Stainless Steel 15-5PH Powder

Overview

Stainless steel 15-5PH powder is a martensitic precipitation hardening stainless steel that offers high strength, good corrosion resistance, and excellent mechanical properties. It is widely used in applications that require high hardness, strength, and corrosion resistance including aerospace, automotive, oil and gas, marine, medical, food processing and tooling industries.

Some key properties and characteristics of 15-5PH stainless steel powder include:

• High strength and hardness – Achieves high tensile strength up to 200 ksi after heat treatment
• Excellent corrosion resistance – More resistant than conventional martensitic grades
• Good toughness and ductility – Easier to machine than other PH grades
• Precipitation hardening – Develops high strength through heat treatment
• Good dimensional stability – Low distortion compared to other stainless steel powders
• Available in different variants – Vacuum atomized powder and gas atomized powder

Composition

Stainless steel 15-5PH gets its unique properties from its chemical composition. It has the following nominal composition:

The amount of copper and niobium/tantalum are critical to achieve optimum precipitation hardening response and mechanical properties. The additions of chromium and nickel also enhance corrosion resistance.

Properties and Characteristics

Stainless steel 15-5PH powder offers a unique combination of properties that make it suitable for high performance applications:

Applications and Uses

The unique properties of stainless steel 15-5PH powder make suitable for use in:

• Aerospace – Engine and structural components
• Automotive – High strength chassis, suspension parts
• Oil and gas – Wellhead equipment, valves, pumps
• Marine – Propeller shafts, fittings, fasteners
• Medical – Surgical instruments, dental fixtures
• Food processing – Mixers, conveyors, moulds
• Nuclear – Fuel elements, handling equipment
• Chemical processing – Agitators, reaction vessels

It offers the right balance of properties to outperform other stainless steels in these applications.

Product Specifications

15-5PH stainless steel powder is commercially available in different size ranges, particle morphologies, and to various international specifications:

• Powders meet chemistry requirements of AMS 5643 and ASTM A1009
• Gas atomized powder has spherical morphology preferred for AM
• Water atomized powder is irregular shape for conventional PM
• Plasma spheroidizing reduces satellites and improves flow

Suppliers and Pricing

15-5PH stainless steel powder is available from leading global suppliers including:

• Prices vary based on order volume, particle size distribution, powder morphology etc.
• Small quantity samples may be ordered directly from manufacturers’ websites
• Production quantities normally shipped from regional distributors

Comparison to Alternatives

15-5PH compares to other stainless steel powders as:

So 15-5PH provides the best balance of high strength and good corrosion resistance suitable for most applications.

Limitations and Disadvantages

Like all materials, 15-5PH powder has certain limitations:

• Higher cost than carbon steels and lower grades
• Requires solution annealing and aging treatment
• Lower oxidation resistance than austenitic grades
• Welds and HAZ may need post-weld heat treatment
• Not suited for highly corrosive environments – use 316L instead

FAQs

What is 15-5PH stainless steel?

15-5PH is a martensitic precipitation hardening stainless steel that can achieve high strength and hardness up to 200 ksi and HRC 44 through heat treatment, while still retaining good corrosion resistance and toughness.

What does the 15-5PH grade designation mean?

The 15 refers to the approximate chromium content of 15%. The 5 refers to the nickel content of around 5%. The PH stands for “Precipitation Hardening” indicating it can be hardened by heat treatment.

What is precipitation hardening?

It is a heat treatment process where fine particles precipitate inside the alloy during aging and act as obstacles to dislocation movement, thereby increasing strength and hardness drastically.

What are the typical heat treatment temperatures for 15-5PH?

Solution annealing is done at 1040°C and aging at 540°C for 1-4 hours depending on the desired hardness. This achieves tensile strength >200 ksi.

What are some typical applications of 15-5PH powder?

It is widely used in aerospace, oil and gas, automotive, marine, medical, food processing and nuclear industries – anywhere that requires high strength, good corrosion resistance and stability.

What particle size range is used in metal AM?

For powder bed fusion AM with lasers or electrons, particle size range of 15-45 microns with near spherical morphology is generally recommended for 15-5PH powder.

Is 15-5PH machinable in heat treated condition?

Yes, 15-5PH can be machined after aging to high strength unlike some PH grades. However suitable tools are required for machining precipitation hardened materials.

What is the typical price range of 15-5PH powder?

Industrial grade 15-5PH powder from leading suppliers costs between $40 to $75 per kg based on quantity, particle characteristics etc. Prices vary across different vendors.

Which has better corrosion resistance – 15-5PH or 17-4PH?

15-5PH has better resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in environments with chlorides than 17-4PH stainless steel due to lower chromium content.