It is not easy to keep track of the many different types of stainless steel. Especially as a non-specialist, you simply ask or search for "stainless steel sheet" and overlook the fact that there are distinct grades such as stainless steel sheet 1.4404.
Here we explain which properties make stainless steel sheet 1.4404 so special. What is it particularly well suited for? Where do we come into contact with this material without even noticing?
What exactly is stainless steel sheet 1.4404?
It is a highly corrosion-resistant stainless steel with medium mechanical properties. Its composition is precisely regulated.
Stainless steel sheet 1.4404 consists of the following components:
It is an austenitic steel. According to the guide analysis, it contains a maximum of 0.03% carbon, max. 1.0% silicon and a maximum of 2.0% manganese, plus a maximum of 0.045% phosphorus and a maximum of 0.015% sulphur.
A distinction must be made here: long products contain a maximum of 0.03% sulphur, while workpieces intended for machining have sulphur contents of 0.015 to 0.03%. Further constituents of stainless steel sheet 1.4404 are chromium (16.5-18.5%), molybdenum (2.0-2.5%) and nickel (10.0-13.0%).
Stainless steel sheet 1.4404 offers very good corrosion resistance
Thanks to its molybdenum content, stainless steel sheet 1.4404 exhibits very good corrosion resistance. This makes the material clearly superior to grades 1.4301 and 1.4307, for example.
Its corrosion resistance is particularly outstanding in atmospheres containing halogens and in non-oxidising acids. Even an environment with a moderate proportion of chlorine and salt cannot harm stainless steel sheet 1.4404.
The material is, however, not suitable for permanent contact with seawater and sea air. Here, pitting corrosion is a risk and other stainless grades must be used.
Where is stainless steel sheet 1.4404 used?
This stainless steel is frequently used in the food industry and the chemical industry, due to its material resistance and easy cleaning. Many pressure vessels are made from stainless steel sheet 1.4404.
Further fields of application are offshore installations, the automotive industry, mechanical engineering and the pharmaceutical industry. Chemicals are also transported predominantly in containers made of stainless steel sheet 1.4404.
How can stainless steel sheet 1.4404 be processed?
There are several options, which we discuss below.
Welding stainless steel sheet 1.4404
Stainless steel of this grade can be welded with or without filler metal. Good results can be achieved with the common processes: TIG welding, MAG welding, arc welding, submerged arc welding and laser beam welding. Gas welding should not be carried out, and it should also be noted that interpass temperatures should not exceed 200 degrees Celsius.
Forging stainless steel sheet 1.4404
Stainless steel sheet 1.4404 can be forged very well in the temperature range between 900 and 1,200 degrees Celsius, followed by cooling in air. Solution annealing can be carried out in the range from 1,020 to 1,120 degrees Celsius. Quenching is done in air; from a material thickness of 2 mm, water is used.
Machining stainless steel sheet 1.4404
Due to work hardening and poor thermal conductivity, high-speed steel or carbide tools must be selected carefully and adequate cooling is very important. In principle, this grade machines well.
Stainless steel sheet 1.4404 V2A / V4A: what is the difference?
The more common form of stainless steel sheet is V2A. This generally refers to corrosion-resistant stainless steel whose material properties are sufficient in many applications. However, it is not resistant to salt and chlorine.
If a molybdenum content of around 2% is added, the result is stainless steel 1.4404 V4A. This is far more robust in chloride-containing environments. It must, however, not be exposed to seawater on a regular basis, which in turn limits its use.
It is important to establish before buying which grade - V2A or V4A - you need, so that the material serves you for as long as possible.
We are the professionals for stainless steel sheet 1.4404
If you need a material as specialised as stainless steel sheet 1.4404, you will not find it in every DIY store. Even in very well-stocked stores, you would need a great deal of luck to find sheets of grade 1.4404.
So if you need several tonnes of stainless steel sheet 1.4404, you need a reliable partner. We have designed our production flexibly and can therefore also accept smaller orders at an attractive price. We hold a permanent stock of more than 2,000 tonnes of various stainless steel sheets. This allows us to produce and deliver quickly at all times. Our goal is to manufacture and dispatch every customer order within 48 hours. And our offer is not limited to cutting: we also provide various forms of further processing.
We are there for every customer
We are of course happy to take on large orders such as series production. At ESC Burg, however, we have deliberately designed our production processes so that both large and small orders can be handled cost-efficiently.
The focus is naturally on cutting stainless steel sheets 1.4404. We operate machinery for surface treatment and forming, and we train our employees on all machines - only in this way can we meet our own high quality standards. We tolerate no deviations in dimensions and always deliver perfectly uniform bent sheets.
Our customer-friendly prices for stainless steel sheet 1.4404 result from the fact that we always purchase very large quantities of the common grades. We keep our pricing transparent and are confident that we need not fear any price comparison with the competition.
Individual sheets instead of standard sizes
We deliberately take on the challenge of producing an individual stainless steel sheet 1.4404 for every customer. Adherence to deadlines and absolute precision do not suffer as a result - for us they are a matter of course. Only in this way can we guarantee that the sheets we produce reach the customer on time and can be used immediately. We also attach great importance to shipping every sheet as securely as possible.
We appreciate every order and put the same effort into every customer - regardless of whether we cut 100 sheets or just one. We are always aware that with stainless steel sheets every millimetre counts, and we therefore tolerate no deviation from the customer's dimensions.
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