420 Stainless Steel Supplier (UNS S42000)

Properties and Appearance

Stainless steel grade 420 is martensitic, magnetic and heat-treatable with excellent corrosion resistance to a variety of environments, including freshwater, seawater, and acids. Grade 420 is hard and can be heat-treated to a very high hardness (up to 60 HRC). This makes it a good choice for applications where wear resistance is important, such as knives, saw blades, and surgical instruments. Chromium is added to a minimum content of 12%. Grade 420 is ductile when annealed and has excellent corrosion resistance when polished or hardened. Grade 420 stainless steel has a bright, silver-grey appearance and it can be polished to a mirror finish.

The following datasheet gives an overview of 420 stainless steel:

Chemical Composition

Element	Content(%)
Chromium (Cr)	12-14%
Manganese (Mn)	1%
Silicon (Si)	1%
Carbon (C)	0.15%
Phosphorus (P)	0.04%
Sulfur (S)	0.03%

Physical Properties

Properties	Metric	Imperial
Density	7800 kg/cm³	lb./in³

Mechanical Properties

Properties	Metric	Imperial
Tensile Strength	655 – 1620 MPa	psi
Yield Strength (@ proof 0.2%)	345 – 1420 MPa	psi
Elastic Modulus	200 GPa	ksi
Poisson’s Ratio
Elongation at Break
Hardness, Rockwell B
Hardness, Brinell	241 – 461

Thermal Properties

Properties	Metric	Imperial
Thermal Expansion co-efficient (@ 100 – 538°C/212 – 1000.0°F)	10.3 – 11.7 µm/m°-C	µin/in°F
Thermal Conductivity (@ 21°C/70.0°F)	24.9W/mK	BTU in/hr.ft².°F

Fabrication, Heat Treatment & Machinability

When annealed, 420 steel is easily machinable. Use welding rods coated with grade 420 metals for high-strength joints. For ductile joints, use grade 309 filler rods. Annealing: Heat at 840° to 900°C. Slow furnace cool @ 600°C, then air cool. Process Anneal: Anneal at 735°C to 785°C. Air cool. Hardening: Heat at 980°C to 1035°C. Air or oil quench. Temper at 150°C to 370°C for high hardness and good mechanical properties.

Applications

Stainless steel grade 420 is used in a variety of applications, including:

• Bearings
• Cutlery
• Jewelry
• Knives and other cutting tools
• Pumps
• Saw blades
• Springs
• Surgical instruments
• Valves

Formats supplied:

Vulcan Metal Group supplies Stainless Steel Grade 420 in sheet, strip, tube, bar, pipe, plate form. Custom machined and finished parts supplied to print. Please contact us for a quote or more on how Vulcan Metal Group can help your business.