Product Description:

Key Features: High strength and high hardness; work-hardening capability.

Chemical Composition: Very similar to 304 (18-8 stainless steel), but with slightly higher carbon content and slightly lower chromium and nickel content (typically 17% Cr, 7% Ni). This slight adjustment gives it a key characteristic—high work hardening rate.

Key Properties:

Significant Work Hardening: Its strength and hardness increase dramatically during plastic deformation (cold working) such as rolling, stamping, and drawing at room temperature, while toughness decreases. Different strength levels (e.g., 1/4 hard, 1/2 hard, fully hard) can be obtained by controlling the degree of cold working.

High Strength: In the "fully hard" state, its tensile strength can reach over 1000 MPa, and its yield strength is also very high, far exceeding that of 304 stainless steel.

Good Corrosion Resistance: In the annealed state, its corrosion resistance is comparable to 304. However, with work hardening, corrosion resistance (especially stress corrosion resistance) decreases.

Excellent formability (in the annealed state): After softening and annealing, it possesses good ductility, making it suitable for initial forming such as deep drawing.

Main applications: Due to its "the more it's processed, the stronger it becomes" characteristic, 301 stainless steel is primarily used in applications requiring high strength, high rigidity, and a certain degree of corrosion resistance and formability, especially in manufacturing.

Transportation (largest application):

Railway vehicles: Stainless steel body structural components and skins for subways, high-speed trains, and regular trains. Cold rolling creates "corrugated ribs" to increase strength and rigidity, achieving lightweighting.

Automotive industry: Exhaust pipes, gaskets, and some structural components.

Structural components and decoration:

Springs, fasteners, screens, handrails, etc. in construction.

Industrial manufacturing:

Springs, clamps, and leaf springs requiring high strength and elasticity.

Knife and blade casings.

Daily consumer goods:

Some tableware, kitchen sinks, and washing machine inner drums.