Melting Point of Stainless Steel by Grade
Most common stainless steels begin melting at roughly 1,371–1,482°C (2,500–2,700°F) and become fully liquid by roughly 1,399–1,532°C (2,550–2,790°F). The correct value is a solidus-to-liquidus range—not one universal melting point.
Approximate start-to-complete melting span across the grades in this guide.
A widely quoted melting range for common austenitic stainless.
Its published range starts lower than 304's.
Creep, oxidation, load and microstructure usually control usable temperature first.
What is the melting point of stainless steel?
Stainless steel does not have one exact melting point. Depending on grade and chemistry, common commercial stainless steels typically melt across a range from about 1,371°C to 1,532°C (2,500°F to 2,790°F).
The lower boundary is the solidus: the temperature at which the first liquid appears. The upper boundary is the liquidus: the temperature at which the alloy becomes fully liquid. Between them, solid crystals and liquid metal coexist in a two-phase or “mushy” zone.
This distinction matters because “the melting point of 304 stainless steel” is often presented online as one number. In practice, a published range such as 1,399–1,454°C is more useful. A welding engineer cares about the first local melting near the solidus; a foundry cares about achieving sufficient superheat above the liquidus for pouring and mold filling.
The values below are typical published product-data ranges. They are not acceptance limits for every heat, product form or specification. When a temperature is safety-critical, confirm the exact grade, UNS designation, mill data, chemistry and governing design code.
Stainless steel melting-range lookup
Choose a grade and unit to view its approximate solidus, liquidus and freezing-range width. The converter underneath is useful when a drawing, furnace controller or specification uses a different temperature scale.
Select the material
1400°C = 2552°F = 1673.15 K
Approximate published melting range: 1,399–1,454°C.
- Solidus: 1,399°C
- Liquidus: 1,454°C
- Range width: 55°C
- Practical note: Common baseline grade; low-carbon 304L has a similar melting range but improved resistance to weld sensitization.
Melting points of common stainless steel grades
The table shows approximate solidus and liquidus values assembled from published producer and stockholder product data. Differences of several degrees between references are normal because grade specifications allow a chemistry range and data may be rounded.
| Grade | Family | Solidus / melting begins | Liquidus / fully liquid | Range width | Engineering note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | Austenitic | 1,399°C / 2,550°F | 1,454°C / 2,650°F | 55°C / 100°F | General-purpose 18-8 stainless baseline. |
| 304L | Austenitic | 1,399°C / 2,550°F | 1,454°C / 2,650°F | 55°C / 100°F | Similar melt range to 304; lower carbon mainly changes sensitization behavior. |
| 316 | Austenitic | 1,371°C / 2,500°F | 1,399°C / 2,550°F | 28°C / 50°F | Mo-bearing grade; published range starts below 304. |
| 316L | Austenitic | 1,371°C / 2,500°F | 1,399°C / 2,550°F | 28°C / 50°F | Low-carbon weldable variant; nearly the same melting range as 316. |
| 321 | Austenitic, Ti-stabilized | 1,398°C / 2,550°F | 1,446°C / 2,635°F | 48°C / 85°F | Stabilization targets intergranular corrosion, not a dramatic melting-point shift. |
| 347 | Austenitic, Nb-stabilized | 1,399°C / 2,550°F | 1,446°C / 2,635°F | 47°C / 85°F | Often selected for elevated-temperature or stabilized applications. |
| 410 | Martensitic | 1,482°C / 2,700°F | 1,532°C / 2,790°F | 50°C / 90°F | Occupies the upper end of this common-grade comparison. |
| 420 | Martensitic | 1,454°C / 2,650°F | 1,510°C / 2,750°F | 56°C / 100°F | Higher-carbon hardenable family; properties depend strongly on heat treatment. |
| 430 | Ferritic | 1,427°C / 2,600°F | 1,510°C / 2,750°F | 83°C / 150°F | Nickel-free ferritic grade with a relatively high published range. |
| 17-4 PH | Precipitation hardening | 1,404°C / 2,560°F | 1,440°C / 2,625°F | 36°C / 65°F | Strength comes from solution treatment and aging condition, not melting point. |
| 2205 | Duplex | ≈1,399°C / 2,550°F | ≈1,449°C / 2,640°F | ≈50°C / 90°F | Use the exact producer grade data and qualified welding procedure for critical work. |
Why stainless steel melts over a range
A pure element can exhibit a sharp equilibrium melting temperature at a specified pressure. Commercial stainless steel is a multicomponent alloy, so its solid and liquid phases remain stable together across a temperature interval.
As the metal heats to the solidus, the first small amount of liquid forms in microstructural regions whose local chemistry favors melting. More solid dissolves into the liquid as temperature rises. At the liquidus, the last solid disappears. During cooling, the sequence reverses: solid begins to form at the liquidus and solidification is complete at the solidus.
The width of this interval influences the way a casting feeds during solidification and the way a weld pool freezes. A wide freezing range can leave a longer dendritic, semisolid network that must be fed by remaining liquid metal. That does not automatically mean the grade will crack, but it makes joint restraint, impurity control, filler composition and thermal history especially important.
Solidus → mushy zone → liquidus
In a heating cycle, the solidus is the first-melting boundary. In a cooling cycle, the liquidus is the first-solidification boundary.
Every grade permits composition tolerances, so different heats of the same grade are not atom-for-atom identical.
During solidification, alloying elements partition between solid and liquid, creating locally different compositions.
Heating rate, cooling rate and prior processing influence observed behavior outside ideal equilibrium conditions.
Manufacturers may round values or report typical—not guaranteed—physical properties.
How the major stainless families compare
Melting range is one differentiator, but corrosion resistance, toughness, hardenability, weldability and phase stability usually decide which family belongs in an application.
Austenitic: 304, 316, 321, 347
Nickel-stabilized austenitic grades are commonly nonmagnetic in the annealed condition, readily formed and widely welded. Their charted ranges cluster near the lower and middle portion of the common stainless spectrum. 304/304L are general-purpose grades; 316/316L add molybdenum for improved resistance in many chloride-containing environments; 321 and 347 use stabilizing additions to address sensitization concerns.
Ferritic: 430
Ferritic stainless steels are chromium-rich and contain little or no intentional nickel. 430 is magnetic and has a relatively high melting interval in this comparison. Its high liquidus does not make it universally superior at high temperature: toughness, grain growth, weldability and environment still matter.
Martensitic: 410 and 420
These grades can be hardened through heat treatment and occupy the upper end of the common melting-range table. Their performance is closely tied to condition, temper and welding procedure. Heating well below the solidus can still overtemper the material or transform the heat-affected zone.
Duplex: 2205
2205 is designed to combine ferrite and austenite in a controlled phase balance, producing high strength and corrosion performance in suitable service. The desired phase balance is affected by heat treatment and welding thermal cycles; a high melting range is not permission to use duplex indefinitely at elevated temperature.
Precipitation hardening: 17-4 PH
17-4 PH obtains useful strength through solution treatment and aging. Its condition—such as H900 or H1150—can matter more to mechanical performance than its 1,404–1,440°C melting interval. Welding or high-temperature exposure may require re-heat treatment and property verification.
L grades: 304L and 316L
The “L” means lower carbon, not lower melting temperature. 304L and 316L are generally shown with melting ranges close to their standard-carbon counterparts. Their practical advantage is reduced susceptibility to chromium-carbide sensitization during welding or thermal exposure.
How alloying elements influence the melting range
It is tempting to say “chromium raises the melting point” or “nickel lowers it.” Those shortcuts can describe selected comparisons, but stainless steel is a multicomponent system: the final solidus and liquidus come from interactions among all elements and phases, not a simple weighted average of pure-element melting points.
Creates stainless behavior by supporting a protective oxide film and strongly affects ferrite stability and phase equilibria.
Stabilizes austenite and improves toughness and several fabrication and high-temperature properties; its effect depends on the complete chemistry.
Improves resistance to localized corrosion in many environments and changes phase balance and solidification behavior.
Small interstitial additions can strongly affect phase stability, carbides, strength and solidification; specification limits matter.
Stabilizing or precipitation-hardening additions support specialized properties and modify the multicomponent phase diagram.
The reliable approach
Use the published physical-property range for the exact grade as a first reference. For melting, casting or advanced weld-solidification work, use certified chemistry with a validated thermodynamic calculation or experimental data. Do not predict a grade's solidus by averaging the melting points of iron, chromium, nickel and molybdenum.
Melting point vs maximum service temperature
The melting range is an absolute phase boundary. A design temperature is an application-specific limit based on how the part must perform for a required life.
Long before stainless steel begins to melt, its yield and tensile strength decrease. Under sustained load, time-dependent creep can accumulate. The surface can oxidize or react with carbon-, sulfur- or nitrogen-containing atmospheres. Thermal expansion can create distortion and thermal fatigue. A duplex, martensitic or precipitation-hardened microstructure can also change in ways that reduce toughness, hardness or corrosion resistance.
This is why a generic “maximum temperature for 304 stainless” can be misleading. A lightly loaded shield in clean, continuous air exposure is not the same design problem as a pressure vessel, cyclic furnace fixture, exhaust component, chloride-bearing process line or dimensionally critical tooling.
What the melting range tells you in welding
A stainless weld must locally exceed the liquidus in the fusion zone, but melting range alone cannot specify laser power, arc current, travel speed or filler metal.
The process must first deliver enough absorbed energy to create and sustain the required weld pool. Absorptivity, beam or arc distribution, spot size, focus, joint type, thickness, fit-up, travel speed, shielding and heat sinking all change the result. Two grades with similar melting ranges can weld very differently because thermal conductivity, expansion, viscosity, surface condition and solidification mode are different.
Near the fusion boundary, material experiences peak temperatures between ambient and the solidus. That heat-affected zone may undergo grain growth, sensitization, phase imbalance, hardening or tempering without melting. Consequently, a sound-looking top bead is not proof of adequate penetration, internal soundness, corrosion performance or repeatability.
Use the melting range as one boundary condition
- Confirm the exact base-metal grade and condition.
- Select compatible filler or autogenous strategy based on joint metallurgy.
- Develop a parameter window rather than one nominal power setting.
- Control shielding, cleanliness, fit-up and restraint.
- Verify section profile, porosity, cracking and required properties.
How melting data is used beyond welding
Melting and pouring
Foundry practice needs the alloy fully liquid plus controlled superheat for transfer and mold filling. The required pouring temperature depends on casting size, section thickness, mold material, flow path, oxidation, inclusion control and loss of heat during handling—not simply “liquidus + one standard number.”
Solidification and feeding
The freezing interval helps explain dendrite growth, feeding difficulty and shrinkage behavior. Simulation and foundry trials should use the intended chemistry, thermophysical data and process geometry rather than a generic stainless-steel value.
Heat treatment
Solution treatment, annealing, hardening and aging occur below the solidus, often far below it. The correct temperature window is chosen for carbide dissolution, phase transformation, recrystallization or precipitation—not proximity to melting.
Hot forming
Forging and hot rolling temperatures balance flow stress, ductility, grain structure, scaling and phase stability. A high solidus does not automatically mean a wider safe hot-working window.
Furnace control
Thermocouple location, load uniformity, overshoot, calibration and atmosphere can be more important than a nominal setpoint. Critical procedures define allowable temperature variation and soak time.
Failure analysis
Local grain-boundary liquation, resolidified films or abnormal segregation can indicate incipient melting even when the bulk part never appeared molten. Metallography and chemistry are needed to establish the cause.
How to use stainless melting data correctly
A strong specification connects the temperature data to a traceable material, process objective and acceptance method.
Six mistakes that lead to bad temperature decisions
1. Quoting one exact number
A single number hides the solidus-liquidus interval and can imply precision the material specification does not guarantee.
2. Equating higher melting with better hot service
High-temperature strength, creep, oxidation and microstructure can set a much lower useful limit.
3. Treating all “stainless” alike
304, 410, 430, 17-4 PH and 2205 belong to different metallurgical families with different fabrication behavior.
4. Averaging pure-element values
Alloy phase behavior is not a simple percentage-weighted average of iron, chromium, nickel and molybdenum melting points.
5. Setting welding parameters from the chart
Melting range is one boundary condition; power density, travel speed, geometry, absorption and heat flow create the actual weld.
6. Ignoring the exact heat and standard
Specification chemistry ranges and product-form differences are why critical work uses certificates, qualified procedures and code data.
Melting and welding stainless steel require engineered controls
Hot work can generate hazardous metal fumes, gases, intense optical radiation, heat, sparks and fire hazards. Stainless processes may create exposure to chromium- and nickel-containing fume; OSHA specifically identifies stainless-steel welding as a potential source of hexavalent chromium exposure.
A professional safety assessment should start with the material and consumable safety data, process, coatings or contamination, ventilation, work enclosure and expected exposure. Use local exhaust ventilation and other engineering controls where applicable, then select respiratory, eye, face, skin, hearing and fire protection under the relevant workplace rules.
Confined-space work, melting, cutting and high-energy laser operations require additional controls. Never infer that a process is safe because the bulk material is nonflammable or because the melt temperature is known.
Related stainless steel and laser welding guides
Stainless steel melting-point FAQ
What is the melting point of stainless steel in Celsius?
What is the melting point of 304 stainless steel?
What is the melting point of 316 stainless steel?
Which common stainless grade has the highest melting range?
Does stainless steel melt at a higher temperature than carbon steel?
Why does stainless steel have a melting range instead of one point?
Is maximum service temperature the same as melting point?
Can melting point determine laser welding power?
Do 304L and 316L melt at lower temperatures than 304 and 316?
What temperature unit should I specify?
Sources and data notes
Ranges are rounded, typical values used for comparison. Product data may change and should not be treated as a guaranteed material specification. Major references consulted:
- Cleveland-Cliffs stainless product resources, including 304/304L and 316/316L product families.
- Sandmeyer Steel, Alloy 321/321H—published chemistry, physical properties and melting range.
- Sandmeyer Steel, Alloy 347/347H—published physical-property data.
- Sandmeyer Steel, Alloy 410—published 2,700–2,790°F melting range.
- ATI 430 Technical Data Sheet—published 2,600–2,750°F melting range.
- Sandmeyer Steel, 17-4 PH—published 2,560–2,625°F melting range.
- ATI 2205 duplex stainless resources—grade chemistry, properties and fabrication context.
- Nickel Institute, High-Temperature Characteristics of Stainless Steel—design factors for high-temperature service.
- OSHA, Hexavalent Chromium Overview and Controlling Hazardous Fume and Gases During Welding—hot-work exposure and control guidance.
Editorial boundary: This guide supports comparison and early process planning. It does not replace a producer specification, certified material test report, welding procedure qualification, industrial-hygiene assessment or code-compliant engineering design.
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