420, 420F, 420ESR, S42000, 12-14% CHROMIUM STAINLESS STEEL, HARDENABLE

Description

Grade 420 stainless steel is a higher carbon version of 410; like most non-stainless steels it can be hardened by heat treatment. It contains a minimum of 12 per cent chromium, just sufficient to give corrosion resistance properties. It has good ductility in the annealed condition but is capable of being hardened up to Rockwell Hardness 50HRC, the highest hardness of the 12 per cent chromium grades. Its best corrosion resistance is achieved when the metal is hardened and surface ground or polished.

Related grades to 420 are high carbon high hardness martensitic stainless steels such as the 440 series (see Atlas Steels Datasheet on this series of grades) and also variations to 420 containing molybdenum (for increased corrosion resistance), sulphur (for increased machinability) or vanadium (for higher hardness). A slightly higher carbon version of 420 is the non-standard grade 420C.

Martensitic stainless steels are optimised for high hardness, and other properties are to some degree compromised. Fabrication must be by methods that allow for poor weldability and usually also allow for a final harden and temper heat treatment. Corrosion resistance is lower than the common austenitic grades, and their useful operating temperature range is limited by their loss of ductility at sub-zero temperatures and loss of strength by over-tempering at elevated temperatures.

Applications

Cutlery, surgical and dental instruments, scissors, tapes and straight edges, Cutlery, Knife Blades, Needle Valves, Shear Blades

Specifications

S42000 420, SAE 51420 HARDENABLE Cr STAINLESS STEEL
S42010 HARDENABLE Cr STAINLESS (LOW Ni - LOW Mo)
S42020 420 F, SAE 51420F HARDENABLE Cr FREE MACHINING STAINLESS
S42023 420F Se HARDENABLE Cr FREE MACHINING STAINLESS (Se BEARING)
S42025 420 ESR MARTENSITIC Cr-Mo-V-N STAINLESS STEEL
S42035 420 Ti MARTENSITIC Cr-Ni-Mo STAINLESS WITH Ti

AMS 5925 420 ESR BARS, WIRE, AND FORGINGS
AMS 5506E 420 SHEET, STRIP & PLATE
AMS 5620F 420F BARS, WIRE, AND FORGINGS
AMS 5620F 420F Se BARS, WIRE, AND FORGINGS
AMS 5621D 420 BARS, WIRE, AND FORGINGS
AMS 7207H 420 PINS,SPRING, TUBULAR
ASTM A-276 BARS & SHAPES
ASTM A-314 BILLETS & BARS FOR FORGINGS
ASTM A-473 FORGINGS
ASTM A-493 WIRE & WIRE RODS FOR COLD HEADING & COLD FORGING
ASTM A-580 WIRE
ASTM A-895 FREE MACHINING PLATE, SHEET & STRIP
DOD-F-224669 FORGING & FORGE STOCK, STEEL BARS & BILLET FOR REFORGING
FF-W-84A WASHERS, LOCK (SPRING)
QQ-S-763 STEEL BARS, WIRE, SHAPES & FORGINGS
QQ-S-764 FREE MACHINING BAR, SQUARE, HEX, OCTAGON, FLAT
QQ-W-423 WIRE, CORROSION RESISTANT
SAE J405 (SAE 51420) CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF SAE WROUGHT STAINLESS STEELS
SAE J412 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS & HEAT TREATMENTS OF STEELS

Available Forms

• Bar
• Centrifugal Castings
• Extrusion-shapes
• Foil
• Forge
• Hex Bar
• Plate
• Rectangle Bar
• Sand Castings
• Square Bar
• Strip
• Wire