Stainless steel 201 is a type of stainless steel. Here is a detailed introduction to it: 1. **Composition characteristics**: - **Main elements**: Carbon content ≤0.15%, silicon content ≤1.00%, manganese content is 5.5 - 7.50%, chromium content is 16.0 - 18.0%, nitrogen content ≤0.25%, phosphorus content ≤0.060%, sulfur content ≤0.030%, nickel content is 3.5 - 5.5%. The national standard grade is: old grade 1Cr17Mn6Ni5N, new grade is 12Cr17Mn6Ni5N. - **Characteristic**: Replacing nickel with manganese, it belongs to a nickel-saving steel grade. During World War II, it was developed due to insufficient nickel supply in the United States and later introduced to countries with different resource situations such as India. 2. **Performance**: - **Mechanical properties**: The tensile strength can reach 520 MPa, the yield strength is 275 MPa, the elongation is between 55% and 60%, the elastic modulus is about 203000 MPa, and the Brinell hardness requirement is HRB<183 N/mm². - **Corrosion resistance**: It has certain acid and alkali resistance, but compared with high-quality stainless steels such as 304, its corrosion resistance is poorer. Under acidic conditions such as in deposition areas and corrosion parts of gaps, its destruction speed may be 10 - 100 times that of 304 stainless steel. - **Magnetism**: Before cold working, 201 stainless steel is usually non-magnetic, but it will become magnetic after cold working. 3. **Uses**: - **Decoration field**: Due to its relatively low price and good appearance, it is often used in architectural decoration, such as making stainless steel doors and windows, railings, handrails, etc., and also for decorative lines in some interior decorations. - **Light industry products**: It can be used to produce the shells and parts of household appliances, such as the drum of washing machines and the lining of refrigerators; it is also used to make kitchen utensils such as sinks and cooking utensils, but it is not suitable for tableware that directly contacts food. - **Industrial field**: The shells and structural parts of some industrial equipment will also use 201 stainless steel, such as some shallow-drawn products and mechanical parts; it also has certain applications in automotive decoration, such as automotive interior parts and decorative strips. 4. **Market situation and price**: In the stainless steel market, the price of 201 stainless steel is usually lower than that of high-quality stainless steels such as 304. Its price fluctuation is affected by various factors such as raw material prices and market supply and demand. However, most of the 201 stainless steel sold in the Chinese market hardly controls sulfur and carbon content according to national standards, and the product quality is uneven. When using 201 stainless steel products, attention should be paid to keeping its surface smooth and clean to avoid wear and corrosion.