AISI 308L (S30880, ER308) Stainless Steel
AISI 308L stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the annealed condition. 308L is the AISI designation for this material. S30880 is the UNS number.
It has a moderately low tensile strength and a moderately low ductility among wrought austenitic stainless steels.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare AISI 308L 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
170
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 29 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
34 %
Fatigue Strength
180 MPa 27 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Reduction in Area
46 %
Shear Modulus
78 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
380 MPa 56 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
580 MPa 84 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
230 MPa 34 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
290 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
430 °C 800 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
1010 °C 1850 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1420 °C 2590 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1380 °C 2510 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
15 W/m-K 9.0 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
16 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
2.2 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
2.6 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
16 % relative
Density
7.8 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
3.2 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
45 MJ/kg 19 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
160 L/kg 19 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
21
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
160 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
140 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
4.1 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
13 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of AISI 308L stainless steel is notable for containing comparatively high amounts of manganese (Mn) and chromium (Cr). Manganese is used to improve ductility at elevated temperatures. It also permits a higher nitrogen content than would otherwise be possible. Chromium is the defining alloying element of stainless steel. Higher chromium content imparts additional corrosion resistance.
| Fe | 63.8 to 70.5 | |
| Cr | 19.5 to 22 | |
| Ni | 9.0 to 11 | |
| Mn | 1.0 to 2.5 | |
| Si | 0.25 to 0.6 | |
| C | 0 to 0.080 | |
| P | 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 A479: Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Bars and Shapes for Use in Boilers and Other Pressure Vessels
Machining of Stainless Steels and Super Alloys: Traditional and Nontraditional Techniques, Helmi A. Youssef, 2016
Welding Metallurgy of Stainless Steels, Erich Folkhard et al., 2012
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
ASM Specialty Handbook: Stainless Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1994
Advances in Stainless Steels, Baldev Raj et al. (editors), 2010
CRC Materials Science and Engineering Handbook, 4th ed., James F. Shackelford et al. (editors), 2015