Custom 455® Stainless Steel Bar - ASTM F 899
Custom 455® is a martensitic, age-hardenable stainless steel. This alloy represents a significant advancement in precipitation hardening stainless. Custom 455® has three times the yield strength of standard 304 and lends itself well to heat treatment and fabrication. This custom alloy has exceptionally high yield strength, good ductility, and toughness. Custom 455® resists staining in normal atmospheres and shows no corrosion in freshwater.
Our medical-grade Custom 455® stainless round bar is domestically melted and manufactured. United Performance Metals is Approved ISO 13485 : 2016. This alloy is most commonly used in the medical industry for surgical instruments including drill bits, drivers, distractors, and shafts.
- Inventory & Specs
- Chemical Composition
- Physical Properties
- Mechanical Properties
- Datasheet
- Additional Info
- FAQs
Inventory Size Ranges for Custom 455®
| Type | Thickness | AMS Standards | ASTM | UNS | Get a Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar | 0.1875" - 2.000" | AMS 5617 | ASTM F 899 | UNS S45500 | Get a Quote |
Characteristics of Custom 455®
Customer 455® stainless has displayed excellent resistance to oxidation up to approximately 1100°F (593°C). Long-term exposure to elevated temperatures can result in reduced toughness in precipitation hardenable stainless steels. The reduction in toughness can be minimized in some cases by using higher aging temperatures. Short exposure to elevated temperatures can be considered, provided the maximum temperature is at least 50°F (28°C) less than the aging temperature.
Working with Custom 455®
This stainless can be machined in the annealed condition and welded in much the same manner as other precipitation hardenable stainless steels. Because of its low work-hardening rate, it can be extensively cold formed. The dimensional change during hardening is only about -0.001 in/in, which permits close-tolerance finish machining in the annealed state.
Customer 455® is easily forged within temperature range of 1650/2300°F (899/1260°C). For optimum mechanical properties, material to be forged should be heated uniformly to 1900/2100°F (1038/1149°C) and soaked at heat; finishing temperature should be within the range of 1500/1700°F (816/927°C) to obtain the best grain size and properties after heat treating. Cold working is readily performed despite the fact that this material is martensitic in the annealed condition. Deep drawing or stretching operations will require intermediate anneals because the elongation tends to be localized. For other cold-forming operations, such as cold drawing and cold rolling, the work-hardening rate in the annealed condition is extremely low, allowing considerable cold working without intermediate annealing.
This material can be satisfactorily welded by the shielded fusion and resistance welding process. Oxyacetylene welding is not recommended, since carbon pickup in the weld may occur. Preheating is not required to prevent cracking during the welding of this alloy. If welded in the solution-annealed condition, the alloy can be directly aged to the desired strength level after welding. However, the optimum combination of strength, ductility, and corrosion resistance is obtained by solution annealing the welded part before aging. If welded in the overaged condition, the part should be solution annealed before aging.
Other industry standards we comply with:
Common Trade Names
- Custom 455 (® Carpenter Technology Corporation)
- CarTech® Custom 455® Stainless
- Alloy C455
Industry Applications for Custom 455®
- Drill bits
- Drivers
- Distractors
- Shafts
- Surgical instruments for orthopedic, spinal, and dental markets
Chemical Composition
| Element | Min | Max | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mn | Manganese | - | 0.50 |
| S | Sulfur | - | 0.030 |
| Cr | Chromium | 11.00 | 12.00 |
| Mo | Molybdenum | - | 0.50 |
| Ti | Titanium | 0.80 | 1.40 |
| Fe | Iron | - | Balance |
| C | Carbon | - | 0.05 |
| P | Phosphorous | - | 0.040 |
| Si | Silicon | - | 0.50 |
| Ni | Nickel | 7.50 | 9.50 |
| Cu | Copper | 1.50 | 2.50 |
| Nb/Ta | Columbium & Tantalum | 0.10 | 0.50 |
Physical Properties
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Density | 7.76 g/cm3 |
| Density Imperial | 0.280 lb/in3 |
Mechanical Properties
| Properties | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
Tensile Strength | 1413 MPa | 204900 psi |
Yield Strength | 1345 MPa | 195100 psi |
Modulus of Elasticity | 200 GPa | 29000 ksi |
Poisson?s Ration | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Elongation at Break | 14% | 14% |
Brinell Hardness | 411 | 411 |
Knoop Hardness, Rockwell C | 450 | 450 |
Vickers Hardness, Rockwell C | 430 | 430 |
Hardness, Rockwell C | 44 | 44 |
Datasheet
Additional Info
A Brief History of Custom 455®
Custom 455® (UNS S45500) was introduced by Carpenter Technology as part of their push in the mid‑to‑late 20th century to engineer stainless steels that could match the strength of alloy steels while maintaining corrosion resistance. Carpenter recognized a growing need for high‑strength stainless alloys that could withstand atmospheric corrosion and still be easily fabricated. Custom 455® represented a significant advancement in precipitation‑hardening stainless steels, offering three times the yield strength of 304 stainless. It quickly became known for its single‑step aging process, which simplified heat treatment compared to earlier PH steels.
How Custom 455® Was Developed
When developing Custom 455®, the goal was to create a stainless alloy with very high yield strength and good ductility. Additionally, they were looking to Improve corrosion resistance, provide dimensional stability, and Simplify processing with a single‑step aging treatment rather than multi‑stage hardening. Custom 455® uses a Cr–Ni–Cu base with Nb/Ta additions to enable precipitation hardening.
Early Applications of Custom 455®
Because of its unique combination of strength, corrosion resistance, and stability, early adopters came from high‑performance sectors. Applications included aerospace fasteners and structural components, high performance springs, medical instruments, and industrial hardware.
How Custom 455® is Used Today
Custom 455® remains widely used across aerospace, defense, medical, and industrial sectors because of its reliability and performance.
- Aerospace: Fasteners, landing gear components, actuators, structural fittings
- Medical: Surgical instruments, orthopedic tools, needles, pins
- Industrial and Energy: High strength shafts, valves, and components exposed to atmospheric or freshwater environments.
Your Trusted Supplier of Custom 455®
Our medical-grade Custom 455® stainless round bar is domestically melted and manufactured. We stock bar sizes 0.1875" - 2.000". United Performance Metals is Approved ISO 13485 : 2016. This alloy is most commonly used in the medical industry for surgical instruments including drill bits, drivers, distractors, and shafts.
Product FAQs
Heat treatment is one of the biggest advantages of Custom 455®. It is soft and formable in the annealed condition. A single‑step aging treatment produces exceptional strength and hardness. Aging temperatures can be selected to fine‑tune mechanical properties. This simplicity is a major reason for its popularity in aerospace and medical applications.
Yes, in the annealed condition, it machines similarly to other PH stainless steels. After aging, Custom 455® becomes significantly harder and more difficult to machine.
Yes, Custom 455® can be welded using methods similar to other precipitation‑hardening stainless steels. Post‑weld aging is typically required to restore strength.