410 Stainless Steel: Material Properties, Uses

410 stainless steel is one of the commonly used iron-carbon alloys with 11.5% chromium. It has slightly higher carbon content than other steels which increases its strength and hardness. 410 is a low-cost steel because of having less expensive alloying elements. This combination of metals provides moderate corrosion resistance, mechanical properties, and temperature resistance. Corrosion resistance is improved in hardened, tempered, and polished 410 stainless steels. A detailed review on the properties and applications of 410 stainless steel is discussed in this article.

What Is 410 Stainless Steel?

UNS41000 steel is a famous martensitic stainless steel. It is commonly known as “general-purpose” steel due to its good properties and many applications. It works better when highly stressed and provides maximum corrosion resistance and has high strength. Corrosion resistance is good in normal atmospheric and chemical environments and in steam. Its ‘general-purpose’ grade is often strain hardened. This grade has machinable condition suitable for high strength and mild heat and corrosion resistance applications. Pre and post weld treatments also increases its weldability.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Alloy 410?

Alloy 410 has advantages explained below:

• Offers moderate corrosion resistance in mild atmospheres, chemical, non-salty water, and normal corrosion environments.
• Provides better strength and hardness than other steel grades.
• Wear resistance is high due to high hardness.
• Mechanical properties are maintained at moderate high temperature and provide good heat resistance.
• Machinability of 410 grade is moderate which is good enough for tools and techniques.
• It is a cost-effective alloy due to low-cost alloying elements.
• Heat treatment response of 410 steel is good which allows to modify mechanical properties specially in hardened and tempered conditions.

There are some drawbacks associated with 410 grades. These are discussed below:

• Corrosion resistance of 410 is not high enough for aggressive conditions. Pitting corrosion and stress corrosion cracking occurs in highly corrosive environments.
• Weldability is poorer than other steel grades. Pre and post weld treatments are required for better welding results which further increases labor cost and manufacturing cost.
• 410 steel becomes brittle at lower temperatures and toughness and impact resistance also decreases at cryogenic temperatures.
• Scaling and oxidation resistance is lower than other steel grades.
• It is difficult to form complex and intricate shapes as compared to austenitic steel grades.
• Medical and sensing applications are limited due to magnetic nature of 410 stainless steel.

Is 410 Stainless Steel Magnetic?

410 alloy is ferritic martensitic steel. It has high ferritic amount which makes it magnetic. Ferrites are iron combined with other elements. Type 410 is magnetic in annealed and hardened and tempered conditions.

SS 410 Equivalent Material

There are many equivalent materials of SS410 based on regional, national, industrial regulations and specific authorities.

What Is 410 Stainless Steel Used For?

• 410 stainless steel tubing has many industrial uses like making pipes fitting, pumps and valves. It is also used to make components in petroleum refineries and for chemical processing industries.
• 410 sheets are used to make kitchen accessories like knifes, blades and other things,
• 410 bars are suitable for making turbine blades and for energy production applications.
• plate
• Hot Rolled and cold rolls 410 steel is used to make firearms barrels. It is also to make hardware like screws, nuts bolts and fasteners. Other applications include springs and Belleville washers and other parts.

410 Stainless Steel Specifications

Type 410 is normally specified as UNSS41000, ASTM-A240, ASME-SA420 and AISI410.

Does 410 Stainless Steel Rust?

410 stainless steels have moderate corrosion resistance. It can rust in a highly aggressive environment with harsh chemicals. But it cannot rust in normal atmospheric conditions and environments.

Rusting of 410 steel in harsh environment

SS 410 Chemical Composition

SS410 is a high carbon content stainless steel with 11.5% chromium. Other chemical elements are as follows:

Physical Properties

Mechanical Properties

Corrosion Resistance

Type 410 has mild corrosion resistance to atmospheric conditions, water, and mild chemicals. Environments like having weak acids like acetic acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid and naptha cannot damage the stainless steel 410 and steel has maximum corrosion protection. It also has resistance to chemicals contained in food.

How to Optimize Corrosion Resistance

The corrosion resistance of steel 410 can be optimized by heat treatment. Treatments carried out to steel 410 to make it hardened, tempered, and polished can increase its corrosion resistance.

Cold Working vs. Hot Working

Hot worked 410 steels are used to make ingots and billets of specific thickness. Hot working produces high thickness variations. This surface finish has a little imperfection. The finishing of hot worked steel is annealing or normalizing. This makes the final product with low strength.

Cold worked 410 steels has a better surface finish than hot working. It has precise thickness and tolerance. The final cold worked 410 steels has some level of work hardening which changes with the level of dimensional changes occurs by cold working.

Heat Treatment of 410 Stainless Steel

410 stainless steels can be annealed, processed annealed, work hardened, tempered and stress relieved. The details of heat treatments are as:

Understanding Martensitic Transformation in 410 Stainless Steel

410 stainless steels can be transformed to dislocated martensite. This cooling rate is very slow in air cooling. Transformation temperature is normally starts from 300-700℃ and ends at 150-200℃. The microstructure obtained after this treatment is martensitic and has magnetic nature. The degree of magnetism varies with the processing conditions of the treatment. But the magnetism is normally strong in the 410 stainless steel due to presence of ferrites in its microstructure.

Surface Finish and Its Impact on Performance

Surface finish of 410 stainless steel is smooth. If polishing is carried out after hardening and tempering of steel, it increases the corrosion resistance. Normally the corrosion resistance is moderate in 410 steels, but polished surface finish has better results of corrosion protection in harsh environments. In conclusion, surface finished 410 steels has better strength, hardness, and corrosion protection.

Strain Hardening and Its Effect on 410 Stainless Steel

Strain hardening carries out to increase the strength of 410 grade. This occurs when steel is plastically deformed and has dislocation which improves its strength and hardness. The mechanical deformation in microstructure formed by cold working of metal. This process is done when high strength and hardness of 410 steel is required for specific applications.

Summary

Discover how 410 stainless steel, a robust and versatile alloy, meets various industrial needs with its high strength and moderate corrosion resistance. Learn about its applications and how to effectively utilize it in your projects, ensuring durability and cost-efficiency. Explore these capabilities and optimize your CNC machining solutions with Tuofa China—where quality meets innovation.