Stainless Steel AUS-10 Annealed
Temper · default condition
Stock condition for blade blanking, grinding and profiling before heat treatment.
Values for the Annealed condition
Other AUS-10 tempers and conditions
AUS-10 is listed in 5 conditions; see the grade overview at AUS-10.
- Annealed
- CR
- QT56-58
- QT58-60
- QT60-62-CRYO
Compare all 5 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AnnealedDefaultThis page mill (spheroidize) annealed strip/sheet | Stock condition for blade blanking, grinding and profiling before heat treatment. | 450 | 760 | 13 | 22 HRC | — |
Cold rolled | As-cold-rolled strip supplied for stamping lines where blanks are hardened immediately after cutting. | 780 | 950 | 6 | 30 HRC | 2.9 % IACS |
Q&T 56–58 HRC | Choose for hard-use, thick-spine or chopping blades where chipping resistance matters more than edge retention. | 1,750 | 1,900 | 2.5 | 57 HRC | — |
Q&T 58–60 HRC | The usual factory spec for AUS-10 kitchen and folding knives: good edge holding with acceptable toughness. | 1,900 | 2,050 | 2 | 59 HRC | — |
Q&T 60–62 HRC | Sub-zero treatment converts retained austenite for peak hardness and edge retention on thin slicing blades; least tough option. | 2,000 | 2,150 | 1.5 | 61 HRC | — |
What is AUS-10 Annealed?
AUS-10 Annealed is AUS-10 in the Annealed temper — stock condition for blade blanking, grinding and profiling before heat treatment. AUS-10 Annealed has a yield strength of 450 MPa (65.3 ksi) and a tensile strength of 760 MPa (110 ksi) — stronger than 70% of stainless steel grades. Elongation at break is 13% and the elastic modulus is 200 GPa (29 Msi). AUS-10 Annealed has a density of 7.7 g/cm³ (0.278 lb/in³), lighter than 83% of stainless steel grades. It melts at 1,370°C (2,498 °F).
Advantages
- Low embodied carbon — 3.3 kg CO₂/kg, better than 93% of stainless steel grades
- Polishes to a fine finish — 80/100, better than 89% of stainless steel grades
- High electrical conductivity — 2.9 % IACS, better than 87% of stainless steel grades
- Conducts heat well — 24 W/m·K (13.9 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of stainless steel grades
Limitations
- Low fracture toughness — 45 MPa·√m (41 ksi·√in), worse than 95% of stainless steel grades
- Limited ductility — 13%, worse than 93% of stainless steel grades
- Difficult to weld — 25/100, worse than 92% of stainless steel grades
- Needs corrosion protection — 45/100, worse than 85% of stainless steel grades
AUS-10 Annealed properties
Typical room-temperature values for AUS-10 Annealed; 13 are specific to this condition. Other listed values are AUS-10 reference data and may not represent this condition. Bars are the position among stainless steel grades.
Physical3
AUS-10 Annealed has a density of 7.7 g/cm³ (0.278 lb/in³), lighter than 83% of stainless steel grades. It melts at 1,370°C (2,498 °F).
Mechanical17
AUS-10 Annealed has a yield strength of 450 MPa (65.3 ksi) and a tensile strength of 760 MPa (110 ksi) — stronger than 70% of stainless steel grades. Elongation at break is 13% and the elastic modulus is 200 GPa (29 Msi).
Thermal6
AUS-10 Annealed is rated for continuous service to 500°C (932 °F). It conducts heat at 24 W/m·K (13.9 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 81% of stainless steel grades. Thermal expansion is 10.2 µm/m·K (5.67 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
AUS-10 Annealed conducts electricity at 2.9 % IACS, better than 87% of stainless steel grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is fair (45/100), worse than 85% of stainless steel grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of AUS-10 Annealed takes about 45 MJ of energy and emits 3.3 kg of CO₂ — less than 91% of stainless steel grades. Typical recycled content is 50%.
Manufacturability7
AUS-10 Annealed's machinability is fair (40/100, better than 72% of stainless steel grades); weldability poor (25/100); formability fair (35/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Confirm any required mill or lot documentation when quoting.
Working with AUS-10 Annealed
Is AUS-10 easy to machine?
Machine, drill and profile only in the annealed state with sharp carbide tooling, rigid setups and flood coolant; after hardening use grinding, EDM or waterjet only.
Can AUS-10 be welded?
Essentially not weldable for service parts — high carbon promotes hardening cracks; if unavoidable, preheat 250–300 °C, use austenitic filler and temper immediately.
Can AUS-10 be formed, bent or molded?
Blank, stamp and lightly bend only when annealed with generous radii; hot forge 1050–1150 °C and cool slowly to a spheroidized anneal.
What surface finishes work on AUS-10?
Austenitize ~1050–1080 °C, quench (oil/plate/gas), optional cryo, temper 150–200 °C; then belt-grind, mirror polish or bead blast and passivate in nitric/citric acid for best corrosion behaviour.
AUS-10 chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Chighest carbon of the AUS series | 0.95 – 1.1 | 1.03 |
| Cr | 13 – 14.5 | 13.8 |
| Motemper resistance, pitting resistance | 0.1 – 0.31 | 0.2 |
| Vgrain refinement, hard carbides | 0.1 – 0.27 | 0.18 |
| Ni | ≤ 0.49 | 0.3 |
| Mn | ≤ 0.5 | 0.4 |
| Si | ≤ 1 | 0.4 |
| Pimpurity | ≤ 0.04 | — |
| Simpurity | ≤ 0.03 | — |
| Fe | balance | — |
AUS-10 Annealed — frequently asked
What is AUS-10 Annealed used for?
AUS-10 Annealed is typically used for premium production knife blades, kitchen cutlery, santoku and gyuto blanks, folding knife blades, hunting and outdoor fixed blades and hardened wear-resistant edges. In short: higher-carbon AUS-8; harder and more wear-resistant; 440C-class hardness range.
What is the yield strength of AUS-10 Annealed?
AUS-10 Annealed has a typical yield strength of 450 MPa (65.3 ksi) and a tensile strength of 760 MPa (110 ksi) — stronger than 70% of stainless steel grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 5 listed tempers.
Is AUS-10 Annealed easy to machine?
Not especially — machinability is rated fair (40/100, better than 72% of stainless steel grades). Machine, drill and profile only in the annealed state with sharp carbide tooling, rigid setups and flood coolant; after hardening use grinding, EDM or waterjet only.
Can AUS-10 Annealed be welded?
Not readily — weldability is rated poor (25/100). Essentially not weldable for service parts — high carbon promotes hardening cracks; if unavoidable, preheat 250–300 °C, use austenitic filler and temper immediately.
What surface finishes work on AUS-10 Annealed?
Austenitize ~1050–1080 °C, quench (oil/plate/gas), optional cryo, temper 150–200 °C; then belt-grind, mirror polish or bead blast and passivate in nitric/citric acid for best corrosion behaviour.
Can AUS-10 Annealed be formed, bent or molded?
Blank, stamp and lightly bend only when annealed with generous radii; hot forge 1050–1150 °C and cool slowly to a spheroidized anneal.
What is the maximum service temperature of AUS-10 Annealed?
AUS-10 Annealed is rated for continuous use to about 500°C (932 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between AUS-10 Annealed and AUS-10 QT58-60?
Annealed is the default condition — stock condition for blade blanking, grinding and profiling before heat treatment. QT58-60: the usual factory spec for AUS-10 kitchen and folding knives: good edge holding with acceptable toughness. Yield strength is 450 MPa in Annealed versus 1,900 MPa in QT58-60.
Sources
- AUS series stainless knife steel data (AUS-6 / AUS-8 / AUS-10) — Aichi Steel Corporation (2020)
- ASM Handbook Vol.1: Properties and Selection — Irons, Steels, and High-Performance Alloys (martensitic stainless, 440-type) — ASM International (1990)
- GB/T 1220 / JIS G 4303 martensitic stainless bar (9Cr18MoV comparison grade) — SAC / JISC (2007)
- ASTM A276 / UNS S44004 (440C) comparison data — ASTM International (2017)
- AUS10 / 9Cr18MoV (2025)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.