AISI 317L (S31703) Stainless Steel
AISI 317L stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the annealed condition. 317L is the AISI designation for this material. S31703 is the UNS number. Additionally, the British Standard (BS) designation is 317S12.
It has a moderately low electrical conductivity and a fairly low tensile strength among wrought austenitic stainless steels.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare AISI 317L 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
44 %
Fatigue Strength
220 MPa 32 x 103 psi
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Reduction in Area
56 %
Rockwell B Hardness
81
Shear Modulus
82 GPa 12 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
380 MPa 56 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
550 MPa 80 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
250 MPa 36 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
290 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
420 °C 790 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
1010 °C 1850 °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
14 W/m-K 8.3 BTU/h-ft-°F
Thermal Expansion
17 µm/m-K
Electrical Properties
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Volume
2.0 % IACS
Electrical Conductivity: Equal Weight (Specific)
2.3 % 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)
200 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
150 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
19 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
19 points
Thermal Diffusivity
3.8 mm2/s
Thermal Shock Resistance
12 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of AISI 317L 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 | |
| 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 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
Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels, John C. Lippold and Damian J. Kotecki, 2005
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