EN 1.4421 (GX4CrNi16-4) Cast Stainless Steel
EN 1.4421 stainless steel is a martensitic stainless steel formulated for casting. 1.4421 is the EN numeric designation for this material. GX4CrNi16-4 is the EN chemical designation.
It has the lowest thermal conductivity among cast martensitic stainless steels. In addition, it has a moderately low electrical conductivity and a moderately high base cost.
The properties of EN 1.4421 stainless steel include two common variations. This page shows summary ranges across both of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare EN 1.4421 stainless steel to: cast 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
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 29 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
11 to 17 %
Fatigue Strength
380 to 520 MPa 54 to 75 x 103 psi
Impact Strength: V-Notched Charpy
30 to 67 J 22 to 50 ft-lb
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Shear Modulus
77 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
880 to 1100 MPa 130 to 160 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
620 to 950 MPa 89 to 140 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
280 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
410 °C 770 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
870 °C 1610 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1440 °C 2620 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1400 °C 2540 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
16 W/m-K 9.4 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
10 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
2.2 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
2.5 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
12 % relative
Density
7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.6 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
36 MJ/kg 16 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
130 L/kg 15 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
18
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
120 to 140 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
960 to 2270 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
31 to 39 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
26 to 30 points
Thermal Diffusivity
4.4 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
31 to 39 points
Alloy Composition
Among cast stainless steels, the composition of EN 1.4421 stainless steel is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). Chromium is the defining alloying element of stainless steel. Higher chromium content imparts additional corrosion resistance. Nickel is primarily used to achieve a specific microstructure. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on mechanical properties and certain types of corrosion.
| Fe | 74.4 to 80.5 | |
| Cr | 15.5 to 17.5 | |
| Ni | 4.0 to 5.5 | |
| Mn | 0 to 1.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.8 | |
| Mo | 0 to 0.7 | |
| C | 0 to 0.060 | |
| P | 0 to 0.035 | |
| S | 0 to 0.020 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 10293: Steel castings - Steel castings for general engineering uses
Welding Metallurgy of Stainless Steels, Erich Folkhard et al., 2012
Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High Performance Alloys, ASM Handbook vol. 1, ASM International, 1993
Corrosion of Stainless Steels, A. John Sedriks, 1996
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