• UNS: S30100
• EN-DIN: 1.4310

Austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steel. Its high strength and corrosion resistance makes it versatile alloy for a wide variety of applications. Typical applications include appliances, automotive applications, utensils, and high strength structural parts.

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.

• ASTM A240, ASTM A666

Information for Type 301 Stainless Steel & 301 Stainless Steel Strip

Combined Metals of Chicago (CMC) stays competitive by understanding our customers’ needs. We seek to constantly improve to deliver high-quality stainless steel products on time with a reject rate of less than 1.4%.

If you think you might be in need of stainless steel for your current project or future work, you have come to the right place. Read on to understand more about the composition of stainless steel and how its varied qualities can work for you.

What is Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is an Iron-based alloy. It contains at least 11% Chromium, the property that resists rust. To say that stainless steel is stainless is technically a misnomer, but the Chromium in the alloy makes stainless steel stain less than other metals.

Stainless steel can be:

Ferritic – This is the term for magnetic, low-Carbon steels with Chromium, such as 430.

Austenitic – This refers to non-magnetic Chromium-Nickel steels, such as 201, 304, & 316

Martensitic – Rarely-used, magnetic low Carbon steels, martensitic stainless steels contain low levels of Nickel and 12% Chromium.

We can supply you with many types of stainless steel. Each has unique qualities, so we can find the composition that suits your needs according to such factors as strength, magnetism, and how is easy it will be to work with the material.

Properties of Type 301 Steel

Type 301 stainless steel is austenitic. This stainless steel attains high strength and ductility by cold working. Much like type 201 steel, 301 is non-magnetic in the annealed state becoming increasingly magnetic with cold working. Ultimately, however, it is only slightly more magnetic than other standard austenitic stainless steels.

Chemical composition of T301 in WT% is: Carbon 0.15 max, Manganese 2.00 max, Phosphorus 0.045 max, Sulfur 0.030 max, Silicon 0.75 max, Chromium 16.00 – 18.00, Nickel 6.00 – 8.00, Nitrogen 0.10 max, and Iron – balance.

Physical Properties of Type 301 Steel include: Density: 0.285 lbs/in3 7 .88 g/cm3, Electrical Resistivity: microhm-in (microhm-cm): 68 °F (20 °C): 27.4 (69.5), Specific Heat: BTU/lb/° F (kJ/kg•K): 32 -212 °F (0 -100 °C): 0.12 (0.50), Magnetic Permeability: H = 200 Oersteds: Annealed < 1.02 max, and Melting Range: 2250-2590 ° F (1399-1421 ° C).

301 stainless steel’s higher Carbon and lower Nickel content supports good drawing and forming characteristics. This composition, however, slightly compromises its corrosion resistance.

Preventing corrosion requires that stainless steel 301 undergo a secondary annealing process. The secondary process dissolves the Chromium carbides and removes weld discoloration, restoring 301’s corrosion resistance at the weld or laser cut edges.

301 stainless steel is a modification of type 304 where Chromium and Nickel contents have been lowered. This increases the cold work-hardening range allowing for higher tensile strengths to be attained by rolling, with simultaneous lower loss of ductility than with Type 304.

Uses for Stainless Steel 301

Staying within the scope of the ASTM, 301 specification allows for different chemical composition and processing modifications that can result in a wide range of finished products with varied engineered material properties to target specific applications.

Readily formed and drawn, 301 stainless steel may not be right in some forming applications. This is especially true of those requiring multiple forming operations.

The material is typically used in subway cars, aircraft structural parts, trailer bodies, automotive trim, and automobile wheel covers. You will also find it used in the production of drainage products, conveyor belts, and storm door frames. As you can see, 301steel is a versatile grade of stainless steel, ideal for a multitude of applications.