AISI 317 (S31700) Stainless Steel
AISI 317 stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. 317 is the AISI designation for this material. S31700 is the UNS number. Additionally, the British Standard (BS) designation is 317S16.
The properties of AISI 317 stainless steel include two common variations. This page shows summary ranges across both of them. For more specific values, follow the links immediately below. The graph bars on the material properties cards further below compare AISI 317 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 to 220
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 29 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
35 to 55 %
Fatigue Strength
250 to 330 MPa 37 to 49 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Shear Modulus
79 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
420 to 470 MPa 61 to 68 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
580 to 710 MPa 84 to 100 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
250 to 420 MPa 36 to 60 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
290 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
420 °C 790 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
590 °C 1090 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1400 °C 2550 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1380 °C 2510 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
470 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Conductivity
15 W/m-K 8.9 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
17 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
2.3 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
2.6 % IACS
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
21 % relative
Density
7.9 g/cm3 490 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
4.3 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
59 MJ/kg 25 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
160 L/kg 20 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
31
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
210 to 260 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
150 to 430 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
20 to 25 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
20 to 22 points
Thermal Diffusivity
4.1 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
12 to 15 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of AISI 317 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 | 58 to 68 | |
| Cr | 18 to 20 | |
| Ni | 11 to 15 | |
| Mo | 3.0 to 4.0 | |
| Mn | 0 to 2.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 0.75 | |
| N | 0 to 0.1 | |
| C | 0 to 0.080 | |
| 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
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
Creep-Resistant Steels, Fujio Abe et al. (editors), 2008
Welding Metallurgy of Stainless Steels, Erich Folkhard et al., 2012
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
ASM Specialty Handbook: Stainless Steels, J. R. Davis (editor), 1994
Advances in Stainless Steels, Baldev Raj et al. (editors), 2010