Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
SAE International, as a standards organization, maintains several alloy numbering systems, one
of which, for steel grades, is the SAE steel grades system.
In the 1930s and 1940s the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and SAE were both involved
in efforts to standardize such a numbering system for steels. These efforts were similar and
overlapped significantly. For several decades the systems were united into a joint system
designated the AISI/SAE steel grades. In 1995 the AISI turned over future maintenance of the
system to SAE because the AISI never wrote any of the specifications.
Today steel quotes and certifications commonly make reference to both SAE and AISI, not
always with precise differentiation. For example, in the alloy/grade field, a cert might say
"4140", "AISI 4140", or "SAE 4140", and in most light-industrial applications any of the above
is accepted as adequate, and considered equivalent, for the job at hand, as long as the specific
specification called out by the designer (for example, "4140 bar per ASTM-A108" or "4140 bar
per AMS 6349") is certified to on the certificate. The alloy number is simply a general classifier,
whereas it is the specification itself that narrows down the steel to a very specific standard.
The SAE steel grade system's correspondence to other alloy numbering systems, such as the
ASTM-SAE unified numbering system (UNS), can be seen in cross-referencing tables (including
the ones given below).
The AISI system used a letter prefix to denote the steelmaking process. The prefix "C" denoted
open-hearth furnace, electric arc furnace or basic oxygen furnace, while "E" denotes electric arc
furnace steel. A letter "L" within the grade name indicates lead as an added ingredient; for
example, 12L14 is a common grade that is 1214 with lead added for machinability.
13xx
Manganese steels
Mn 1.75%
23xx
25xx
Nickel steels
Ni 3.50%
Ni 5.00%
31xx
32xx
33xx
34xx
40xx
44xx
Nickel-chromium steels
Ni 1.25%; Cr 0.65%, or 0.80%
Ni 1.25%; Cr 1.07%
Ni 3.50%; Cr 1.50%, or 1.57%
Ni 3.00%; Cr 0.77%
Molybdenum steels
Mo 0.20%, 0.25%, or Mo 0.25% and S
0.042%
Mo 0.40%, or 0.52%
Nickel-chromium-molybdenum steels
43xx
81Bxx
86xx
87xx
88xx
93xx
94xx
97xx
98xx
Ni 1.82%; Cr 0.50%; Mo
0.35%; V 0.03% min
Ni 1.05%; Cr 0.45%; Mo
0.35%
Ni 0.30%; Cr 0.40%; Mo
Ni 0.30%; Cr 0.45%; Mo
added boron
Ni 0.55%; Cr 0.50%; Mo
Ni 0.55%; Cr 0.50%; Mo
Ni 0.55%; Cr 0.50%; Mo
Ni 3.25%; Cr 1.20%; Mo
Ni 0.45%; Cr 0.40%; Mo
Ni 0.55%; Cr 0.20%; Mo
Ni 1.00%; Cr 0.80%; Mo
46xx
48xx
Nickel-molybdenum steels
Ni 0.85%, or 1.82%; Mo 0.20%, or
0.25%
Ni 3.50%; Mo 0.25%
43BVxx
47xx
81xx
50xx
50xxx
50Bxx
51xx
51xxx
51Bxx
52xxx
0.12%, or
0.20%, or
0.12%
0.12%; and
0.20%
0.25%
0.35%
0.12%
0.12%
0.20%
0.25%
Chromium steels
Cr 0.27%, 0.40%, 0.50%, or 0.65%
Cr 0.50%; C 1.00% min
Cr 0.28%, or 0.50%; and added boron
Cr 0.80%, 0.87%, 0.92%, 1.00%, or
1.05%
Cr 1.02%; C 1.00% min.
Cr 0.80%; and added boron
Cr 1.45%; C 1.00% min.
Chromium-vanadium steels
61xx
72xx
92xx
Stainless steel
pressure vessels for boiling water reactors, due to its high resistance to corrosion.
Also referred to as "A4" in accordance with ISO 3506.[6]
o Type 316Tivariant of type 316 that includes titanium for heat resistance. It is
used in flexible chimney liners.
o Type 321similar to 304 but lower risk of weld decay due to addition of
titanium. See also 347 with addition of niobium for desensitization during
welding.
600 Seriesoriginally created for proprietary alloys, which are no longer given SAE
grade numbers
o 601 through 604: Martensitic low-alloy steels.
o 610 through 613: Martensitic secondary hardening steels.
o 614 through 619: Martensitic chromium steels.
o 630 through 635: Semiaustenitic and martensitic precipitation hardening stainless
steels.
UNS
designa
tion
% Cr
% Ni
%
Mn
%C
% Si
Austenitic
3.5
5.5
5.5
0.15 7.5
7.5
46
0.15 10.0
0.12
14
11.75 0.25
15.5
0.0
6
0.0
6
0.0
6
201
S20100
1618
202
S20200
205
S20500
1719
16.5
18
254
S31254
20
301
S30100
1618
68
0.15
302
S30200
1719
810
0.15
302B
S30215
1719
810
0.15
0.0
2
0.75
5
0.0
2
0.75
5
2.0
0.0
2 3.0
5
303
303Se
S30300
S30323
1719
1719
810
810
0.15
0.15
2
2
0.02
18 max
0.75
%
P
0.75
0.75
1
1
%S
0.03
%N
Other
0.25 -
0.03
0.25 0.32
0.03 0.40
6 Mo; 0.75
Cu;
"Super
austenitic
"; All
values
0.2 nominal
0.03 0.03
0.03 -
0.15
0.2 min
0.2
0.06 -
0.1 Mo 0.60
(optional)
0.15 Se
min
304
S30400
1820
8
10.50
0.08
0.75
304L
S30403
1820
812
0.03
0.75
304Cu
S30430
1719
0.08
0.75
304N
S30451
1820
0.08
0.75
305
S30500
1719
810
8
10.50
10.50
13
0.12
0.75
308
S30800
1921
1012
0.08
309
S30900
2224
1215
0.2
309S
S30908
2224
1215
0.08
310
S31000
2426
1922
0.25
1.5
310S
S31008
2426
1922
0.08
314
S31400
2326
1922
0.25
1.5
1.5
2 3.0
316
S31600
1618
1014
0.08
0.75
316L
S31603
1618
1014
0.03
0.75
316F
S31620
1618
1014
0.08
316N
S31651
1618
1014
0.08
0.75
317
S31700
1820
1115
0.08
0.75
317L
S31703
1820
1115
0.03
0.75
321
S32100
1719
912
0.08
0.75
329
S32900
2328
2.55
0.08
330
N08330
1720
3437
0.08
0.75
0.75
2 1.50
347
348
S34700
S34800
1719
1719
913
913
0.08
0.08
2
2
0.75
0.75
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.03
0.1 -
0.03
0.1 -
0.03 0.10
0.03 0.16
34 Cu
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.03 0.03
0.03
0.10
0.2 min
0.0
5
0.03
0.0
5
0.03
0.0
5
0.03
0.0
5
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.0
5
0.0
5
0.03
2.03.0
0.1 Mo
2.03.0
0.1 Mo
1.752.50
Mo
0.10 2.03.0
0.16
Mo
0.10
3.04.0
max
Mo
0.10
3.04.0
max
Mo
Ti 5(C+N)
0.10
min, 0.70
max
max
0.03 -
12 Mo
0.03 -
Nb + Ta,
10 x C
min, 1
max
Nb + Ta,
10 x C
min, 1
max, but
0.10 Ta
max; 0.20
0.03 0.03 -
Ca
384
SAE
designa
tion
S38400
UNS
designa
tion
1517
1719
% Cr
% Ni
0.08
%C
2
%
Mn
% Si
0.0
5
%
P
0.03 -
%S
%N
Other
Ferritic
405
S40500
11.5
14.5
409
S40900
10.5
11.75
429
S42900
430
0.08
0.05
0.08
1416
0.75
0.12
S43000
1618
0.75
0.12
430F
S43020
1618
0.12
1.25
430FSe
S43023
1618
0.12
1.25
434
S43400
1618
0.12
436
S43600
1618
0.12
442
S44200
1823
0.2
446
S44600
2327
0.2
1.5
SAE
designa
tion
UNS
designa
tion
0.25
% Cr
% Ni
%C
%
Mn
% Si
0.0
4
0.0
5
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.03 -
0.10.3 Al,
0.60 max
0.03 -
Ti 6 x (C +
N)
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.0 0.15
6 min
0.0
6
0.06 0.0
4
0.03 -
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.0
4
%
P
0.03 -
0.60 Mo
(optional)
0.15 Se
min
0.751.25
Mo
0.751.25
Mo;
Nb+Ta 5 x
C min,
0.70 max
0.03 -
0.03 -
%S
%N
Other
Martensitic
0.6
0.15
0.5
0.75
1.25
2.50
0.15
S41400
11.5
13.0
11.5
13.5
11.5
13.5
0.15
416
S41600
1214
0.15
1.25
416Se
S41623
1214
0.15
1.25
403
S40300
410
S41000
414
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.03 -
0.0 0.15
6 min
0.0
6
0.06 -
0.060 Mo
(optional)
0.15 Se
min
420
S42000
1214
0.15
min
0.0
4
420F
S42020
1214
0.15
min
1.25
0.0 0.15
6 min
422
S42200
11.0
12.5
431
S41623
1517
0.50
1.0
1.25
2.50
440A
S44002
1618
440B
S44003
1618
440C
S44004
1618
SAE
designa
tion
UNS
designa
tion
501
S50100
502
S50200
630
S17400
% Cr
% Ni
0.20
0.25
0.2
0.60
0.75
0.75
0.95
0.95
1.20
%C
0.5
1.0
0.5
%
Mn
Heat resisting
0.10
min
1
% Si
0.0
3
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.0
4
0.0
4
%
P
0.0
4
0.0
46
0.1
1
1
4
Martensitic precipitation hardening
46
15-17
5-Mar
0.07
0.0
4
0.03 -
0.60 Mo
max
(optional)
0.901.25
Mo; 0.20
0.30 V;
0.901.25
W
0.025 0.03 -
0.03 -
0.75 Mo
0.03 -
0.75 Mo
0.03 -
0.75 Mo
%S
%N
Other
0.03 -
0.400.65
Mo
0.400.65
Mo
0.03 -
Cu 3-5, Ta
0.15-0.45
0.03 -