What is the difference between 420 and 420C?

What is the difference between 420 and 420C?

Chemical Formula

Fe, <0.15% C, 12.0-14.0% Cr, <1.0% Mn, <1.0% Si, <0.04% P, >0.03% S

Introduction

Grade 420 stainless steel is a high-carbon steel with a minimum chromium content of 12%. Like any other stainless steel, grade 420 can also be hardened through heat treatment. It offers good ductility in its annealed state and excellent corrosion resistance properties when the metal is polished, surface grounded or hardened. This grade has the highest hardness - 50HRC - among all the stainless steel grades with 12% chromium.

Stainless steel grades that are similar to grade 420 stainless steels include martensitic steels such as the other versions of grade 420, having vanadium, sulphur and molybdenum in their composition, and the grade 440 series. Non-standard grade 420C has carbon content that is little higher than that of grade 420.

Martensitic stainless steels are ones with high hardness and high carbon content. These steels are generally fabricated using methods that require hardening and tempering treatments. The operating conditions of martensitic steels are affected by loss of material's strength at high temperatures, and decrease in ductility at negative temperatures.

Composition
The composition range of 420 grade stainless steel is shown in the following table:

Mechanical properties
The main mechanical properties of 420 grade stainless steel are shown in the following table: