The amount of each phase is dependent on composition and heat treatment. Duplex steel’s corrosion resistance is similar to that of austenitic stainless steel but it has better tensile and yield strengths and improved resistance to chloride stress corrosion cracking (SCC). Duplex steels also exhibit strong resistance to pitting corrosion. Its toughness rating falls roughly between ferritic and austenitic steels.
The principal alloying elements are chromium and nickel. Typical compositions of duplex stainless steels include: 22-26% chromium, 4-7% nickel, up to 4.5% molybdenum, ~0.7% copper, ~0.7% tungsten, and 0.08-0.35% nitrogen. Carbon is intentionally kept below 0.06%, which markedly improves corrosion resistance. Duplex stainless steels may be grouped into four classes according to composition. These are also known as: lean duplex 2304, standard duplex 2205, super duplex class 2505, super duplex class 2507, and hyper duplex class which includes 2707.
Applications include: the oil and gas industry, aqueous chloride plants, seawater desalination plants, and holding tanks for wet CO₂ gasses.
Mechanical properties of duplex stainless steel are:
201 stainless steel is an austenitic formulation that contains chromium, nickel, manganese, and nitrogen. Manganese and nitrogen replace some of the nickel in its structure in order to lower nickel content but retain corrosion resistance. Lowering the nickel content makes the steel more cost-effective.
201 steel falls within the Cr-Mn-N alloy group of austenitic stainless steels. The designations vary by organization; it’s known as 201 for AISI, X12CrMnNiN17-7-5 for DIN, and 1.4372 for EN. The typical composition of 201 SS is: 0.15% C, 5.5-7.5% Mn, 1% Si, 16-18% Cr, 3.5-5.5% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.25% N. 201 stainless steel is primarily used for: food-handling components such as washing sinks, decorative architectural elements, and deep-drawn, cold-formed components.
Annealed 201 is nonmagnetic but becomes moderately responsive to magnets as the material is cold-worked. 201 steel is also hardened through cold working, and thermal treatment will not alter it. Some properties of 201 steel are:
202 stainless steel is an austenitic type that contains chromium, nickel, manganese, and nitrogen. Nickel and iron are partially replaced by manganese and nitrogen to lower nickel content and retain corrosion resistance.
202 steel falls within the Cr-Mn-N alloy group of austenitic stainless steels. The different standardization models for 202 stainless steel are: 202 AISI, X12CrMnNiN18-9-5 DIN, and 1.4373 EN. A typical composition for 202 stainless steel is: 0.15% C, 7.5-10% Mn, 1% Si, 17-19% Cr, 4-6% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.25% N.
Annealed 202 is nonmagnetic but becomes weakly responsive to magnets as the material is cold-worked. A few other properties are as follows:
202 stainless steel is primarily used for: restaurant equipment, vitreous safety railings, and hotel equipment.
205 stainless steel is an austenitic style that contains chromium (16.5-18%), nickel (1-1.75%), manganese (14-15.5%), and nitrogen (0.4%). Nickel is largely replaced by manganese and nitrogen to lower nickel content but retain corrosion resistance.
205 steel falls within the Cr-Mn-N alloy group of austenitic stainless steels. Annealed 205 is nonmagnetic but becomes weakly responsive to magnets if the material is cold-worked. 205 steel is hardened through cold working, and thermal treatment will not work on it. Other properties of 205 steel are:
205 stainless steel is primarily used for: cookware and cutlery, decorative architectural elements, deep-drawn and cold-formed components, and food and beverage equipment.
2507 stainless steel is a duplex type that contains chromium (25%), nickel (7%), molybdenum (4%), nitrogen (0.28%), tungsten (0.7%), and copper (0.7%). 2507 steel falls within the Fe-25Cr-7Ni-3.5Mo-0.25N-W-Cu alloy group of super duplex stainless steels. The different standardization models for 2507 stainless steel are: 2507 AISI, X2CrNiMoCuWN25-7-4 DIN, and 1.4501/1.4410 EN.
2507 is magnetic because the duplex stainless steel contains ferritic structures as well austenitic ones. Duplex 2507 is hardened through cold working and thermal treatment. Some of its properties are:
2507 stainless steel is primarily used in: desalination plants, coal power plants, chemical process plants, and the pulp and paper industry.
301 stainless steel is an austenitic steel that contains high levels of chromium and nickel. It contains the lowest Cr-Ni alloying content of the Cr-Ni austenitic group. 301 SS is composed of 0.05-0.15% C, 2% Mn, 2% Si, 16-19% Cr, 6-9.5% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, 0.11% N, and 0.8% Mo. The different standardization models for 301 stainless steel are: 301 AISI, X10CrNi18-8 DIN, and 1.4310 EN.
AISI 301 is nonmagnetic because of its austenite structure. Its properties include:
301 stainless steel is primarily used for: springs (such as in toys, office equipment, and medical instruments), utensils, watchbands, and spring washers.
302 stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel that contains high levels of chromium and nickel. Its typical composition is: 0.15% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 17-19% Cr, 8-10% Ni, 0.045% P, and 0.03% S.
It is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is therefore not magnetic. Other properties of 302 are:
302 stainless steel is primarily used for: household equipment (i.e., dishwashers, blenders), formed wire, cryogenic applications, and in the stamping industry.
302B stainless steel is an austenitic type that contains high levels of chromium (17-19%) and nickel (8-10%). Other elements are: 0.15% C, 2% Mn, 2-3% Si, 0.045% P, and 0.03% S.
302B is very similar to 302 but has a greater silicon content. It is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is not magnetic. 302B alloy has the following properties:
302B stainless steel is primarily used for: mesh (i.e., wire mesh, screen mesh, perforated sheet mesh), formed wire (i.e., springs, wire rope), cryogenic applications, and as part of the stamping industry.
303 stainless steel is a general-purpose free-machining austenitic stainless steel that contains high levels of chromium (18%) and nickel (9%) with increased sulfur content (0.15-0.35%) and added copper (1%). It is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group. The different standardization models for 303 stainless steel: are 303 AISI, X8CrNiS18-9 DIN, and 1.4305 EN.
303 SS is primarily used for: shafts, aircraft components, bushings, and fasteners. Some of its properties are:
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303Se stainless steel is a general-purpose free-machining austenitic stainless steel. Sulfur content (0.06%) is reduced and copper is removed while selenium (0.15%) is added. A typical composition includes: 0.15% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 17-19% Cr, 8-10% Ni, and 0.2% P. The different standardization models for 303Se stainless steel are: 303Se AISI, X9CrNi18-9 DIN, and 1.4325 EN.
303Se stainless steel is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is not magnetic. Some of its properties are:
303Se stainless steel is primarily used for: shafts, aircraft components, bushings, and fasteners.
304 stainless steel is a general-purpose austenitic stainless steel that contains high levels of chromium (18%) and nickel (10%). The typical composition of 304 stainless steel is: 0.07% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 17.5-19.5 Cr, 8-10.5% Ni, 0.045% P, and 0.015% S. The different standardization models for 304 stainless steel are: 304 AISI, X5CrNi18-10 DIN, and 1.4301 EN.
304 is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is not magnetic. Other properties include:
304 stainless steel is primarily used for: pressure vessels, high-pressure flanges, pumps, and petrochemical processing plants.
304H stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel that is similar to 304 alloys but contains more carbon. Its typical composition is: 0.04-0.08 C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 17-19% Cr, 8-11% Ni, 0.035% P, 0.015% S, and 0.1% N. The different standardization models for 304H stainless steel are: 304H AISI, X6CrNi18-10 DIN, and 1.4948 EN.
It is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is not magnetic. Other properties include:
304H stainless steel is primarily used for: pressure vessels, high-pressure flanges, pumps,
304L stainless steel is austenitic stainless steel that is similar to 304 alloys except with less carbon. Its typical composition includes: 0.03% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 17.5-20% Cr, 8-12% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.11% N. The different standardization models for 304L stainless steel are: 2CrNi18-9 and X2CrNi19-11 for DIN, and 1.4307 and 1.4306 for EN.
It is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is not magnetic due to the austenitic crystal structure. 304L alloy’s properties are:
304H stainless steel is primarily used for: pressure vessels, medical equipment, mining equipment, and nuclear power generation.
304N stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel that is similar to 304 alloys but with more nitrogen. Its typical composition is 0.06% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 18-20 Cr, 8-11% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.12-0.22% N. The different standardization models for 304N stainless steel are: 304N AISI, X5CrNiN19-9 DIN, and 1.4315 EN.
This alloy is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is therefore not magnetic. Some of its properties are:
304N stainless steel is primarily used for: pressure vessels, liquid natural gas production and storage, vacuum testing chambers, and natural gas denitrogenation and decarburization columns.
S30430 stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel that is also known as 304 Cu. S30430 is similar to 304 alloys but its carbon (0.04%), chromium (17-19%), nickel (8.5-10.5%), and iron (63.9 to 72%) are partially substituted with copper (3-4%). The different standardization models for S30430 stainless steel are: S30430 AISI, 3CrNiCu18-9-4 DIN, and 1.4567 EN.
304Cu is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group. It is not magnetic due to the austenitic structure. Other properties include:
S30430 stainless steel is used in the production of light machine screws, self-tapping screws, set screws, bolts, rivets, and specialized fasteners.
305 stainless steel is an austenitic metal that contains high levels of chromium (17-19%). Its typical composition is: 0.06% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 11-13% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.11% N. The different standardization models for 305 stainless steel are: 305 AISI, X4CrNi18-12 DIN, and 1.4303 EN.
It is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is not magnetic. Other properties include:
305 stainless steel is primarily used in: acid production machinery, food and beverage equipment, and deep-drawn components.
308 stainless steel is an austenitic type that contains high levels of chromium (19-21%). Its typical composition also includes: 0.08% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 10-12% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.03% S. The different standardization models for 308 stainless steel are: 308 AISI, 1.4303 DIN, and 1.4316 EN.
This alloy is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and is nonmagnetic. Some of its properties include:
308 stainless steel is primarily used for welding, so it’s found in filler wires and electrodes.
309 stainless steel is an austenitic steel that contains high levels of chromium (19-21%) and nickel (11-13%). It typically also contains: 0.2% C, 2% Mn, 1.5-2.5% Si, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.11 N. The different standardization models for 309 stainless steel are: 309 AISI, X15CrNiSi20-12 DIN, and 1.4828 EN.
309 is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group and thus is not magnetic. Some of its properties are:
309 stainless steel is primarily used for: waste treatment (i.e., incinerators, kilns, calciners), power generation (coal burners), paper mill equipment, and fluidized bed furnaces (i.e., grid, piping, wind boxes).
310 stainless steel is a general-purpose, temperature-tolerant austenitic metal that contains high levels of chromium (24-26%) and nickel (19-22%). The remainder is usually: 0.25% C, 0.2% Mn, 1.5% Si, 0.045% P, and 0.03% S. It is part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group, so it is not magnetic. Some 310 properties are:
310 stainless steel is primarily used for: furnaces (i.e., burners, doors, recuperators, coal combustors), cryogenic components, thermal processing (i.e., burner grids, doors, fans), and cement plants (i.e., burners, shields, feeders).
314 stainless steel is an austenitic type that contains high levels of chromium (24-26%), nickel 19-22%, and silicon (1.5-2.5%). Its typical composition includes: 0.2% C, 2% Mn, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.11% N. The different standardization models for 314 stainless steel are: 314 AISI, X15CrNiSi25-21 DIN, and 1.4841 EN.
As part of the Cr-Ni austenitic stainless steel group, it is not magnetic. Other properties include:
314 stainless steel is primarily used for: furnace conveyors, heat exchangers, and high-temperature applications.
316 stainless steel is an austenitic steel that falls within the Cr-Ni alloy group. It contains chromium (16.5-18.5%), nickel (10-13%), and molybdenum (2-2.5%). Other components include: 0.07% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.11% N. The different standardization models for 316 stainless steel are: 316 AISI, X5CrNiMo17-12-2 DIN, and 1.4401 EN.
Annealed 316 stainless steel is nonmagnetic due to its austenitic structure. Some of its properties are:
316 stainless steel is primarily used for: pumps, high-pressure flanges, pressure vessels, and heat exchangers.
Alloy 316F is similar to 316, but nitrogen is partially substituted with carbon and nickel. Its typical composition is: 0.08% C, 2% Mn, 1% Si, 16-18% Cr, 10-14% Ni, 0.2% P, 0.1% S, and 1.75-2.5% Mo. The different standardization models for 316F stainless steel are 316F AISI and 1.4427 EN.
316F stainless steel is a nonmagnetic austenitic member of the Cr-Ni alloy group. Its properties include:
316F stainless steel is primarily used for rubber processing and surgical implants and in the pulp and paper industry.
Alloy 316H is similar to 316 but contains more carbon (0.04-0.08%) and is stabilized by boron (0.0015-0.005%). Its typical composition includes: 2% Mn, 1% Si, 16.5-18.5% Cr, 10-13% Ni, 0.035% P, 0.015% S, 0.11% N, 2-2.5% Mo. The different standardization models for 316H stainless steel are: 316H AISI, X6CrNiMoB17-12-2 DIN, and 1.4919 EN.
It is nonmagnetic due to the austenite steel structure. Alloy 316H has the following properties:
316H stainless steel is primarily used for: power generation, wastewater treatment, medical equipment, and in the pulp and paper industry.
Alloy 316L is similar to 316 but contains less carbon (0.03%) than 316 and slightly more molybdenum (2-3%). The remainder of its composition is usually: 2% Mn, 1% Si, 16.5-19% Cr, 10-15% Ni, 0.045% P, 0.015% S, and 0.11% N. The different standardization models for 316L stainless steel are shown in Table 1:
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