What is the melting point of stainless steel?

What is the melting point of stainless steel?

What is the melting point of stainless steel?

Steel is known for its excellent durability against various stress factors. Steel's impact resistance, tensile strength and heat resistance far exceed those of plastic polymers. Stainless steel alloys are a further improvement that provide increased resistance to a variety of corrosive and corrosive chemicals.

But how strong is stainless steel when paired side by side with other metals? How does the melting point of stainless steel compare to the melting points of other metals? This is a common question for companies looking to order stainless steel baskets or trays for high-strength applications.

Specifically, many companies that heat treat, anneal or sterilize are wondering "What is the melting point of stainless steel?" because they have to use steel for high temperature processes.

How much heat can stainless steel absorb before melting?

This question is a valid one, but it's difficult to answer without first asking, "What alloy of stainless steel are we talking about?"

Stainless steels are available in a wide variety of formulations, from austenitic stainless steels (such as 304, 316 and 317) to ferritic stainless steels (such as 430 and 434) and martensitic stainless steels (410 and 420). ). Additionally, many stainless steels are available in low-carbon versions. Trying to make a general statement about the melting point of stainless steel is that all of these alloys have different temperature tolerances and melting points.

Here is a list of the various stainless steel alloys and their melting temperatures (data from BSSA):

Level 304. 1400-1450°C (2552-2642°F)

Level 316. 1375-1400°C (2507-2552°F)

Class 430. 1425-1510°C (2597-2750°F)

Class 434. 1426-1510°C (2600-2750°F)

Class 420. 1450-1510°C (2642-2750°F)

Class 410. 1480-1530°C (2696-2786°F)

You may have noticed that each of these melting points are expressed as a range, not as an absolute value

This is because, even within a specific stainless steel alloy, there can still be small variations in the formulation that affect the melting point. These are just a few of the more common stainless steel alloys on the market. There are many more variations of stainless steel that can be used in a variety of applications, too many to cover them all here.

Although these are the melting points of these stainless steel alloys, the recommended maximum use temperatures for these alloys tend to be much lower.

Why metal melting points shouldn't be the only temperature you care about

At extremely high temperatures, many materials begin to lose their tensile strength. Steel is no exception. Even before stainless steel's melting point is reached, the metal itself becomes less rigid and bends more easily when heated.

For example, suppose a stainless steel alloy maintains 100% structural integrity at 870°C (1679°F), but loses 50% of its tensile strength at 1000°C (1832°F). If a basket made from this alloy has a maximum load of 100 pounds, the basket can only hold 50 pounds after exposure to higher temperatures. The weight increases and the basket may deform under load.

Additionally, exposure to high temperatures may have other effects besides making stainless steel more susceptible to bending or breaking. High temperatures can affect the protective oxide layer that keeps stainless steel from rusting - making it more susceptible to corrosion in the future.

In some cases, extreme temperatures can cause scaling on metal surfaces. This can affect the performance of part handling baskets or other custom wire forms. Otherwise, high temperatures may cause the metal in the custom wire basket to thermally expand, causing the welded joint to loosen.

So even if your particular process doesn't quite reach the melting point of stainless steel, the high temperatures can still cause damage in other ways.

It's also important to compare the melting points of steel alloys to those of other metals to see what works best for your needs. Creating a high-quality basket and deciding which metal to use is a crucial issue, with many factors depending on the basket's task and environment.