Austenitic stainless steel having improved processability

Abstract

Disclosed is an austenitic stainless steel with increased workability. The austenitic stainless steel includes, based on % by weight, silicon (Si): 0.1 to 0.65%, manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 3.0%, nickel (Ni): 6.5 to 10.0%, chromium (Cr): 16.5 to 20.0%, copper (Cu): 6.0% or less (excluding 0), the sum of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N): 0.08% or less (excluding 0), and the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, wherein the austenitic stainless steel has a work hardening rate of 1500 MPa or less within a true strain range of 0.15 to 0.4. Therefore, when a sink bowl and the like are processed using the austenitic stainless steel, the true strain and work hardening rate of which are controlled, the occurrence of delayed fracture in a molded corner thereof, which has been subjected to a large amount of processing, can be prevented.

1 . An austenitic stainless steel with increased workability, comprising, based on % by weight, silicon (Si): 0.1 to 0.65%, manganese (Mn): 0.2 to 3.0%, nickel (Ni): 6.5 to 10.0%, chromium (Cr): 16.5 to 20.0%, copper (Cu): 6.0% or less (excluding 0), the sum of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N): 0.08% or less (excluding 0), and the remainder being Fe and unavoidable impurities, wherein the austenitic stainless steel has a work hardening rate of 1500 MPa or less within a true strain range of 0.15 to 0.4. 
     
     
         2 . The austenitic stainless steel according to  claim 1 , comprising carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in an amount of 0.05% or less (excluding 0). 
     
     
         3 . The austenitic stainless steel according to  claim 2 , comprising carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in an amount of 0.03% or less (excluding 0). 
     
     
         4 . The austenitic stainless steel according to  claim 1 , wherein the austenitic stainless steel has an ASTM grain size number of 8 or less. 
     
     
         5 . The austenitic stainless steel according to  claim 1 , wherein the austenitic stainless steel has a ferritic or martensitic phase fraction of less than 1%.