Stainless Steel 904L · supply condition
Stainless Steel 904L Cold Drawn
Properties of the Cold Drawn condition, compared with the other 904L tempers.
Choose for tight tolerance shafts, fasteners and small-bore tube where higher yield strength and better surface finish are needed.
What is 904L Cold Drawn?
904L Cold Drawn is 904L supplied in the Cold Drawn condition — choose for tight tolerance shafts, fasteners and small-bore tube where higher yield strength and better surface finish are needed. 904L Cold Drawn has a yield strength of 550 MPa (79.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 750 MPa (109 ksi) — stronger than 83% of stainless steel grades. Elongation at break is 25% and the elastic modulus is 195 GPa (28.3 Msi). 904L Cold Drawn has a density of 8 g/cm³ (0.289 lb/in³), heavier than 92% of stainless steel grades. It melts at 1,300°C (2,372 °F). Solution Annealed is the default condition FabDigit quotes; Cold Drawn is available on request or by drawing note.
Advantages
- Good corrosion resistance — 80/100, better than 88% of stainless steel grades
- Tough — resists crack growth — 200 MPa·√m (182 ksi·√in), better than 84% of stainless steel grades
- High strength — 550 MPa (79.8 ksi), better than 83% of stainless steel grades
Limitations
- Low electrical conductivity — 1.7 % IACS, worse than 93% of stainless steel grades
- Poor heat conductor — 12 W/m·K (6.93 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 92% of stainless steel grades
- High embodied carbon — 5.6 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 82% of stainless steel grades
- Limited service temperature — 400°C (752 °F), worse than 78% of stainless steel grades
904L Cold Drawn properties
Typical room-temperature values for 904L Cold Drawn — 11 properties are specific to this condition; the rest are grade-level values shared by every 904L temper. Each bar shows where the value sits among the stainless steel grades in FabDigit's library — further right is higher.
Physical3
904L Cold Drawn has a density of 8 g/cm³ (0.289 lb/in³), heavier than 92% of stainless steel grades. It melts at 1,300°C (2,372 °F).
Mechanical16
904L Cold Drawn has a yield strength of 550 MPa (79.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 750 MPa (109 ksi) — stronger than 83% of stainless steel grades. Elongation at break is 25% and the elastic modulus is 195 GPa (28.3 Msi).
Thermal6
904L Cold Drawn is rated for continuous service to 400°C (752 °F). It conducts heat at 12 W/m·K (6.93 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 92% of stainless steel grades. Thermal expansion is 15.3 µm/m·K (8.5 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
904L Cold Drawn conducts electricity at 1.7 % IACS, worse than 93% of stainless steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (80/100), better than 88% of stainless steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of 904L Cold Drawn takes about 78 MJ of energy and emits 5.6 kg of CO₂ — more than 87% of stainless steel grades. Typical recycled content is 55%.
Manufacturability7
904L Cold Drawn's machinability is poor (28/100, worse than 80% of stainless steel grades); weldability very good (78/100); formability good (55/100).
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Other 904L tempers and conditions
904L is also supplied in 3 other conditions. The full side-by-side table is on the 904L overview.
- Solution AnnealedDefaultStandard supply condition for all corrosion-service product forms — maximum corrosion resistance and ductility.260 MPa yield · 155 HB
- Cold Rolled HardStrip/sheet supplied work hardened for springs, gaskets and stamped parts needing higher strength; solution anneal after severe forming for best corrosion resistance.620 MPa yield · 26 HRC
- Cold DrawnChoose for tight tolerance shafts, fasteners and small-bore tube where higher yield strength and better surface finish are needed.550 MPa yield · 230 HB
- AnnealedHot-finished bar, billet and forgings supplied annealed; same corrosion performance, slightly lower strength than cold-worked forms.240 MPa yield · 150 HB
Working with 904L Cold Drawn
Is 904L easy to machine?
Gummy and strongly work hardening — use rigid setups, positive-rake coated carbide, low speed / heavy positive feed, generous flood coolant and avoid dwelling or re-cutting in the hardened layer.
Can 904L be welded?
Readily welded by GTAW/GMAW/SMAW with no preheat and low interpass temperature; use overalloyed filler (ER/E 385 = 904L-type or Ni-base 625/C-276) to avoid Mo-depleted dendrite cores, and keep heat input low with backing gas.
Can 904L be formed, bent or molded?
Very ductile but needs ~50% higher forming loads than 304 with strong springback; hot work 1150–900 °C then solution anneal and quench to restore corrosion resistance.
What surface finishes work on 904L?
Pickle and passivate (nitric or citric) after welding, remove all heat tint by grinding/blasting or pickling paste; electropolishes to low-Ra hygienic finishes and cannot be anodized.
904L chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Cextra-low carbon | ≤ 0.02 | 0.01 |
| SiEN 1.4539 limits Si ≤ 0.70 | ≤ 1 | 0.4 |
| Mn | ≤ 2 | 1.4 |
| PEN 1.4539: ≤ 0.030 | ≤ 0.05 | 0.03 |
| SEN 1.4539: ≤ 0.010 | ≤ 0.04 | 0 |
| Cr | 19 – 23 | 20 |
| Ni | 23 – 28 | 25 |
| Mo | 4 – 5 | 4.5 |
| Cuimproves resistance in sulfuric acid | 1 – 2 | 1.5 |
| NEN 1.4539 limit | ≤ 0.1 | 0.05 |
| Fe | balance | — |
904L Cold Drawn — frequently asked
What is 904L Cold Drawn used for?
904L Cold Drawn is typically used for sulfuric acid pumps and valves, pickling line tanks and fixtures, phosphoric acid heat exchangers, flue-gas desulfurization scrubbers, chemical process piping and vessels and seawater condenser tubing. In short: super-austenitic chemical stainless.
What is the yield strength of 904L Cold Drawn?
904L Cold Drawn has a typical yield strength of 550 MPa (79.8 ksi) and a tensile strength of 750 MPa (109 ksi) — stronger than 83% of stainless steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 4 listed tempers.
Is 904L Cold Drawn easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated poor (28/100, worse than 80% of stainless steel grades). Gummy and strongly work hardening — use rigid setups, positive-rake coated carbide, low speed / heavy positive feed, generous flood coolant and avoid dwelling or re-cutting in the hardened layer.
Can 904L Cold Drawn be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated very good (78/100). Readily welded by GTAW/GMAW/SMAW with no preheat and low interpass temperature; use overalloyed filler (ER/E 385 = 904L-type or Ni-base 625/C-276) to avoid Mo-depleted dendrite cores, and keep heat input low with backing gas.
What surface finishes work on 904L Cold Drawn?
Pickle and passivate (nitric or citric) after welding, remove all heat tint by grinding/blasting or pickling paste; electropolishes to low-Ra hygienic finishes and cannot be anodized.
Can 904L Cold Drawn be formed, bent or molded?
Very ductile but needs ~50% higher forming loads than 304 with strong springback; hot work 1150–900 °C then solution anneal and quench to restore corrosion resistance.
What is the maximum service temperature of 904L Cold Drawn?
904L Cold Drawn is rated for continuous use to about 400°C (752 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
Can FabDigit make parts in 904L Cold Drawn?
Yes — 904L Cold Drawn is available for CNC machining and sheet metal with instant online pricing. Upload a STEP file to get a price and a DFM check.
Sources
- ASTM A240/A240M — Cr and Cr-Ni Stainless Plate, Sheet and Strip — ASTM International (2023)
- ASTM B625 / B649 — UNS N08904 plate, sheet, strip and bar — ASTM International (2022)
- EN 10088-1/-2 — Stainless steels, grade 1.4539 (X1NiCrMoCu25-20-5) — CEN (2014)
- 904L / 1.4539 super-austenitic stainless datasheet — Outokumpu (2023)
- Sanicro 28 / 904L-type alloy technical data — Alleima (Sandvik) (2022)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1 — Properties and Selection: Irons, Steels and High-Performance Alloys — ASM International (1990)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.