Stainless Steel

Before discussing 17-4 PH it would be worthwhile to give a brief description of Precipitation hardening stainless steels. Precipitation hardening stainless steels are primarily chromium and nickel containing steels which gives an optimum combination of the properties of martensitic as wello as austenitic grades. Similar to martensitic grades, they are well known for their exceptional ability to gain high strength through heat treatment. Further they also dispaly corrosion resistance of austenitic stainless steel. The high tensile strengths of precipitation hardening stainless steels develops after it passes through a heat treatment process leading to precipitation hardening of a martensitic or austenitic matrix. Among the types of precipitation hardening steel the most well known is the is the 17-4 PH. The name 17-4 PH is due to the additions of 17% Chromium and 4% Nickel. 17-4 PH also contains in it 4% Copper and 0.3% Niobium. 17-4 PH is also known by another name and that is stainless steel grade 630.

Application of 17-4 PH Owinng to the high strength of 17-4 PH(precipitation hardening stainless steels) most applications are found in aerospace and other high-technology industries. Typical applications include:

Gears
Valves and other engine components
High strength shafts
Turbine blades
Moulding dies
Nuclear waste casks