Stainless austenitic steel 1.4404 as bearing material

Dreckshage now offers stainless steel 1.4404 as a bearing material. Due to the progress in the production of stainless steels, especially the reduction of the carbon content to very low values, 1.4404 has replaced almost all titanium-stabilized grades of type 1.4571.

The resistance to intergranular corrosion is equivalent to the titanium-stabilized grades and due to the absence of titanium, the material is not affected by so-called knife line corrosion after welding.

In contrast to the titanium-stabilized grades, 1.4404 has a higher quality surface and can be polished both mechanically and electrolytically. Due to the lack of titanium and the resulting precipitations, 1.4404 can be machined much better, which is also reflected in higher tool speeds and longer tool life.

The corrosion resistance of the 1.4404 is significantly better than that of the 2 and 2,5 stainless steels with the addition of 1.4301 to 1.4307% molybdenum, especially in the presence of chlorides. 1.4404 has excellent corrosion resistance in natural environmental media (water, rural and urban atmospheres), as well as in industrial areas with moderate chlorine and salt concentrations, in the food and pharmaceutical industries and in the agri-food sector. Due to its low carbon content, 1.4404 is resistant to intergranular corrosion even after welding. 1.4404 is not seawater resistant.

With the 1.4404, the machinability is improved due to the low carbon content compared to the 1.4401. Due to the lack of titanium stabilization, the 1.4404 can also be cut better than the 1.4571 grade.