UNS S38815 Stainless Steel
S38815 stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the annealed condition. It has a moderately low ductility among the wrought austenitic stainless steels in the database.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare S38815 stainless steel to: wrought austenitic 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
190
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
190 GPa 28 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
34 %
Fatigue Strength
230 MPa 33 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.29
Shear Modulus
74 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
410 MPa 59 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
610 MPa 89 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
290 MPa 42 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
370 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
400 °C 750 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
860 °C 1570 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1360 °C 2470 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1310 °C 2400 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
500 J/kg-K 0.12 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Expansion
15 µm/m-K
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
19 % relative
Density
7.5 g/cm3 470 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.8 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
54 MJ/kg 23 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
140 L/kg 17 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
18
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
170 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
220 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
22 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
21 points
Thermal Shock Resistance
15 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of S38815 stainless steel is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of silicon (Si) and including aluminum (Al). Silicon content is typically governed by metallurgical processing concerns, but it can also be added for the purpose of improving oxidation resistance. Aluminum is used to improve oxidation resistance. It can also enhance the effects of heat treatment.
| Fe | 56.1 to 67 | |
| Ni | 13 to 17 | |
| Cr | 13 to 15 | |
| Si | 5.5 to 6.5 | |
| Mo | 0.75 to 1.5 | |
| Cu | 0.75 to 1.5 | |
| Mn | 0 to 2.0 | |
| Al | 0 to 0.3 | |
| P | 0 to 0.040 | |
| C | 0 to 0.030 | |
| S | 0 to 0.020 |
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 A240: Standard Specification for Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip for Pressure Vessels and for General Applications
ASTM A959: Standard Guide for Specifying Harmonized Standard Grade Compositions for Wrought Stainless Steels
Corrosion of Austenitic Stainless Steels: Mechanism, Mitigation and Monitoring, H. S. Khatak and B. Raj (editors), 2002
Pressure Vessels: External Pressure Technology, 2nd ed., Carl T. F. Ross, 2011
Austenitic Stainless Steels: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties, P. Marshall, 1984
ASM Specialty Handbook: Stainless Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1994
Advances in Stainless Steels, Baldev Raj et al. (editors), 2010