AISI 415 (S41500) Stainless Steel
AISI 415 stainless steel is a martensitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the normalized and tempered condition. 415 is the AISI designation for this material. S41500 is the UNS number.
It has a moderately high base cost and a moderately high tensile strength among wrought martensitic stainless steels.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare AISI 415 stainless steel to: wrought martensitic stainless steels (top), all iron alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Brinell Hardness
260
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 28 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
17 %
Fatigue Strength
430 MPa 62 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Reduction in Area
50 %
Rockwell C Hardness
28
Shear Modulus
76 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
550 MPa 80 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
900 MPa 130 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
700 MPa 100 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
270 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
390 °C 740 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
780 °C 1430 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1450 °C 2640 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1400 °C 2560 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
24 W/m-K 14 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
10 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
2.7 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
3.1 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
11 % relative
Density
7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.5 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
35 MJ/kg 15 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
110 L/kg 13 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
15
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
140 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
1250 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
32 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
26 points
Thermal Diffusivity
6.4 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
33 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of AISI 415 stainless steel is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr). Nickel is primarily used to achieve a specific microstructure. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on mechanical properties and certain types of corrosion. Chromium is the defining alloying element of stainless steel. Higher chromium content imparts additional corrosion resistance.
| Fe | 77.8 to 84 | |
| Cr | 11.5 to 14 | |
| Ni | 3.5 to 5.5 | |
| Mn | 0.5 to 1.0 | |
| Mo | 0.5 to 1.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.6 | |
| C | 0 to 0.050 | |
| P | 0 to 0.030 | |
| S | 0 to 0.030 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM A479: Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Bars and Shapes for Use in Boilers and Other Pressure Vessels
Machining of Stainless Steels and Super Alloys: Traditional and Nontraditional Techniques, Helmi A. Youssef, 2016
ASTM A182: Standard Specification for Forged or Rolled Alloy and Stainless Steel Pipe Flanges, Forged Fittings, and Valves and Parts for High-Temperature Service
ASTM A240: Standard Specification for Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip for Pressure Vessels and for General Applications
Advanced Materials in Automotive Engineering, Jason Rowe (editor), 2012
Pressure Vessels: External Pressure Technology, 2nd ed., Carl T. F. Ross, 2011
Corrosion of Stainless Steels, A. John Sedriks, 1996
ASM Specialty Handbook: Stainless Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1994
Advances in Stainless Steels, Baldev Raj et al. (editors), 2010
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015