The BSSA has selected 50 Grades of Stainless Steel as its theme for 2014. Each week throughout the year, we will showcase one grade and illustrate the variety of corrosion resistant, mechanical and physical properties which determine its suitability for a wide range of applications.

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420MoV 1.4116 X50CrMoV15 

X50CrMoV15 is a high hardness martensitic stainless steel. In strip form, its dominant use is for high quality knife blades. This is a rare, possibly a unique, example of the EN Name of a stainless steel grade being used for marketing purposes.

Approximate Composition – 15% Cr, 0.7% Mo, 0.15% V, 0.50% C (EN composition range. No ASTM equivalent).

This grade combines the following characteristics:

• Very high hardness – Up to 56 Rockwell C
• Retention of blade sharpness
• Moderate corrosion resistance better than standard 12% martensitic grades
• Poor weldability

X50CrMoV15 uses the moderately high carbon content of 0.50% to develop a high hardness martensitic microstructure. The higher chromium plus small molybdenum addition gives a greater corrosion resistance than standard martensitic grades. Vanadium allows higher tempering temperatures to be used and gives greater toughness.

Applications which illustrate these features include:

High quality knives, cutting tools.

Find out more about the 50 Grades of Stainless Steel campaign

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