What Metals Are Magnetic?
Common metals, stainless steel and a simple test
Iron, nickel, cobalt and many steels attract an ordinary hand magnet at room temperature. Aluminum, copper, brass, bronze, magnesium, titanium, zinc, lead, tin, gold and silver normally show no noticeable static pull. Stainless steel varies: ferritic, martensitic and duplex grades attract, while annealed 304 and 316 usually show little or no pull.
Which metals stick to a magnet?
The list below describes noticeable static attraction to a hand magnet under ordinary room-temperature conditions. It covers common bulk metals and alloy families. “No noticeable pull” means the response is too weak to judge by hand; it does not mean zero magnetic response.
These are material-screening observations. Pull strength cannot identify an exact grade, carbon content, heat treatment or corrosion resistance.
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to read the conditions.
| Metal or alloy family | Typical response | Condition that matters |
|---|---|---|
| Iron, nickel and cobalt | Clear attraction | These elemental metals are ferromagnetic at room temperature. Their alloys need separate assessment. |
| Carbon, low-alloy, tool and bearing steels | Usually strong | Common ferritic or martensitic structures attract. A hand magnet cannot separate steel grades or hardness levels. |
| Electrical steel and soft magnetic alloys | Clear attraction | Fe–Si, Fe–Ni and Fe–Co products have controlled magnetic properties that a hand test cannot verify. |
| Gray, ductile and malleable cast iron | Usually strong | The iron matrix provides the response. Austenitic high-alloy cast irons are exceptions. |
| Galvanized carbon steel | Usually strong | The steel substrate attracts; the zinc coating does not create that strong pull. |
| Ferritic stainless: 409, 430, 444 | Clear attraction | The ferritic matrix is magnetic. These are stainless steels despite their attraction. |
| Martensitic stainless: 410, 420, 440 series | Clear attraction | The response does not establish the hardening or tempering condition. |
| Duplex stainless: 2205, 2507 | Clear attraction | Ferrite contributes the response; pull does not measure the ferrite–austenite balance. |
| Common PH stainless: 17-4 PH, 15-5 PH | Usually strong | These precipitation-hardening grades are magnetic. Do not extend this rule to every PH alloy. |
| Austenitic stainless: 304, 316 and their L grades | Little, none or localized | Fully austenitic, annealed material responds weakly. Cold work and weld-metal ferrite can increase attraction. |
| High-manganese austenitic steel | Often little or no pull | An austenitic structure is an exception to the idea that all steel sticks. |
| Nickel-base and cobalt-base alloys | Alloy-dependent | Element content alone does not establish the alloy’s magnetic structure or response. |
| Aluminum and its common alloys | No noticeable static pull | Weak magnetic response and moving-magnet eddy-current drag are different effects. |
| Copper, common brass and bronze | No noticeable static pull | Unusual alloy additions, embedded steel or attached hardware can change the result. |
| Magnesium and titanium | No noticeable static pull | Their weak paramagnetic response is not a useful hand-test signal. |
| Zinc, lead and tin | No noticeable static pull | A coating or plating may conceal a different base metal. |
| Gold, silver and platinum | No noticeable static pull | No pull does not prove purity. Jewelry alloys, clasps and cores may behave differently. |
| Tungsten, molybdenum, chromium and tantalum | Normally no noticeable pull | Check whether the object is pure metal, an alloy, a composite or a coated assembly. |
| Gadolinium | Temperature-dependent | Its ferromagnetic transition is near room temperature, so it is not a reliable everyday reference sample. |
Stainless-family behavior is described by Carpenter Technology; the University of Minnesota’s magnetism guide explains the underlying response classes. Test geometry, distance and material condition can change the pull felt by hand.
Why some metals attract strongly
Magnetism depends on how electrons behave and how their magnetic moments interact. A ferromagnetic material contains regions called domains, within which many moments point in the same direction.
Different domains can point in different directions, leaving an ordinary piece of steel with little overall magnetization. An applied field favors domains pointing along it: they can grow, and moments can rotate. The resulting response is much stronger than the weak response of aluminum or copper.
That is why steel can be attracted even when it was not already acting as a permanent magnet. OpenStax illustrates the domain mechanism.
“Nonmagnetic” usually means weakly responsive
Paramagnetic materials, such as aluminum, have a weak response toward a stronger field. Diamagnetic materials, such as copper, have a weak opposing response. Neither normally gives the familiar hand-magnet stick test. Antiferromagnetic order is another arrangement; its opposing moments largely cancel.
Attraction and permanent magnetism differ
Soft magnetic alloys are designed to magnetize and demagnetize readily. Hard magnetic materials retain magnetization more strongly. Nd–Fe–B, samarium–cobalt and Alnico are engineered permanent-magnet materials; pure neodymium is not what a “neodymium magnet” is made from.
Ferrite has two uses in this discussion. Ferrite in steel is a metallic phase. A ceramic ferrite magnet is an iron-oxide-based material with ferrimagnetic order. It is a magnetic material, but it is not a metal.
Temperature can change the response
Above its Curie temperature, a ferromagnet loses its ferromagnetic order and becomes paramagnetic. This does not mean its magnetic response is exactly zero. Gadolinium is a useful exception because its transition lies near room temperature, as discussed in research on gadolinium’s temperature-dependent magnetism. Heating an unknown part is not a suitable shop identification test.
Why stainless steel gives different results
“Stainless” does not describe a single crystal structure. Ferritic, martensitic, austenitic and duplex stainless steels have different structures and magnetic behavior. A strongly attracted piece can still be a correctly specified stainless grade.
Cold work can make 304 more magnetic
Bending, drawing or other deformation can transform some austenite into magnetic martensite. The amount depends on composition, temperature and degree of deformation. A formed corner or worked edge may therefore respond more strongly than an annealed flat area of the same part.
The response varies with the grade and processing history. Neither “304 always sticks” nor “316 never sticks” is a sound acceptance rule.
Weld metal can respond differently from the sheet
Austenitic stainless weld metal may contain ferrite. Its response can differ from the base metal, depending on filler, dilution and solidification. A local pull at a weld does not by itself prove incorrect filler or a defective joint. The material and welding records must explain the condition. The British Stainless Steel Association discusses these local changes.
Duplex contains two phases
Duplex stainless contains both ferrite and austenite. The ferrite gives a clear magnetic response. A hand magnet cannot determine whether the material is 2205 or whether its phase balance meets a specification.
A ferrite-scope reading is affected by curvature, thickness, surface condition, deformation and measurement location. Outokumpu explains these measurement limits. Ferrite Number and volume percentage should not be treated as interchangeable without the applicable calibration and method.
For the wider material comparison, see 316L versus 2205 duplex stainless steel.
Illustrative example: a labeled 304 bracket attracts more strongly at its bend than on its flat face. Cold-work transformation is one plausible explanation. First check for embedded steel and compare similar geometry; then reconcile the result with the material record. The observation alone neither proves a grade mix-up nor clears the part for use.
Why a magnet slows in copper without sticking
A strong magnet falling through a copper or aluminum tube can descend slowly even though a stationary magnet does not noticeably stick to that metal.
As the magnet moves, the magnetic flux through the conductor changes. This induces circulating currents, called eddy currents. Their magnetic effect opposes the change, resisting the motion. The same principle is used in magnetic braking.
Record moving drag separately from static attraction. It demonstrates electromagnetic induction in a conductor, rather than the ordinary ferromagnetic response used for sorting steel. Geometry, conductivity, field and speed affect the drag. OpenStax explains eddy-current damping.
How to run a useful hand-magnet test
Use a hand magnet to screen material families or investigate an unexpected local response. For a repeatable comparison, control the magnet, distance, contact area and part geometry.
- Check the references. Use one identified, undamaged magnet. Confirm its response on known steel and on a known non-attracting reference, such as aluminum.
- Inspect the construction. Read markings and records. Look for plating, paint, inserts, fasteners or a steel backing. Remove loose ferrous debris without damaging the part.
- Compare like geometry. Use similar thickness and shape. Keep the same magnet face, approach and gap; sliding friction is not a pull-force measurement.
- Check several locations. Compare flat material, bends, edges, welds and attached hardware. Keep local observations separate.
- Record the observation. Note the magnet, locations, coating and part condition, along with strong, weak/localized or no perceptible static pull. Record motion-only drag separately.
Distance can hide an otherwise magnetic substrate. Paint or a thick coating increases the gap; a small or thin part can also feel different from a thick reference block. Conversely, steel debris or an internal fastener can make a non-attracting surface seem magnetic.
Scroll sideways on a narrow screen.
| Observation | What it suggests | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Strong static attraction | A strongly magnetic phase or component is present. | Check whether the signal comes from the bulk metal, plating, debris or an insert. |
| Weak or localized attraction | Local structure, a small magnetic fraction or geometry may control the result. | Map the response and compare equivalent locations and dimensions. |
| No perceptible static attraction | No strong response was detected with this setup. | Verify the magnet and gap before placing the part in a non-attracting material group. |
| Drag only during motion | Eddy-current braking may be involved. | Repeat with the magnet stationary and keep the two observations separate. |
Handle strong magnets carefully. Keep fingers out of closing gaps and prevent magnets from slamming together. Use suitable eye protection and follow the magnet supplier’s and implanted-device manufacturer’s guidance. K&J Magnetics describes pinch, shattering and device-interference hazards.
When the exact material or magnetic property matters
Choose the verification method for the question being answered. Chemistry, magnetic permeability and crack inspection are different tasks.
To confirm an alloy grade
Start with markings, the heat or lot number and a matching material test report. If these are missing or inconsistent, use a suitable positive material identification (PMI) method.
A properly selected handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) method can measure chromium, nickel and molybdenum to help separate 304- and 316-type stainless. Conventional handheld XRF cannot measure carbon, so it cannot establish an L or H carbon suffix. Carbon-capable optical emission spectrometry (OES), an appropriately configured laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument or laboratory analysis may be needed. Thermo Fisher explains these analytical differences.
See the 304 vs 316 identification guide for the detailed verification path. A composition result still does not prove heat treatment, mechanical properties or service suitability.
To accept a low-permeability part
Use the specified measurement method, calibration, material condition and test locations. ASTM A342/A342M-26 covers methods for weakly magnetic materials; its scope explains why methods and applied field can give different results. A hand-magnet pull is not a numeric permeability measurement.
To inspect for cracks
Magnetic-particle testing locates surface and near-surface discontinuities in ferromagnetic parts. It does not identify alloy chemistry. Select the inspection procedure separately from the material-identification method.
For fabrication, establish the grade and condition before selecting filler, shielding gas or laser settings. Our stainless steel laser welding guide covers that next process question.
Sources and further reading
- University of Minnesota — Classes of Magnetic Materials: magnetic order and weak responses.
- OpenStax — Magnetism in Matter: domains and material response.
- Carpenter Technology — Magnetic Properties of Stainless Steels: families and cold-work effects.
- Outokumpu — Ferrite-scope measurements: duplex structure and measurement limitations.
- OpenStax — Eddy Currents and Magnetic Damping: the moving-magnet explanation.
- ASTM A342/A342M-26: public scope for permeability tests.
Planning to weld or clean the material?
Share the confirmed alloy, condition, thickness, surface and target result with Oceanplayer Laser to discuss a representative sample test.