15-5 Stainless Steel
Synopsis
15-5 Stainless is a precipitation hardening material like 17-4. It’s name comes from the 15% chromium and 5% nickel chemical makeup of the alloy. 15-5 is best known for it’s corrosion resistance and it’s ability to stand up to stringent atmospheric conditions. In essence, it was created to yield higher mechanical properties and provide greater toughness than the more common 17-4 stainless.
Resistance
15-5 Stainless is a modification of 17-4 PH Stainless. Both display physical properties of great tensile strength and mild corrosive resistance. These properties are preserved at temperatures at up to 600°F. 15-5 stainless is formed with better toughness than 17-4.
Processing
15-5 primarily comes in the annealed state and can be heat treated/aged at lower temperatures to enhance the mechanical properties and durability even further.
Physical Properties:
Condition |
Tensile | Yield | Enlongation | Reduction of Area |
Hardness |
| Annealed | 160 | 140 | 8 | – | C35 |
| H1075 | 160 | 160 | 12 | – | C38 |
| H900 | 210 | 200 | 9 | – | C46 |
Applications
- Aerospace
- Power Generation
- Petrochemical
- Food Processing
- Oil & Gas
Benefits
- Can be hardened to customize strength and hardness depending on the application
- High strength with moderate corrosion resistance
- Can be machined in solution treated and heat-treated conditions
- Retains its mechanical properties and corrosion resistance up to roughly ~600°F
- Great formability and weldability
- Withstands corrosive attack better than any of the standard hardenable (martensitic) stainless steels
- Superior resistance to corrosive material and high mechanical properties. This allows it to be used in marine environments.
- Can be designed in such a way to seal radioactive storage.
