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Stainless Steel Grades and Families:

Explained

While stainless steels will share some characteristics, understanding the di erent types available is
essential to finding the optimal traits and price point for your needs.

Due to its versatility, durability and a ordability stainless steel production continues to increase around
the world year a er year.

But stainless steel isn’t a single alloy.

While stainless steel gets a large part of its corrosion resistance from chromium, there are near-endless
combinations of various metals marketed as stainless steel today.

One of the first steps in finding the best options when working with stainless steel is determining the
proper alloy for your product.

Let’s take a look at common types and considerations…

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 STAINLESS STEEL IDENTIFIERS–UNDERSTANDING THE
VARIOUS TYPES
There’s two main labels you’ll find on most stainless steel alloys:

Families

Grades

But what can you learn about these alloys from their labels?

Plenty, if you know what to look for…

STAINLESS STEEL FAMILIES: FOUR OPTIONS WITH UNIQUE

PROPERTIES
Families refer to specific properties and give an idea as to the ratio of various metals in the alloy.
Stainless steel falls into four distinct families:

Austenitic Stainless Steel

Ferritic Stainless Steel

Duplex Stainless Steel

Martensitic & Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steel

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 But the family is only part of the story. To truly understand what separates one type of stainless steel
from another, you’ll need to look at its grade.

Stainless Steel Grades

Within families, you’ll find various grades that help to describe specific properties of the alloy such as
toughness, magnetism, corrosion resistance and alloy composition.

Older grades o en feature a three-digit identifier established by the Society of Automotive Engineers
(SAE).

However, you might also see grades in North America identified using a six-character identifier set by
the and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM).

These are known as Unified Number System (UNS) identifiers. You can find a full list of common
identifiers here.

In many cases, UNS identifiers share the same first three numbers as their AISI equivalent.

But there’s also grading systems created by:

British Standards (BS)

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS)

European Standard (EN)

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 German Standard (DIN)

Chinese Standard (GB)

Due to the sheer number of di erent standards and grading systems, it can be di icult to obtain much
information about a given alloys unique composition from it’s grade.

For example, 304 stainless steel by the SAE standard might also be graded as:

EN number: 1.4305

EN name: X8CrNiN18-9

UNS: S30400

DIN: X5CrNi18-9, X5CrNi18-10, X5CrNi19-9

BS: 304S 15, 304S 16, 304S 18, 304S 25, En58E

JIS: SUS 304, SUS 304-CSP

However, to receive a given grade designation, the alloy must adhere to a strict set of requirements set
forth by the organization maintaining the standard.

In the case of the common SAE standards, 304 stainless steel must contain:

18% to 20% Chromium

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 8% to 10.5% Nickel

0.08% Carbon

2% Manganese

0.75% Silicon

0.045% Phosphorus

0.03% Sulfur

0.1% Nitrogen

Each addition or adjustment to the alloy composition will have an impact on the various facets of the
stainless steel’s performance.

If you’re not sure exactly which grade of steel you need, or what the composition requirements are for
the various grades, the lists linked below provide breakdowns of most common options:

SAE and UNS Chemical Compositions & Mechanical Properties

BS EN Stainless Steel Compositions

MatWeb Metall Alloy UNS Number Search

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 CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMON STAINLESS STEEL FAMILIES
AND GRADES
When you pair a family and grade together, you get a good indication of what to expect from a specific
stainless steel alloy.

You can learn about everything from magnetism and toughness to corrosion resistance and heat
resistance.

While there are too many types to individually list, these general classifications provide an idea of what
to expect within each family as well as common grades requested.

Austenitic
This family is the most popular and widely used around the world.

It o en includes chromium and nickel. Some grades also include manganese and molybdenum.

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 While austenitic stainless steel is non-magnetic when annealed with a solution, certain cold worked
grades are magnetic. Heat-based hardening will not work with these types of steel.

However, they o er excellent corrosion resistance and creep resistance while remaining great for
welding.

Popular grades of austenitic stainless steel include 303, 304, 316, 310 and 321 grades.

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 Ferritic
Due to its lower nickel content, this is one of the most cost-e ective families available.

While low on nickel, these alloys o en chromium, molybdenum, niobium and/or titanium to improve
toughness and improve creep resistance.

Most are magnetic and o er good corrosion resistance and weldability as well.

Popular in indoor applications, such as kitchenware, or out-of-sight applications, such as exhaust, these
alloys are well suited for situation where visual appeal isn’t as important as cost and performance.

Common grades of ferritic stainless steel include 409 and 430 grades.

Duplex
This family includes many of the most recent and proprietary alloys created.

Many duplex grades o er a combination of properties from both austenitic and ferritic stainless steels.

Characteristics depend on the alloy as many are created to address specific industrial concerns, such as
weight, toughness and higher tensile strength. Most o er good weldability and formability in
comparison to other families of steel.

Some are o er improved corrosion resistance. Chloride-resistant stainless steels are especially popular
in o shore use.

Common duplex alloys include are 318L, LDX 2101, LDX 2304, 2507 and 4501 (Also known as 25CR
superduplex) grades.

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 Martensitic & Precipitation Hardening
While the least common of the four major stainless steel families, martensitic and precipitation
hardening steels are popular in applications requiring a precise, hardened edge.

Tempering and hardening is possible due to added carbon, making this family a leading choice for
knives, scissors, razors and medical tools.

These stainless steel alloys o er moderate to good corrosion resistance and remain magnetic a er
hardening.

Common grades of martensitic and precipitation hardening steels include 410 and 420 grades.

Alloy Group Magnetic ResponseWork Hardening Rate Corrosion Resistance Hardenabl

Austenitic Generally No Very High High By Cold Wo

Duplex Yes Medium Very High No

Ferritic Yes Medium Medium No

Martensitic Yes Medium Medium Quench & Tem

Precipitation Hardening Yes Medium Medium Age Harde

FINAL THOUGHTS
From ornamental structures to rugged industrial use, stainless steel o ers a range of utility.
Understanding the unique characteristics of di erent stainless steel alloys is essential to not only

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 ensuring long-lasting and safe performance, but optimizing costs as well.

For more than 40 years, Unified Alloys has proudly served Canada across a range of industries. From sheet and
bar products to machining and fabrication, our supply chain and experience will help to ensure the success of
your next project. Contact us today to discuss your needs.

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request a quote or get answers to any questions you may have.

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