A new European 200 series standard to substitute 304 austenitics

Abstract

A new grade of the 200 series has been defined for the European market as a candidate alternative to austenitic grade EN 1.4301 (AISI 304). The grade was recently assigned a material number by VDEh (1.4618 - X9CrMnNiCu 17-8-5-2). The paper presents mechanical properties of the grade including drawability and corrosion resistance characteristics. The newly designed grade has mechanical properties slightly superior to those of EN 1.4301 (AISI 304) and equivalent to those of EN 1.4310 (AISI 301) grade. In terms of corrosion resistance, the grade is close to that of grade EN 1.4301 (AISI 304), upgrading the classical 200 series.