Austenitic 1% Ni (200 series, type J4) stainless steel strip

Description

By austenitic 1% Ni (200 series, type J4) we mean 200 series stainless steels with about 1% nickel, also traded as “200” or J4. Most of the nickel is replaced by manganese (about 9–10%), copper and nitrogen, with about 15% chromium. They remain austenitic, and therefore formable and almost non-magnetic in the annealed condition, but cost less than other austenitic stainless steels and are not affected by nickel price swings. Corrosion resistance is lower than 201 and 304: it is chosen when cost matters more than service life in aggressive environments with chlorides or acids. It is not a standardised AISI grade: composition varies from one mill to another, so every delivery comes with a 3.1 certificate showing the heat analysis. 3S supplies it annealed 2R/BA or work-hardened: work-hardened for springs, annealed for flue liners and flexible chimney tubes, in both conditions on spools and large reels. Thicknesses from 0.05 to 0.70 mm (annealed) and from 0.05 to 2.50 mm (work-hardened), as strip, narrow strips from 3 mm, spools, coils and sheets.

Properties

• The most economical austenitic grade
• Good drawability thanks to copper
• Almost non-magnetic when annealed
• Lower corrosion resistance than 304