AISI 301L (S30103) Stainless Steel
AISI 301L stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 301L is the AISI designation for this material. S30103 is the UNS number. It has a moderately low embodied energy and a moderately low base cost among wrought austenitic stainless steels.
The properties of AISI 301L stainless steel include five common variations. This page shows summary ranges across all of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare AISI 301L stainless steel to: wrought austenitic stainless steels (top), all iron alloys (middle), and the entire database (bottom). A full bar means this is the highest value in the relevant set. A half-full bar means it's 50% of the highest, and so on.
Mechanical Properties
Brinell Hardness
210 to 320
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 28 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
22 to 50 %
Fatigue Strength
240 to 530 MPa 36 to 76 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Shear Modulus
77 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
440 to 660 MPa 64 to 96 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
620 to 1040 MPa 89 to 150 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
250 to 790 MPa 36 to 110 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
280 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
410 °C 770 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
890 °C 1640 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1430 °C 2600 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1390 °C 2530 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
15 W/m-K 8.8 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
16 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
2.3 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
2.7 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
13 % relative
Density
7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.7 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
39 MJ/kg 17 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
130 L/kg 16 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
19
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
210 to 300 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
160 to 1580 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
22 to 37 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
21 to 29 points
Thermal Diffusivity
4.1 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
14 to 24 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of AISI 301L stainless steel is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of nickel (Ni) and chromium (Cr). Nickel is primarily used to achieve a specific microstructure. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on mechanical properties and certain types of corrosion. Chromium is the defining alloying element of stainless steel. Higher chromium content imparts additional corrosion resistance.
| Fe | 70.7 to 78 | |
| Cr | 16 to 18 | |
| Ni | 6.0 to 8.0 | |
| Mn | 0 to 2.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 1.0 | |
| N | 0 to 0.2 | |
| P | 0 to 0.045 | |
| C | 0 to 0.030 | |
| S | 0 to 0.030 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
ASTM A666: Standard Specification for Annealed or Cold-Worked Austenitic Stainless Steel Sheet, Strip, Plate, and Flat Bar
Machining of Stainless Steels and Super Alloys: Traditional and Nontraditional Techniques, Helmi A. Youssef, 2016
ASTM A240: Standard Specification for Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet, and Strip for Pressure Vessels and for General Applications
ASTM A959: Standard Guide for Specifying Harmonized Standard Grade Compositions for Wrought Stainless Steels
Corrosion of Austenitic Stainless Steels: Mechanism, Mitigation and Monitoring, H. S. Khatak and B. Raj (editors), 2002
Austenitic Stainless Steels: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties, P. Marshall, 1984
ASM Specialty Handbook: Stainless Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1994
Advances in Stainless Steels, Baldev Raj et al. (editors), 2010