Stainless steel, as an indispensable material in modern industry, its performance and cost have always been the focus of users’ attention. In recent years, a new type of stainless steel material named QN1803 has quietly emerged. With its outstanding performance and more competitive price, it is gradually becoming an ideal alternative to 304 stainless steel.
The chemical composition design of QN1803 is highly innovative, featuring a ratio of “high nitrogen and nickel-saving” to copper elements. Its typical components include:
Carbon (C) about 0.07% 0.08%,
Silicon (Si) about 0.4% 0.44%,
Manganese (Mn) about 5.5% 7.04%,
Chromium (Cr) about 18% 18.13%,
Nickel (Ni) about 2.8% 3.5%,
Copper (Cu) about 1.5% 1.73%,
Nitrogen (N) about 0.2% to 0.24%
QN1803 performs exceptionally well in terms of mechanical properties, with its yield strength reaching over 1.3 times that of 304 stainless steel.
In contrast, the tensile strength of traditional 304 stainless steel is approximately 650MPa, the yield strength is about 280MPa, the elongation is about 58%, and the hardness is about 170HV-8. QN1803 thus has higher strength and hardness while maintaining good elongation.
QN1803 also features excellent wear resistance and fatigue resistance. Under low, medium and high loads, it demonstrates superior wear resistance compared to 304 and 201 stainless steels.
There are significant differences between QN1803 and 304 stainless steel in many aspects.
From a cost perspective, QN1803 can save 2,000 to 3,000 yuan per ton compared to 304 stainless steel by reducing the expensive nickel content.
In terms of corrosion resistance, QN1803 is comparable to 304 in most environments, significantly better than 304 in dilute acid conditions, but slightly inferior to 304 in nitric acid conditions.
In terms of processing performance, QN1803 has excellent cold working and welding properties. Its post-weld strength is higher than that of 304, and its corrosion resistance is comparable to that of 304.
QN1803 has successfully replaced 304 stainless steel in multiple fields and achieved good results. In the field of architectural decoration, QN1803 is used in areas such as building roof tiles, wall tiles, and structural load-bearing components.
The decorative welded pipe industry is also an important application field of QN1803, such as fences, station partitions, staircases and escalators, anti-theft Windows, etc. -7 QN1803 ensures the excellent corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel and overcomes its problems of being relatively soft and having a low safety factor, offering a more cost-effective advantage.
In conclusion, the core application advantage of QN1803 lies in its ability to “offer superior overall performance to 304 at a lower cost.” It can not only directly replace 304 in most of its traditional fields, but also, with its high strength and high hardness, expand into some new fields that 304 cannot handle or where its cost performance is not high, providing better material solutions for product designers and manufacturers.