Element Steel Type
C
Alloy Steel 0.30-0.55
Stainless Steel 0.03max
Mn
Alloy Steel 1.00-1.65
Stainless Steel 2.00max
P
Alloy Steel 0.04max
Stainless Steel 0.045max
S
Alloy Steel 0.05max
Stainless Steel 0.03
Si
Alloy Steel 0.15-0.40
Stainless Steel 1.00max
Cr
Alloy Steel 0.90-1.20
Stainless Steel 16.00-18.00
Ni
Alloy Steel —
Stainless Steel 10.00-14.00
Mo
Alloy Steel —
Stainless Steel 2.00-3.00
V
Alloy Steel —
Stainless Steel 0.12max
Cu
Alloy Steel —
Stainless Steel 0.75max
Nb
Alloy Steel —
Stainless Steel 0.15max
Ti
Alloy Steel —
Stainless Steel 0.30max
Al
Alloy Steel 0.020max
Stainless Steel 0.040max
N
Alloy Steel —
Stainless Steel 0.10max
The United States Standard High Temperature Alloy Steel and Stainless Steel contain different residual element percentages (or mass fractions). Alloy Steel contains residual elements of Carbon (C) in amounts between 0.30 and 0.55 percent, Manganese (Mn) between 1.00 and 1.65 percent, Phosphorus (P) of no more than 0.04 percent, Sulfur (S) of no more than 0.05 percent, Silicon (Si) between 0.15 and 0.40 percent, and Aluminum (Al) of no more than 0.020 percent. Stainless Steel has residual elements of Carbon (C) of no more than 0.03 percent, Manganese (Mn) of no more than 2.00 percent, Phosphorus (P) of no more than 0.045 percent, Sulfur (S) of no more than 0.03 percent, Silicon (Si) of no more than 1.00 percent, Chromium (Cr) between 16.00 and 18.00 percent, Nickel (Ni) between 10.00 and 14.00 percent, Molybdenum (Mo) between 2.00 and 3.00 percent, Vanadium (V) of no more than 0.12 percent, Copper (Cu) of no more than 0.75 percent, Niobium (Nb) of no more than 0.15 percent, Titanium (Ti) of no more than 0.30 percent, Aluminum (Al) of no more than 0.040 percent, and Nitrogen (N) of no more than 0.10 percent.
The presence of these elements in Standard High Temperature Alloy Steel and Stainless Steel serves different functions. Carbon (C) is mainly used to increase the strength and hardness of the steel, Manganese (Mn) is used for improving the strength and hardenability of the steel and serves as a deoxidizer, Phosphorus (P) and Sulfur (S) are mainly used to increase the machinability of the steel and lower he tensile strength, Silicon (Si) when present in small amounts helps with the hardening of the steel and helps to further increase the strength of the steel, Chromium (Cr) increases the strength and hardness of the steel as well as its corrosion resistance, Nickel (Ni) also increases the strength and hardness of the steel as well as its ratio of fracture toughness, Molybdenum (Mo) makes the steel resistant to softening and helps to increase the strength and hardness of the steel, Vanadium (V) is mainly used to increase the hardenability of the steel, Copper (Cu) is used to increase the corrosion resistance of the steel, Niobium (Nb) increases the corrosion resistance of the steel and helps improve the weldability of the steel, Titanium (Ti) increases the strength of the steel as well as its corrosion resistance, Aluminum (Al) helps to remove unwanted oxygen from the steel and also helps to delay the precipitation of the chromium carbide, and Nitrogen (N) helps to increase the strength of the steel and its resistance to corrosion in certain circumstances.
The presence of these elements in Standard High Temperature Alloy Steel and Stainless Steel are essential for the production of quality steel products. Alloy Steel contains elements designed to strengthen and harden the metal giving it greater durability and resistance to oxidation, while Stainless Steel contains elements designed to improve its corrosion resistive properties as well as its strength, allowing for the production of quality stainless steel products. It is important to note that the presence of these various elements can have an influence on other properties of the steel, including machinability and weldability, so it is essential to determine the best combination of elements present to guarantee the quality of the final steel product.
