EN 1.4646 (X6CrMnNiCuN18-12-4-2) Stainless Steel
EN 1.4646 stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel formulated for primary forming into wrought products. Cited properties are appropriate for the solution annealed (AT) condition. 1.4646 is the EN numeric designation for this material. X6CrMnNiCuN18-12-4-2 is the EN chemical designation.
It has a moderately low base cost among wrought austenitic stainless steels. In addition, it has a moderately low embodied energy and a moderately low ductility.
The graph bars on the material properties cards below compare EN 1.4646 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
220
Elastic (Young's, Tensile) Modulus
200 GPa 28 x 106 psi
Elongation at Break
34 %
Fatigue Strength
340 MPa 49 x 103 psi
Impact Strength: V-Notched Charpy
90 J 67 ft-lb
Poisson's Ratio
0.28
Shear Modulus
77 GPa 11 x 106 psi
Shear Strength
500 MPa 73 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Ultimate (UTS)
750 MPa 110 x 103 psi
Tensile Strength: Yield (Proof)
430 MPa 62 x 103 psi
Thermal Properties
Latent Heat of Fusion
290 J/g
Maximum Temperature: Corrosion
410 °C 780 °F
Maximum Temperature: Mechanical
910 °C 1670 °F
Melting Completion (Liquidus)
1390 °C 2530 °F
Melting Onset (Solidus)
1340 °C 2450 °F
Specific Heat Capacity
480 J/kg-K 0.11 BTU/lb-°F
Thermal Expansion
17 µm/m-K
Otherwise Unclassified Properties
Base Metal Price
13 % relative
Density
7.7 g/cm3 480 lb/ft3
Embodied Carbon
2.8 kg CO2/kg material
Embodied Energy
41 MJ/kg 18 x 103 BTU/lb
Embodied Water
160 L/kg 19 gal/lb
Common Calculations
PREN (Pitting Resistance)
23
Resilience: Ultimate (Unit Rupture Work)
220 MJ/m3
Resilience: Unit (Modulus of Resilience)
460 kJ/m3
Stiffness to Weight: Axial
14 points
Stiffness to Weight: Bending
25 points
Strength to Weight: Axial
27 points
Strength to Weight: Bending
24 points
Thermal Shock Resistance
16 points
Alloy Composition
Among wrought stainless steels, the composition of EN 1.4646 stainless steel is notable for containing a comparatively high amount of manganese (Mn). Manganese is used to improve ductility at elevated temperatures. It also permits a higher nitrogen content than would otherwise be possible.
| Fe | 59 to 67.3 | |
| Cr | 17 to 19 | |
| Mn | 10.5 to 12.5 | |
| Ni | 3.5 to 4.5 | |
| Cu | 1.5 to 3.0 | |
| Si | 0 to 1.0 | |
| Mo | 0 to 0.5 | |
| N | 0.2 to 0.3 | |
| C | 0.020 to 0.1 | |
| P | 0 to 0.050 | |
| S | 0 to 0.015 |
All values are % weight. Ranges represent what is permitted under applicable standards.
Followup Questions
Similar Alloys
Further Reading
EN 10088-2: Stainless steels - Part 2: Technical delivery conditions for sheet/plate and strip of corrosion resisting steels for general purposes
EN 10088-3: Stainless steels - Part 3: Technical delivery conditions for semi-finished products, bars, rods, wire, sections and bright products of corrosion resisting steels for general purposes
Welding Metallurgy and Weldability of Stainless Steels, John C. Lippold and Damian J. Kotecki, 2005
EN 10088-1: Stainless steels - Part 1: List of 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
Advances in Stainless Steels, Baldev Raj et al. (editors), 2010