420 Stainless Steel

Alloy 420 is a hardenable, martensitic stainless steel that is a modification of Alloy 410. Similar to 410, it contains a minimum of 12% chromium, just sufficient enough to give corrosion resistant properties. Alloy 420 has higher carbon content than Alloy 410 which is designed to optimize strength and hardness characteristics. It has good ductility it the annealed condition but is capable of being hardened to a minimum Rockwell hardness of 50 HRC, the highest hardness of the 12% chromium grades. Due to its hardening properties, Alloy 420 is not often welded, although it is possible. Martensitic stainless steels are designed for high hardness and sometimes other properties are to some degree compromised. Corrosion resistance is lower than the common austenitic grades and their useful operating range is limited by their loss of ductility at sub-zero temperatures and loss of strength by over-tempering at elevated temperatures. Its best corrosion resistance is achieved when the metal is hardened and surface ground or polished.