Material number 1.4301: 1.4301
1.4301 is the European material number (Werkstoffnummer, EN 10027-2) for 1.4301, austenitic Cr-Ni stainless steel specified in EN 10088-2.
What 1.4301 means
EN 10027-2 material numbers have the form 1.XXYY: the leading 1 is steel; the next two digits give the steel group (43 → stainless steels with ≥ 2.5 % Ni, no Mo); the last two digits are a sequential number within that group. The number is unique to one composition and survives name changes, which is why 1.4301 has stayed constant while the symbolic name moved from X5CrNi18-10 to 1.4301.
1.4301 at a glance
1.4301 is the material number of X5CrNi18-10, the 18/8 (18/10) austenitic stainless steel that accounts for roughly half of all stainless produced in Europe. In German-speaking industry it is simply "V2A". EN 10088 sets 17.5–19.5 % Cr, 8–10.5 % Ni and ≤ 0.07 % C; solution-annealed sheet has 210–230 MPa yield, 520–750 MPa tensile and 45 % elongation, and the steel is non-magnetic and tough down to cryogenic temperatures.
The pitting resistance equivalent (PREN ≈ 18–19) makes it suitable for kitchens, food processing, architecture and mild chemical service, but not for warm chloride environments — swimming pools and coastal facades move to 1.4404 or 1.4571. Carbon at 0.07 % keeps sensitization low in thin welded sections; heavier welded plate is ordered as 1.4307 (304L).
For cross-referencing, 1.4301 and AISI/ASTM 304 are treated as the same grade: the American limits are a shade wider (C ≤ 0.08, S ≤ 0.030), so 1.4301 material always meets 304, and virtually all coil is dual-certified. The table lists JIS, GB, GOST and old BS/DIN names with the same grading.
Full data sheet for 1.4301 → · Equivalent grades →