400 Series (Martensitic) Stainless Steel Strip

Similar to plain carbon steel strip, martensitic stainless steel strip is hardened by quenching followed by tempering for improved toughness and ductility. Hardenability, strength and wear resistance increases with carbon content but at the expense of toughness and ductility.

A chromium content of 11% minimum produces the stainless steel strip properties.

Low cost – High Performance Metal Strip

Martensitic stainless steel strip is a low cost stainless metal strip. It was the first to be commercially developed and is used as cutlery steel. It also used for the manufacture of complex spring shapes needing a soft steel for forming.

Special Properties - Martensitic Steel Strip

Moderate corrosion resistance in inland water and rural atmospheres.

Martensitic alloys are generally formed in the annealed condition and then heat-treated. Martensitic steel strip, unlike most stainless steel strip, is strongly ferromagnetic and is attracted to a magnet.

Surface Finish:

	Abbreviation	Type of process route	Surface finish / notes
Hot Rolled	1E	Hot rolled, heat treated, mechanically descaled.	Free of scale, coarse ground or shot blasted.
	1D	Hot rolled, heat treated, pickled.	Free of scale, not as a smooth as a 2D or 2B finish.
Cold Rolled	2D	Cold rolled, heat treated, pickled.	Smooth and dull, a finish for good ductility, not as smooth as 2B or 2R.
	2B	Cold rolled, heat treated, pickled.	Smoother than 2D, a common finish for further processing, not bright.
	2R	Cold rolled, bright annealed.	Smooth, bright, reflective, a common finish for further processing.
	2H	Cold rolled, work hardened.	Bright, cold rolled to obtain a higher strength.
	2Q	Hardened and tempered, scale free.	Free of scale, either bright hardened and tempered or descaled afterwards.

Application:

European Steel Designation	AISI Nearest Fit	Service Properties	Applications
1.40060 X12 Cr13	410	This grade of stainless steel can be hardened by heat treatment and therefore has a wide range of mechanical properties. It has low resistance to corrosion when compared with austenitic grades, but this is balanced by a low cost. This grade strongly responds to a magnetic field.	Springs, pressings, connectors, chemically etched components.
1.4028 X30 Cr13	420	Properties very similar to those of 1.4006, this grade, with increased Carbon content, has improved potential hardness and wear / abrasion resistance.	Springs, knives and cutting edges generally, doctor blades and similar printing industry wear and scraping applications
1.4122 X39 Cr Mo 17-1	-	With the addition of 1% Molybdenum and increased Chromium this alloy has improved corrosion resistance and hardenability.	All of the above and corrosion sensitive applications, circlips.