17 4PH Stainless Steel

Alloy 17-4 PH is a martensitic precipitation hardening stainless steel that is widely accepted in a broad range of industries. A very useful combination of high strength and hardness, excellent corrosion resistance, and easy heat treatment makes this an important alloy to designers and engineers. Fabrication of Alloy 17-4 PH Stainless Steel follows many practices established for the regular grades of stainless steels. The material provides excellent welding characteristics, can be forged or cast, and machines well. Alloy 17-4 PH Stainless Steel is supplied as forging billets, plate, sheet strip, rod, bar, and wire. As shipped from the mill, it is usually in the solution annealed condition (Condition A), ready for fabrication and subsequent hardening by the user. However, it is also supplied hardened or in overaged conditions for cold heading or forging if desired and specified by the customer. Although Alloy 17-4 PH Stainless Steel is generally air melted, consumable electrode electro-slag remelting (ESR) and consumable electrode Vacuum arc remelting (VAC CE) are available as optional refinements. The VAC CE process in particular lowers gas content, reduces and disperses clusions, and minimizes alloy segregation during solidification. This results in improved mechanical properties and cleanliness.