Stainless Steel 1.4301 (X5CrNi18-10)

Austenitic chromium nickel stainless to EN 10088-2, material number 1.4301, elsewhere AISI 304 or V2A. The chromium builds a passive layer that reforms in air on its own, which is the difference between stainless and coated, and the nickel keeps the structure austenitic and therefore very ductile.

Typical parts: Food contact and commercial kitchens, lab and medical fittings, architectural trim, anything wet, cleaned often, or that must not be painted.

Technical Properties

Composition	Fe remainder, Cr 17.5 to 19.5, Ni 8.0 to 10.5, C max 0.07, Mn max 2.0, Si max 1.0, N max 0.11 (%)
Standard	EN 10088-2
Material number	1.4301 (AISI 304, V2A)
Density	7.9 g/cm³
Tensile strength Rm	540 to 700 N/mm²
Yield strength Rp0.2	min 210 N/mm², 230 cold rolled
Elongation at break A	min 45 %
Hardness	max 215 HBW
Elastic modulus E	200 GPa
Thermal conductivity	15 W/(m·K)
Melting point	approx 1450 °C
Heat treatable	No, hardens by cold work only
Weldable	Yes, no preheat, no post-weld treatment
Magnetic	No as delivered, cold work makes edges slightly magnetic
Does it rust	No, but pits under chlorides

Available thicknesses and manufacturability

Thickness (mm)	Weight (kg/m²)	Min. Hole Diameter	Min. Bridge Width	Min. Hole-to-Edge
1 mm	7.90	0.5 mm	0.2 mm	0.2 mm
1.5 mm	11.85	0.75 mm	0.3 mm	0.3 mm
2 mm	15.80	1 mm	0.4 mm	0.4 mm
3 mm	23.70	1.5 mm	0.6 mm	0.6 mm
4 mm	31.60	2 mm	0.8 mm	0.8 mm
5 mm	39.50	2.5 mm	1 mm	1 mm

Max Part Size: 550 x 1150 mm · Min. Part Size: 10 x 10 mm

Calculate the weight for your dimensions

What a part in Stainless Steel 1.4301 costs

Example: a mounting plate 100 × 60 mm, 2 × 2 holes (5.5 mm, for M5) in every thickness, computed when this page loads with the configurator's own formula. Price per piece incl. VAT, plus shipping.

Thickness	1 pcs	10 pcs	100 pcs
1 mm	€11.54	€4.51	€2.71
1.5 mm	€13.42	€5.72	€3.71
2 mm	€15.11	€6.90	€4.71
3 mm	€18.11	€9.09	€6.59
4 mm	€20.94	€11.26	€8.50
5 mm	€23.53	€13.28	€10.27

The configurator prices other sizes, holes and shapes as you type; you pick material and thickness there next to the part. Configure this plate

Parts in Stainless Steel 1.4301

These parts have a page of their own with prices, limits and the questions people ask most:

Compare materials

Which thickness for which part

1.4301 is what most people mean by V2A, 18/10 or Nirosta. For flat parts, these thicknesses work well:

Nameplates, labels, stencils: 1 mm
House numbers, door and letterbox signs: 1.5 to 2 mm. At 1 mm, large digits flex and dent easily.
Front panels and covers: 1.5 mm, or 2 mm once an edge is longer than about 300 mm. Otherwise the panel gives when someone presses a button.
Mounting plates: 2 mm for a device up to about 5 kg, 3 mm up to about 20 kg, bolted at all four corners
Base plates, gussets and load-bearing parts: 4 to 5 mm

These are rules of thumb for static loads. If a part carries people or could do damage if it fails, someone should run the numbers.

How the part arrives

The sheet has its normal mill finish, matt and slightly grey, and comes without protective film, so light handling marks can happen. If the surface will be on show, keep in mind that we do not brush in house: a brushed surface looks even, and small scratches disappear in it.

The cut edge is bright, and right next to it you may see a narrow heat tint. Parts up to about 2 mm can be handled as they come. From 3 mm the edges can be sharp and carry a burr, and deburring is worth it.

We work to ISO 2768-m, so a hole up to 6 mm is within ±0.1 mm and a 100 mm plate within ±0.3 mm. For a bolt, draw the clearance hole: 5.5 mm for M5, not 5 mm.

Working on it yourself

Threads: Have the core hole cut with the part (3.3 mm for M4, 4.2 mm for M5, 5.0 mm for M6), then just run the tap through. For enough turns to grip, the sheet should be at least 2 mm for M4 and 3 mm for M5 and M6.
Drilling: Stainless hardens where a blunt drill rubs. Use a sharp cobalt drill, low speed, firm pressure and a little oil. It is cheaper to have the hole lasered anyway.
Bending: 1 mm bends by hand in a vice, from 2 mm you need a press brake. Stainless springs back more than ordinary steel, so bend a little past the angle you want.
Welding: TIG works well. Remove the heat tint afterwards with a stainless brush or pickling paste.

Common mistakes

Tools that have touched ordinary steel: Steel wire brushes, steel wool, cutting discs or vice jaws leave iron particles on the surface, and those rust. The part itself does not rust, but it looks exactly as if it did. Keep separate tools for stainless.
Aluminium bolted straight to stainless where it gets wet: The aluminium corrodes at the contact point. A plastic washer in between prevents it.
Stainless that gets painted anyway: Then you pay for rust protection the paint already provides. Powder coated DC01 steel is much cheaper in that case.
1 mm for large signs: They bow and dent. From about 200 mm across, 1.5 mm or more is the better choice.

Questions and Answers

When is 1.4301 not enough?: Chlorides. Salt water, pool plant, road salt, chlorinated cleaners. The passive layer pits under chloride attack and 18/10 has nothing to stop it. 1.4404 (316) carries about 2 % molybdenum for exactly that job. We do not stock it, so ask before you order if your part needs it.
Is it magnetic?: Not as delivered: austenitic and solution annealed. Cold work turns some of the austenite to martensite, so cut edges and bend lines can go slightly magnetic. That is normal and not a sign you were sent the wrong grade.
Does the cut edge need anything doing to it?: Usually not. There is a thin heat tint along the cut. For food contact or medical work it should come off and the part be passivated, because chromium depleted scale is where corrosion starts. We do not do that in house, so ask before you order if you need it.

Configure a Part