AISI 301 Stainless Steel Properties, Type 301 Full Hard SS Grade Spring (UNS S30100)

AISI 301 stainless steel (UNS S30100) is the most susceptible to cold deformation strengthening among conventional austenitic stainless steels. Its work hardening rate is extremely high, with each increase in the amount of cold work, the tensile strength and yield strength will increase significantly. The response to work hardening is particularly important for structural parts, including angle steel and channel sections, which are expected to have additional strength and stiffness after manufacture. On the other hand, for deep drawing applications, lower work hardening rates are generally preferred and can be obtained in austenitic alloys with higher nickel content (especially types 304, 304L, and 305).

Type 301 SS has good corrosion resistance under atmospheric conditions, but it has poor corrosion resistance in reducing media, and chemical media such as acids, alkalis and salts, so it is not recommended for harsh corrosion environments. 301 steel is mainly used in the cold working state to withstand higher loads, but also hopes to reduce the weight of equipment and corrosion-resistant parts.

Datasheet & Specification

The following tables and lists give the stainless steel 301 datasheet and specification including chemical composition, physical properties and mechanical properties, heat treatment, welding, etc.

Chemical Composition

SS 301 material chemical composition is listed in the following table.

Datasheet 1, The table below shows AISI 301 stainless steel composition.

SS 301 Chemical Composition, %
ASTM / SAE Type	AISI (UNS)	C, ≤	Si, ≤	Mn, ≤	P, ≤	S, ≤	Cr	Ni	Mo, ≤	Cu, ≤	N, ≤
ASTM 666; ASTM A959; ASTM A240/A240M; SAE J405	301 (UNS S30100)	0.15	1.00	2.00	0.045	0.03	16.0-18.0	6.0-8.0	–	–	0.1
SAE AMS 5517	18Cr-8Ni (SAE 30301)	0.15	1.00	2.00	0.040	0.03	16.0-18.0	6.0-8.0	0.75	0.75	–

Notes:

• ASTM 666: Standard Specification for Annealed or Cold-Worked Austenitic Stainless Steel Sheet, Strip, Plate, and Flat Bar
• ASTM A240/A240M: Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip for Pressure Vessels and for General Applications
• ASTM A959: Standard Guide for Specifying Harmonized Standard Grade Compositions for Wrought Stainless Steels
• SAE AMS 5517: Steel, Corrosion Resistant, Sheet and Strip
• SAE J405: Chemical Composition of SAE Wrought Stainless Steels

AISI 301 Stainless Steel Properties

The datasheets below list grade 301 stainless steel properties including physical properties and mechanical properties.

Physical Properties

SS 301 physical properties are listed in the table below such as density, melting point, specific heat, electrical resistivity, elastic modulus (modulus of elasticity), thermal conductivity, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE).

Datasheet 2, AISI 301 stainless steel properties – 1.

Notes:

• 10^-6·K^-1 = 10^-6/K
• 1 Ω·mm²/m = 1 μΩ·m
• 1 g/cm3 = 1 kg/dm3 = 1000 kg/m3
• 1 GPa = 1 kN/mm2
• 1 MPa = 1 N/mm2

Physical Properties
Density, g/cm3 (lb/in3)	8 (0.289)
Melting point, °C (°F)	1400-1420 (2550-2590)
Specific heat capacity, J/kg·K (Btu/lb ·°F)	500 (0.12) at 20 °C (68 °F)
Electrical resistivity, μΩ·m	0.72 at 20 °C (68 °F)
Magnetic permeability	1.02 (Approximate)
Elastic modulus (Modulus of Elasticity), GPa (106 psi)	193 (28)
Thermal diffusivity, mm2/s (in2/s)	4.05 (0.006) 20-100 °C (68-212 °F)
Thermal conductivity, W/m·K (Btu/ft · h ·°F)	16.2 (9.4) at 100 °C (212 °F)
	21.5 (12.4) at 500 °C (932 °F)
Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), 10-6/K (μin./in. ·°F)	17.0 (9.4) at 0-100 ℃ (32-212 °F)
	17.2 (9.6) at 0-315 ℃ (32-600 °F)
	18.2 (10.1) at 0-538 ℃ (32-1000 °F)

Mechanical Properties

AISI 301 stainless steel mechanical properties are given in the datasheet below including tensile strength, yield strength, elongation, reduction in area, Brinell and Rockwell hardness, etc.

Datasheet 3, Type 301 stainless steel properties – 2.

Type 301 Mechanical Properties
ASTM	AISI Type (UNS)	Conditions	Tensile Strength, MPa (ksi), ≥	0.2% Yield Strength, MPa (ksi), ≥	Elongation in 50 mm (2 in.), %, ≥	Brinell Hardness (HB), ≤	Rockwell Hardness (HRB), ≤
ASTM A666	301 (UNS S30100)	Annealed	517 (75)	205 (30)	40	217	95
		Full Hard	1275 (185)	965 (140)	8 (<0.015 in.); 9 (≥ 0.015 in)
		Super Full Hard	1860 (270)	1790 (260)	–
		Half Hard	1035 (150)	760 (110)	15 (<0.015 in); 18 (≥ 0.015 in)
		3/4 Hard	1205 (175)	930 (135)	10 (<0.015 in); 12 (≥ 0.015 in)
		1/4 (quarter-hard) Hard	862 (125)	517 (75)	25
		1/8 Hard	690 (100)	380 (55)	40
		1/16 Hard	620 (90)	310 (45)	40
SAE AMS 5517	18Cr-8Ni (SAE 30301 )	–	862 (125)	517 (75)	25	252, ≥	25 HRC, ≥

Heat Treatment

Recommended annealing temperature is 1040 °C (1900 °F)

Heat Resistance

Maximum service temperatures in air
AISI type	Intermittent service	Continuous service
301	840 °C (1545 °F)	900 °C (1650 °F)

Applications

Type 301 have been extensively used in coining of spoons and forks, other applications include springs, fasteners, clamps, automotive wheel covers, aircraft structural parts, etc.

Equivalent Material

Grade 301 stainless steel equivalent to Chinese GB, ISO, Japanese JIS, and European EN standard (Germany DIN EN, British BSI…).