Precipitation hardening stainless steels (PH), also referred to as PH steels, are a group of the strongest materials which are prized for their incredible strength and corrosion resistance. The chemical make up of their original structure ranges from chromium, nickel and even other components like copper, aluminum or titanium. The most popular grades are 17-4 PH, 15-5 PH, and 13-8 PH that are produced for varying uses. Each grade offers the specific collection of properties that perfectly fits the rest of the project. Chemical composition tables and grade charts furnish with guide what structure and mechanical properties are required and to what standard it is applicable. The alloy termination specifications are the documents setting a particular standard. This documentation serves as a guide to engineers and material scientists which defines the type and grade of the alloy to be used for specific requirements. Technical aspects such as the chemical composition of the material, the variants of the range, and the characteristics of working are the keys to obtaining high-quality results in areas like aerospace, medical technology.
Resistance to corrosion and great strength are the main characteristics of PH stainless steels - the precision hardening ones. Normally their structure contains iron, chromium, nickel and also sometimes with other metals like copper, aluminum, or Titanium. The most widely available stainless steel grade is 17-4 PH with about 17% of Cr and 4% of Ni. It takes the first position representing 17%. There are other permutations and combination such as the 15-5 PH and 13-8 PH that tailor the alloying elements to each specific uses. These steels being the hot-rolled steels, involve a heat treatment process which is approximately as follows: solution annealing followed by precipitation hardening, to achieve their desired mechanical properties. This gives them the advantage of being adaptable to different industries like aerospace, automotive and medical.
Chemical Composition* (weight%) of some common precipitation hardened stainless steels | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Common Name | UNS Number | EN No |
C |
Mn | Si | Cr | Ni | Mo | Other |
Martensitic PH Stainless Steels | |||||||||
PH 13-8 Mo | S13800 | 1.4534 | 0.05 | 0.20 | 0.10 | 12.25-13.25 | 7.5-8.5 | 2.00-2.50 |
Al 0.90-1.35 N 0.10 |
15-5 PH | S15500 | - | 0.07 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 14.0-15.5 | 3.5-5.5 | … |
Cu 2.5-4.5 (Nb+Ta) 0.15-0.45 |
17-4 PH | S17400 | 1.4542 | 0.07 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 15.0-17.5 | 3.0-5.0 | … |
Cu 3.0-5.0 (Nb+Ta) 0.15-0.45 |
Custom 450 | S45000 | - | 0.05 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 14.0-16.0 | 5.0-7.0 | 0.50-1.00 |
Cu 1.24-1.75 Nb 8xC min. |
Custom 455 | S45500 | - | 0.05 | 0.50 | 0.50 | 11.0-12.5 | 7.5-9.5 | 0.50 |
Ti 0.9-1.4, Cu 1.5-2.5 (Nb+Ta) 0.1-0.5 |
Semi-Austenitic PH Stainless Steels | |||||||||
PH 15-7 Mo | S15700 | 1.4532 | 0.09 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 14.0-16.0 | 6.50-7.75 | 2.00-3.00 | Al 0.75-1.50 |
17-7 PH | S17700 | - | 0.09 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 16.0-18.0 | 6.50-7.75 | … | Al 0.75-1.50 |
AM-350 | S35000 | - | 0.07-0.11 | 0.50-1.25 | 0.50 | 16.0-17.0 | 4.0-5.0 | 2.50-3.25 | N 0.07-0.13 |
AM-355 | S35500 | - | -0.10-0.15 | 0.50-1.25 | 0.50 | 15.0-16.0 | 4.0-5.0 | 2.50-3.25 | N 0.07-0.13 |
Austenitic PH Stainless Steels | |||||||||
A-286 | S66286 | 1.4980 | 0.08 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 13.5-16.0 | 24.0-27.0 | 1.0-1.5 |
Ti 1.90-2.35, Al 0.35 max, V 0.1-0.5, B 0.003-0.010 |
Here is another related topic that you may also like.