AISI 304H (S30409) Stainless Steel
AISI 304H stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the annealed condition. 304H is the AISI designation for this material. S30409 is the UNS number. Additionally, the British Standard (BS) designation is 304S49.
This material is well established: the Further Reading section below cites a number of published standards, and that list is not necessarily exhaustive.
It has a moderately high thermal conductivity and a moderately low tensile strength among wrought austenitic stainless steels.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare AISI 304H 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
180
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 29 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
40 %
Fatigue Strength
200 MPa 29 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Reduction in Area
51 %
Rockwell B Hardness
79
Shear Modulus
77 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
400 MPa 58 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
580 MPa 85 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
230 MPa 33 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
290 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
420 °C 790 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
960 °C 1760 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1430 °C 2600 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1380 °C 2520 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
17 W/m-K 9.8 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
16 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
2.4 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
2.8 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
15 % relative
Density
7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.0 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
43 MJ/kg 18 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
150 L/kg 17 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
19
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
190 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
130 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
21 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
20 points
Thermal Diffusivity
4.5 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of AISI 304H stainless steel is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni). Chromium is the defining alloying element of stainless steel. Higher chromium content imparts additional corrosion resistance. Nickel is primarily used to achieve a specific microstructure. In addition, it has a beneficial effect on mechanical properties and certain types of corrosion.
| Fe | 66.6 to 74 | |
| Cr | 18 to 20 | |
| Ni | 8.0 to 10.5 | |
| Mn | 0 to 2.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.75 | |
| C | 0.040 to 0.1 | |
| P | 0 to 0.045 | |
| S | 0 to 0.030 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 10028-7: Flat products made of steels for pressure purposes - Stainless steels
ASTM A479: Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Bars and Shapes for Use in Boilers and Other Pressure Vessels
ASTM A182: Standard Specification for Forged or Rolled Alloy and Stainless Steel Pipe Flanges, Forged Fittings, and Valves and Parts for High-Temperature Service
ASTM A276: Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Bars and Shapes
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
Pressure Vessels: External Pressure Technology, 2nd ed., Carl T. F. Ross, 2011
Austenitic Stainless Steels: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties, P. Marshall, 1984
Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High Performance Alloys, ASM Handbook vol. 1, ASM International, 1993