301 stainless steel is an austenitic chromium-nickel alloy that can be cold worked to produce high strength and good ductility, offering various conditions or tempers to meet different specifications and production methods.
Ulbrich provides non-toxic, food grade 301 stainless steel sheet that does not absorb flavours or odours for food processing equipment parts manufacturing and pressure vessels, along with deburred or skimmed edges on their rolls of sheet and stress relief to improve tensile properties.
Corrosion Resistance
Stainless steel grade 301 exhibits superior resistance to corrosion across an extensive variety of environments. It can withstand atmospheric exposure up to mildly corrosive conditions as well as industrial, marine and mild chemical environments; however its susceptibility to carbide precipitation during welding limits its use for certain applications; in these instances 304 stainless steel may be more appropriate.
Yaoyi’s 301 stainless steel sheet contains an element known to form a self-healing oxide layer that protects it against oxidation and corrosion, far outstripping that of mild steel which requires additional coatings or paint for corrosion prevention. Furthermore, its highly resilient qualities also make 301 resilient against abrasion.
301 stainless steel offers excellent resistance against various chemicals, such as acids, foundations and organic chemicals. While its acid resistance varies depending on its type and concentration of acidity, in general 301 can tolerate hydrofluoric, hydrochloric and sulfuric acids with their associated vapors.
301 stainless steel stands out as being both corrosion resistant and highly magnetic due to its face-centered cubic (FCC) crystal structure, which contains high levels of nickel and chromium. Furthermore, its tensile strength exceeds that of mild steel grades making 301 suitable for numerous fabrication projects.
Grade 301 can be cold formed without the need for intermediate anneals, and boasts the highest stretch formability among austenitic steels. Weldability in most positions, although its high carbon content may lead to weld heat-affected zones in certain applications. Its moderate drawing and forming capabilities make this material attractive as it offers moderate drawing strength as well. However, due to its rapid work hardening rate it often requires intermediate anneals during severe forming operations or multiple operations.
Stainless Steel Grade 301 comes in various tempers or conditions, including full hard, 1/2 hard and 1/4 hard. Full hard grade 301 is best used in applications requiring high wear resistance and spring features such as automotive molding and trim, wheel covers, kitchen equipment as well as conveyor belts roof drainage systems truck or subway cars.
Hardness
Grade 301 stainless steel boasts an exceptional tensile strength that allows it to withstand an immense amount of mechanical stress without failing. This makes the metal an excellent choice for applications such as building construction and automotive manufacturing where high amounts of pressure need to be handled without cracking under pressure. When compared with grade 304 stainless steel, grade 301 provides greater corrosion protection as it can handle 33% more stress before failure occurs.
301 stainless steel is an austenitic alloy which can be cold worked to achieve high levels of strength and ductility, with an ability to achieve these characteristics at relatively low temperatures, making it an excellent choice for use across a wide variety of industries. Annealed conditions of this steel do not produce magnetic effects; however, cold work increases this magneticity.
This material comes in six distinct tempers that vary by their level of strength; these include annealed, half hard, full hard, extra-full hard and martensite. Due to its resistance to atmosphere corrosion and attractive surface finish, this material has become a favorite choice for decorative structural applications like automobile molding and trim, kitchen equipment, conveyor belts, hose clamps and springs – among many other industrial uses.
Cold-rolled, 301 steel offers excellent ductility and can be formed into very precise sizes with little difficulty. Welding is also straightforward. However, care must be taken if forming is done in its tempered state, as over-heating may result in cracking and tearing. For complex projects or multiple operations of forming operations requiring intermediate annealing may be required to reduce stress on parts.
301 Full Hard is typically employed for aerospace, architectural, ornamental and industrial applications requiring high strength and good ductility. With a Rockwell hardness of 41 or higher and minimum tensile properties of 185ksi resistance, this material also makes an excellent machining material with excellent fatigue properties.
Durability
301 stainless steel has long been used as an excellent building material, thanks to its many advantageous properties that set it apart from other alloys. Notably durable and resilient to wear and tear, making it suitable for long-term building projects that demand long-lasting materials. Furthermore, this metal is antimagnetic and corrosion-resistant in harsh environments; additionally it can withstand high temperatures in warmer or hot environments, making 301 stainless steel an excellent choice.
In addition to being resistant to extreme conditions, 301 stainless steel is extremely versatile and can be used for various applications. It can be formed into different shapes with ease; welding is simple. Furthermore, heat treating can increase its strength and hardness – something particularly helpful in building projects. Furthermore, this material resists atmospheric corrosion as well as meeting food-grade specifications.
Metalurgically speaking, 301 is an austenitic alloy comprised of chromium and nickel as its principal alloying elements. While not hardenable via heat treatment, cold working can achieve desired mechanical properties; when annealed it has excellent formability and ductility.
301 stainless steel has good resistance to many chemicals, but is less resistant to corrosive media than other types of stainless steel. Stress corrosion cracking (SCC), an increasingly serious threat for structural components, also does not apply as effectively with this grade of stainless steel. Furthermore, carbide precipitation during welding limits its use as an option compared to grades such as 304 or 304L.
Penn Stainless stocks this alloy in multiple tempers of 301 stainless steel: 1/4 hard, 1/2 hard and full hard. Penn offers this grade both in sheet and strip form for immediate delivery, with its 1/4 hard temper featuring excellent formability that can withstand up to 110,000 PSI yield strength and 150,000 PSI tensile strength respectively. Welding techniques vary according to grade but it is recommended using low carbon or nonferrous filler metals so as to avoid potential oxidation issues.
Heat Treatment
301 is an austenitic stainless steel that boasts high strengths and ductility through cold working. When compared with other grades in its class, its reduced Chromium and Nickel content allows for increased cold work-hardening range, leading to greater tensile strength with minimal loss of ductility during rolling processes. Furthermore, this material is non-hardenable by heat treatment methods.
Due to its resistance to atmospheric corrosion and cost effectiveness, grade 301 is an attractive choice for many applications. Common applications include food processing equipment, roofing systems and automobile molding and trim. Furthermore, wheel covers, conveyor belts and roof drainage products often utilize this grade. 301 grade metal has also been found in subway cars, airplane structural parts and trailer bodies.
Though 301 can be used in many forming operations, its high work-hardening rate necessitates an intermediate anneal prior to more serious drawing or forming operations. Furthermore, this grade does not weld as easily as 18-8 grade can result in weld-heat affected zones susceptible to corrosion in certain environments.
If you plan on turning 301 steel into springs, we suggest stress relieving it. This process helps relieve internal stresses that might otherwise cause warping or cracking during machining operations, by heating and then cooling slowly – an action which helps restore equilibrium at an atomic level. While stress relieving is typically conducted on finished springs, Ulbrich can also do it with our continuous furnaces.
Once you’ve selected an appropriate-sized 301 sheet, it is time to choose how you would like your product finished. Edges of springs can be deburred to eliminate sharp and uneven edges that make your product appear better while decreasing safety risks. At Ulbrich we also provide slitting and traverse winding which increases coil size and productivity as well as offering various length options depending on customer requirements and applications – get in touch today to discuss how we can meet them!
