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Carbon Steel

Stainless Steel

COMMON GRADES

Non-Hardening, Chrome Nickel Steels

• 303 - A free machining version of 304 with only slightly less corrosion resistance and physical properties.
• 304 - The most popular type of stainless, with good corrosion resistance, formability and ease of welding by all common methods.
• 304L - Lower carbon version of 304, used to minimize carbide precipitation during welding. Physical properties somewhat less than 304.
• 310 - Heat resistant, with good resistance to thermal fatigue due to cyclic heating. Resists scaling up to 2050oF.
• 316 - Superior corrosion resistance and higher strength at elevated temperatures than 304. Frequently used in marine applications. Resistant to creep at high temperatures.
• 316L - Lower carbon version of 316, used to minimize carbide precipitation during welding.

SHEET & PLATE FINISHES

• No. 1 – Hot-rolled, annealed and descaled, generally used in HRAP applications in which corrosion- and heat-resistance are more important than smoothness or finish appearance.
• No. 2B – Annealed, descaled and cold-rolled with a bright finish, commonly used for all but difficult deep drawing applications. This finish is more readily polished than No. 1.
• No. 4 – General purpose, polished finish on one side, widely used in applications requiring a superior cosmetic finish, such as restaurant and kitchen equipment, dairy equipment, etc.
• No. 8 – The most reflective finish commonly available, with a surface essentially free of grit lines from preliminary grinding operations. Commonly used for press plates, as well as small mirrors and reflectors.

Aluminum

COMMON GRADES

• 3003 - This grade is alloyed with 1.2% manganese to provide a tensile strength range of 17,000 to 30,000 PSI as well as excellent workability and corrosion resistance. Used for drawing, spinning, fuel tanks, sheet metal work and other applications where slightly higher strength than 1100 is required. Non-heat treatable.
• 5052 - This grade is alloyed with 0.8% magnesium for a tensile strength of 31,000 to 44,000 PSI, very good corrosion resistance, good workability, weldability and strength. Used for aircraft fuel tanks, storm shutters, utensils, electronic mounting plates, etc. Non-heat treatable.
• 6061 - This grade is alloyed with 0.8% magnesium and 0.6% silicon for tensile strength of 20,000 to 42,000 PSI and good weldability and corrosion resistance. Used for engineering and structural applications, furniture, boats, transportation equipment, etc. Heat treatable.

COMMON TEMPER DESIGNATIONS

The first digit following the H indicates the specific combination of basic operations, as follows:

• H1-Strain-hardened only.
• H2-Strain-hardened and partially annealed.
• H3-Strain-hardened and stabilized.

The first digit following the T indicates specific sequences of basic treatments, as follows:

• T4-Solution heat-treated and naturally aged to substantially stable condition.
• T6-Solution heat-treated and artificially aged.

The following additional digits have been assigned for stress-relieved tempers of wrought products:

• T51-Stress relieved. Applies to plate and rolled or cold finished rod and bar when stretched after solution heat treatment, or after cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process. No further straightening after stretching.
• T511-Stress relieved. Applies to extruded bar, rod, shapes and tube when stretched after solution heat treatment, or after cooling from an elevated temperature shaping process. May receive minor straightening after stretching to comply with standard tolerances.