Material Category
Stainless Steels
Pick by environment first, strength second. 304 is the general-purpose default; 316L when chlorides or medical contact are involved; 303 when high-volume turning matters more than weldability. Need hardness? 17-4 PH gives 1300 MPa with good corrosion resistance, while 420/440C trade corrosion margin for edge and bearing hardness.
Austenitic (300 series)
Stainless Steel 303
$$$The machinist's stainless: sulfur additions cut machining cost ~30% versus 304 on turned parts.
~620 MPa (cold drawn) · ≤228 HB
Stainless Steel 304
$$$The world's default stainless: food-safe, weldable, corrosion-resistant for everyday environments.
515 MPa · ≤201 HB
Stainless Steel 316L
$$$Marine and medical stainless: molybdenum chemistry that shrugs off chlorides and sterilization cycles.
485 MPa · ≤217 HB
Martensitic (hardenable)
Stainless Steel 420
$$$The cutlery stainless: hardens to ~50 HRC while keeping useful corrosion resistance.
— (specified by hardness; ~655 MPa annealed) · ~50 HRC (hardened)
Stainless Steel 440C
$$$The hardest standard stainless: 58–60 HRC for wear parts that cannot rust.
— (specified by hardness) · 58–60 HRC (hardened)
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