EN 10088-2 X46Cr13 1.4034 Stainless Steel Plate

EN 10088-2 X46Cr13 1.4034 stainless steel plate is a martensitic flat product supplied to EN 10088-2, the European standard for stainless steel sheet, plate and strip for general purposes. X46Cr13 contains 0.43 – 0.50 % carbon, 12.5 – 14.5 % chromium and up to 1.00 % manganese, which makes it the highest-carbon of the standard 13 % chromium martensitic steels in the standard. As hardened and tempered thin strip it reaches 49 – 55 HRC, the highest hardness range of the X12Cr13 to X46Cr13 series. EN 10088-2 lists it only as strip: cold rolled strip up to 8 mm and hot rolled strip up to 13.5 mm annealed (+A), and cold rolled strip up to 3 mm hardened and tempered (+QT). Sheet and plate are cut from this strip; no hot rolled plate (product form P) is listed.

SHH STEEL works as a steel sourcing partner with long-term relationships with Chinese stainless mills that roll 13 % chromium martensitic cold and hot rolled strip in the annealed and hardened conditions. For large tonnages, the buyer can contract directly with a suitable mill, with SHH STEEL assisting for a modest service fee and handling follow-up and documents. For small orders we consolidate demand, so that 1 – 5 t lots are placed against genuine mill production instead of stock of unknown origin. Each shipment can be released after third-party inspection by TUV, ABS, BV, DNV, CCS or an agency the buyer nominates, and payment by TT or LC is accepted. The rest of this page covers the technical side of EN 10088-2 1.4034 and the steps we take so that the sheet that arrives is the sheet that was ordered.

The table below lists the concerns buyers raise most often when sourcing EN 10088-2 X46Cr13 sheet and plate from China, and how SHH STEEL deals with each of them.

1.4034 has no exact counterpart in ASTM A240 or JIS. It is often cross-referenced to ASTM A240 Type 420 sheet and plate (UNS S42000), which only sets a carbon minimum of 0.15 %, and sometimes to JIS G4305 SUS420J2 plate, whose carbon maximum of 0.40 % is below the 1.4034 minimum of 0.43 %.

Because neither cross-reference fixes carbon at the 1.4034 level, a 420 or SUS420J2 certificate does not show that the material will reach 1.4034 hardness. SHH STEEL checks the carbon before such material is offered against a 1.4034 requirement.

1.4034 does not appear in EN 10028-7:2016, whose martensitic grades are 1.4313 and 1.4418.

Edition note: the values on this page are taken from EN 10088-2:2014. A revised edition (EN 10088-2:2024) has since been published. If your contract names the newer edition, SHH STEEL checks the order against that text before production, and any difference is raised at the quotation stage rather than after rolling.

The 1.4034 chemical composition below is the cast (heat) analysis from EN 10088-2:2014 Table 4. Values are percentages by mass; a single figure is a maximum.

1.4034 has the same silicon, manganese and chromium limits as 1.4031; only the carbon range is higher. That is why the carbon result on the certificate is the main check in the 1.4034 chemical composition review at SHH STEEL.

Product analysis tolerances (EN 10088-2 Table 5)

A product analysis is a check made on the delivered sheet. It is not mandatory under EN 10088-2; it is carried out when agreed at the time of enquiry and order, and SHH STEEL can arrange it through a partner laboratory. The permissible tolerances on the cast limits are:

Where several product analyses are made on one cast, individual results may exceed the maximum or fall below the minimum, but not both for the same element. If a product analysis is required, it should be stated in the order together with the Table 5 tolerances.

The 1.4034 mechanical properties below are the room-temperature values from EN 10088-2:2014 Table 10 for martensitic steels in the heat-treated condition. The values depend on the heat-treatment condition as well as on the product form.

For product forms C and H in the annealed condition, hardness is normally determined, and the tensile test is used in referee testing. EN 10088-2 lists no hot rolled plate (P) for 1.4034, so there are no plate values.

No impact energy or elevated-temperature values are given for this grade. Any extra requirement must be agreed in the order; SHH STEEL can arrange the tests, witnessed by a third-party inspector when required.

EN 10088-2 Table A.4 gives the following guideline temperatures for 1.4034:

1.4034 has the same Annex A guideline temperatures as 1.4031: hardening at 1 000 – 1 100 °C, higher than for 1.4021 and 1.4028, and low-temperature tempering at 200 – 350 °C to keep high hardness. Slow cooling after hot forming is required to avoid cracking.

The Euro Inox fabrication tables give the same annealing range, 730 – 790 °C. These temperatures are guidelines; actual settings are chosen by the mill or the buyer’s heat treater, and we check that the delivery condition is stated on each certificate.

The values below are approximate reference figures for X46Cr13 at room temperature, as listed in EN 10088-1 and reproduced in stockholder datasheets. They are suitable for design estimates and weight calculation; where a figure is critical, use EN 10088-1 itself.

The steel is magnetic in both the annealed and the hardened condition, which allows magnetic clamping when blades and plates are ground.

1.4034 has the moderate corrosion resistance of 13 % chromium martensitic steels. With the highest carbon of the series, more chromium can be bound in carbides, so corrosion resistance depends strongly on correct hardening, which dissolves carbides, and on a ground or polished surface. The Euro Inox fabrication tables describe it as hardenable and list cutting tools, knives, scissors and brake discs among its end uses. EN 10088-2 gives no corrosion data, and we have not quoted test figures here because they vary with condition and finish.

Where corrosion resistance matters more than hardness, a lower-carbon grade such as EN 10088-2 1.4000 plate or an austenitic grade should be considered.

Suitability for food contact should be confirmed for the specific part, condition and finish.

1.4034 is not intended for welding. With about 0.46 % carbon, the weld and heat-affected zone become very hard and brittle, and cracking is likely. The Euro Inox fabrication tables give no preheating temperature for this grade, unlike the lower-carbon 1.4021.

• Avoid welding where possible; use mechanical joining or a weldable grade instead.
• If a repair weld is unavoidable, use a qualified procedure with preheat and post-weld heat treatment set by the procedure or filler supplier.
• Low-hydrogen processes and dry consumables are essential.
• EN 10088-2 does not specify welding procedures; these are general industry practices.

These points reflect industry practice for 13 % chromium martensitic stainless steels rather than requirements of EN 10088-2, which does not specify welding procedures. In the SHH STEEL workshop, blanks and slit strips are cut with clean, burr-free edges so that seam, spot and tube welding run without edge preparation problems.

Annealed 1.4034 strip can be blanked and bent with generous radii; parts are then hardened and tempered. Hardened strip is only cut, ground and polished.

Thermal cutting creates a hard, crack-prone edge, so laser cutting or blanking is best done in the annealed condition, with an allowance for grinding. Machining and grinding are easiest before hardening.

We run our own workshop next to the warehouse, so 1.4034 martensitic sheet and X46Cr13 plate cut from strip can be delivered as cut blanks or slit strip instead of raw mill sizes. Details are on our steel cutting services and bending and forming services pages.

EN 10088-2 lists 1.4034 only as strip. The table shows the product forms and thickness limits; sheet and plate are cut from this strip.

Material thicker than 13.5 mm is outside EN 10088-2 for this grade, so heavier sizes must be agreed separately and cannot simply be certified to the standard.

SHH STEEL can supply 1.4034 hot rolled strip and cold rolled strip as coils, slit strip or cut sheet to your drawing.

Surface finish is ordered by the process route symbols of EN 10088-2 Table 6; trade names from ASTM and JIS are shown for reference. Not every route is available for every grade, and the mill confirms which ones it can supply.

Blades and tools are hardened and then ground and polished, so the mill finish mainly needs to be clean, flat and free from deep defects; we inspect the surface before shipment.

A 1.4034 equivalent is hard to find outside the EN system: none of the American, Chinese or Japanese flat-product grades matches its carbon range.

Some buyers consider AISI 440A stainless steel plate when they need more hardness, but 440A is a different steel with 0.60 – 0.75 % carbon and 16 – 18 % chromium (JIS SUS440A values). See also AISI 420 stainless steel plate.

1.4034 vs 1.4031, 1.4028 and 1.4116

Compared with EN 10088-2 1.4031 plate, 1.4034 has more carbon and a higher hardness range after hardening (49 – 55 HRC against 47 – 53 HRC for thin +QT strip), with the same strip-only product forms. Compared with EN 10088-2 1.4028 plate and EN 10088-2 1.4021 plate, it is much harder but less tough, and has no plate form in EN 10088-2. X50CrMoV15 (1.4116) adds molybdenum and vanadium for knives that need better corrosion resistance and edge retention. Compared with 1.4006, 1.4034 is a cutting and wear grade, not a structural one.

Typical end uses of 1.4034 martensitic sheet and strip listed in the Euro Inox fabrication tables include:

• Cutting tools
• Knives and scissors
• Ball bearings and skates
• Brake discs
• Press plates
• Wear parts that are hardened after blanking

1.4034 martensitic plate cut from strip is not a pressure-equipment grade under EN 10028-7 and is not normally used for welded structures.

Knife and tool makers usually order annealed strip, blank the parts and harden them; hardened strip up to 3 mm suits parts that cannot be heat treated after blanking. SHH STEEL can advise on the right condition.

For 1.4034 the main risks are lower-carbon substitutes, sizes outside the standard and blanking in the wrong condition.

None of these steps is complicated, but they need to be agreed at the start. When you send an enquiry, tell us which of these points matters most to you, and the order will be built around it.

Every 1.4034 order is supported by documents and checks that make the material traceable to the heat:

• Cast analysis with carbon and chromium checked
• 1.4034 hardness test for +A strip (HRB/HBW) and +QT strip (HRC/HV)
• Tensile test in referee cases
• Flatness and surface inspection
• Additional checks through our third-party testing service: PMI, dimensional, flatness and surface inspection

If the order does not name an inspection document, EN 10088-2 requires only a test report 2.2. Because this is rarely enough for blade and tooling or export work, SHH STEEL supplies an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate as standard and a 3.2 certificate when an independent inspector (TUV, ABS, BV, DNV, CCS or an agency you nominate) witnesses testing and countersigns the document.

Ordering example and lead time

Following the pattern of the example in EN 10088-2, a typical order line would read: 3 t cold rolled strip, 2.5 mm × 1 000 mm coil, EN 10088-2, steel X46Cr13 (1.4034), heat-treatment condition +A, process route 2D, inspection certificate 3.1 to EN 10204. Mill production lead time is generally 30 – 40 days from order confirmation, depending on the rolling schedule, the size and the tests requested; 1.4034 is rolled in campaigns, so their timing should be confirmed at enquiry. Consolidated small lots follow the same mill schedule, and we send progress updates at rolling, testing and packing.

• Mill relationships: long-term cooperation with Chinese stainless mills helps us secure competitive pricing and steadier delivery for 1.4034 and related martensitic and ferritic grades.
• Direct mill contracts: for larger tonnages you can contract directly with a suitable mill, for a modest service fee, while we handle follow-up and documents.
• Order consolidation: 1 – 5 t lots are combined so they can be placed against genuine mill production.
• Own workshop: slitting, cut-to-length, laser cutting, bending and protective film before shipment.
• Inspection and certificates: third-party inspection by TUV, ABS, BV, DNV, CCS or your nominated agency, with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certificates.
• Flexible payment: TT, LC or a combination of both.
• Port logistics: coil and sheet are packed seaworthy with heat-number labels and shipped through our worldwide shipping service, together with other grades if needed.

As a 1.4034 plate supplier SHH STEEL also stocks and sources the wider range of stainless steel sheets and plates, so mixed orders of different stainless grades can travel in one container with one set of paperwork.

EN 10088-2 X46Cr13 1.4034 is the highest-carbon standard 13 % chromium martensitic steel, used for knives, cutting tools and wear parts. In EN 10088-2 it is listed as annealed strip up to 13.5 mm and as hardened thin strip, not as hot rolled plate. Choosing it is the easy part. Getting genuine material that matches the certificate, in the gauge and finish your parts need and on a predictable schedule, is where a sourcing partner earns its place, and that is the work SHH STEEL does every day through long-term mill cooperation, consolidation and its own workshop.

The next step is simple. Send SHH STEEL your drawing, or an enquiry with the quantity, thickness, width, finish and delivery destination, and we will judge whether a direct mill contract or consolidation with processing fits your order better, and quote accordingly. Send your sizes and quantities for a quotation.