Stainless Steel Alloy 20 Cold Drawn vs Alloy 20 Hot Finished
Stainless Steel · Alloy 20 temper comparison
Alloy 20 Cold Drawn and Alloy 20 Hot Finished are two conditions of the same stainless steel grade, Alloy 20: Cold Drawn versus Hot Finished (hot rolled/forged and annealed bar, plate or seamless pipe). The chemistry is identical, so every difference below comes from the condition. Alloy 20 Cold Drawn is the stronger of the two: yield strength 620 MPa (89.9 ksi) against 300 MPa (43.5 ksi) for Alloy 20 Hot Finished, about 107% more; tensile strength follows at 760 MPa (110 ksi) vs 610 MPa (88.5 ksi). In exchange, Alloy 20 Hot Finished is the more ductile: elongation 38% versus 22% for Alloy 20 Cold Drawn, and Alloy 20 Cold Drawn is harder (250 HB vs 170 HB).
Alloy 20 Cold DrawnChoose it when strength drives the design.
Alloy 20 Hot FinishedChoose it when the part is bent, formed or impact-loaded.
Alloy 20 Cold Drawn vs Alloy 20 Hot Finished: propertiesHow to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all stainless steel grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
How to read these bars
- One bar per material. A full bar is the highest value among all stainless steel grades in the FabDigit library; each bar is drawn as a share of that.
- The better value (by the usual engineering direction) is in bold. Rows with no direction — density, thermal conductivity — have no bold.
- Values are typical room-temperature figures for the condition named on each card.
- Confirm against the certified mill or resin datasheet before design release.
Alloy 20 Cold DrawnAlloy 20 Hot Finished
Mechanical
Strength, stiffness, ductility and hardness at room temperature.
Tensile Strength (Ultimate)
Yield Strength (0.2% offset)
Elongation at Break
Reduction in Area
Shear Strength
Fatigue Strength (Endurance Limit)
Charpy V-Notch Impact (RT)
Hardness, Brinell
Hardness, Rockwell B
Same in both: Elastic (Young's) Modulus 193 GPa28 Msi · Shear Modulus 74 GPa10.7 Msi · Bulk Modulus 160 GPa23.2 Msi · Poisson's Ratio 0.3
Physical
Density and transition temperatures.
Same in both: Density 8.08 g/cm³0.29 lb/in³ · Melting Point (Solidus) 1,370°C2,498 °F · Liquidus Temperature 1,425°C2,597 °F
Thermal
How each material carries heat and how hot it can run.
Same in both: Thermal Conductivity 12 W/m·K6.9 BTU/hr·ft·°F · Specific Heat Capacity 500 J/kg·K0.12 BTU/lb·°F · Thermal Expansion (CTE, 20–100 °C) 14.8 µm/m·K8.2 µin/in·°F · Latent Heat of Fusion 285 J/g123 BTU/lb · Max Service Temperature (continuous) 500°C932 °F · Min Service Temperature -196°C-321 °F
Electrical
Conductivity and insulation.
Same in both: Electrical Conductivity 1.6 % IACS · Electrical Resistivity 1.08×10⁻⁶ Ω·m42.5 µΩ·in
Chemical & Environmental
Corrosion and environmental resistance (0–100 scores).
Corrosion Resistance
Same in both: Galvanic Potential (seawater, vs SCE) -0.08 V
Manufacturability
FabDigit workshop ratings (0–100 scores) — how each material behaves on the machine.
Machinability
Machinability Rating (AISI 1212 = 100 %)
Formability (cold)
Polishability
Same in both: Weldability 80 / 100 · Castability 55 / 100 · Brazeability / Solderability 60 / 100
Sustainability
Primary-production footprint per kilogram.
Same in both: Embodied Energy (primary production) 100 MJ/kg42,992 BTU/lb · Embodied Carbon (primary production) 7.5 kg CO₂/kg · Embodied Water 200 L/kg24 gal/lb · Typical Recycled Content 45%
Strength versus weight
Yield strength against density for every stainless steel grade in the FabDigit library; the compared grades are highlighted. Up and left is stronger for its weight.
Alloy 20 Cold Drawn vs Alloy 20 Hot Finished — frequently asked
Is Alloy 20 Cold Drawn stronger than Alloy 20 Hot Finished?
Yes. Alloy 20 Cold Drawn has a typical yield strength of 620 MPa (89.9 ksi) against 300 MPa (43.5 ksi) for Alloy 20 Hot Finished — about 107% more. Tensile strength is 760 MPa (110 ksi) vs 610 MPa (88.5 ksi).
Which condition does FabDigit quote by default, Cold Drawn or Hot Finished?
Annealed is the default Alloy 20 condition in the FabDigit quote flow (neither Cold Drawn nor Hot Finished). The other condition is available on request or by drawing note — specify it in the material field or the part notes and the quote is priced for it.
Which is easier to machine, Alloy 20 Cold Drawn or Alloy 20 Hot Finished?
Alloy 20 Cold Drawn, by a small margin. Both rate fair for machinability — 44/100 against 36/100 for Alloy 20 Hot Finished.
Ready to make it?
Upload a CAD file and FabDigit prices the part in Alloy 20 Cold Drawn and Alloy 20 Hot Finished side by side — material, machining time, tolerance and finish in one quote. Certified material data ships with the order on request.
Typical handbook values for the conditions named above, normalised for comparison. Hardness on non-Brinell scales is converted approximately for charting only. Request certified data with your order for design-critical properties.