S38815 Stainless Steel vs. SAE-AISI L3 Steel

Both S38815 stainless steel and SAE-AISI L3 steel are iron alloys. They have 64% of their average alloy composition in common. There are 19 material properties with values for both materials. Properties with values for just one material (14, in this case) are not shown.

For each property being compared, the top bar is S38815 stainless steel and the bottom bar is SAE-AISI L3 steel.

UNS S38815 Stainless Steel SAE-AISI L3 (T61203) Low-Alloy Tool Steel

Metric UnitsUS Customary Units

Mechanical Properties

Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		190
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus, GPa		190

Poisson's Ratio		0.29
Poisson's Ratio		0.29

Shear Modulus, GPa		74
Shear Modulus, GPa		72

Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		610
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS), MPa		600 to 2250

Thermal Properties

Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		370
Latent Heat of Fusion, J/g		250

Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		1360
Melting Completion (Liquidus), °C		1450

Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		1310
Melting Onset (Solidus), °C		1410

Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		500
Specific Heat Capacity, J/kg-K		470

Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		15
Thermal Expansion, µm/m-K		13

Otherwise Unclassified Properties

Base Metal Price, % relative		19
Base Metal Price, % relative		2.5

Density, g/cm³		7.5
Density, g/cm³		7.8

Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		3.8
Embodied Carbon, kg CO₂/kg material		1.9

Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		54
Embodied Energy, MJ/kg		27

Embodied Water, L/kg		140
Embodied Water, L/kg		53

Common Calculations

Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		14
Stiffness to Weight: Axial, points		13

Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		25
Stiffness to Weight: Bending, points		24

Strength to Weight: Axial, points		22
Strength to Weight: Axial, points		21 to 80

Strength to Weight: Bending, points		21
Strength to Weight: Bending, points		20 to 49

Thermal Shock Resistance, points		15
Thermal Shock Resistance, points		18 to 67

Alloy Composition

Aluminum (Al), %		0 to 0.3
Aluminum (Al), %		0

Carbon (C), %		0 to 0.030
Carbon (C), %		1.0 to 1.1

Chromium (Cr), %		13 to 15
Chromium (Cr), %		1.3 to 1.7

Copper (Cu), %		0.75 to 1.5
Copper (Cu), %		0

Iron (Fe), %		56.1 to 67
Iron (Fe), %		95.5 to 97.3

Manganese (Mn), %		0 to 2.0
Manganese (Mn), %		0.25 to 0.8

Molybdenum (Mo), %		0.75 to 1.5
Molybdenum (Mo), %		0

Nickel (Ni), %		13 to 17
Nickel (Ni), %		0

Phosphorus (P), %		0 to 0.040
Phosphorus (P), %		0 to 0.030

Silicon (Si), %		5.5 to 6.5
Silicon (Si), %		0.1 to 0.5

Sulfur (S), %		0 to 0.020
Sulfur (S), %		0 to 0.030

Vanadium (V), %		0
Vanadium (V), %		0.1 to 0.3