Material number 1.4404: 1.4404
1.4404 is the European material number (Werkstoffnummer, EN 10027-2) for 1.4404, austenitic Cr-Ni-Mo stainless steel, low carbon specified in EN 10088-2.
What 1.4404 means
EN 10027-2 material numbers have the form 1.XXYY: the leading 1 is steel; the next two digits give the steel group (44 → stainless steels with ≥ 2.5 % Ni, with 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 1.4404 has stayed constant while the symbolic name moved from X2CrNiMo17 13 2 to 1.4404.
1.4404 at a glance
1.4404 (X2CrNiMo17-12-2) is the European name for 316L: an austenitic stainless steel with 17 % Cr, 11 % Ni and 2–2.5 % molybdenum, carbon held to 0.03 % so that welded joints stay free of chromium-carbide sensitization. The Mo addition roughly triples the resistance to chloride pitting compared with 1.4301 (PREN 24 vs 18), which is why 1.4404 is the default grade for coastal architecture, chemical and pharmaceutical process equipment, swimming-pool fittings and marine hardware.
Mechanically it is close to 1.4301 — 220 MPa yield, 520–670 MPa tensile, 40 % elongation — and equally non-magnetic and cryogenic-tough. It is not hardenable by heat treatment; strength is raised only by cold work.
EN 10088 makes 1.4404 a subset of ASTM 316L (S31603): the EN Mo window (2.0–2.5 %) sits at the low end of ASTM's 2.0–3.0 %, so material certified 1.4404 automatically meets 316L, and most plate and coil is dual-certified 1.4404/316L. In German industry the group is called "V4A". The related grades — 1.4401 (316, higher carbon), 1.4571 (316Ti, titanium-stabilized) and 1.4432/1.4436 (higher Mo) — are cross-referenced below.
Full data sheet for 1.4404 → · Equivalent grades →