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Nitronic 60 Hardness (HRB, HRC, HB) and NACE MR0175

Nitronic 60 hardness 95 HRB annealed 30 HRC cold-worked, UNS S21800
Nitronic 60 hardness 95 HRB annealed 30 HRC cold-worked

Nitronic 60 hardness in the solution-annealed condition is 95 HRB maximum (approximately 210 HB or 25 HRC). Cold-worked HS condition reaches 30 HRC maximum with substantially higher yield strength. NACE MR0175 sour-service material qualification limits hardness to 95 HRB maximum, which solution-annealed Nitronic 60 meets out-of-the-box. The hardness profile is reported on every mill test certificate.

TorqBolt stocks Nitronic 60 (UNS S21800) at our Mumbai head office and Rajkot production plant. Each consignment ships with EN 10204 3.1 mill test certification by default and 3.2 dual-witnessed inspection (Lloyds, TUV, DNV, BV) on request. Contact info@torqbolt.com or +91-22-66157017 for sized stock and lead time.

Hardness Test Methods and Interpretation

Rockwell B scale (HRB) uses a 1.59 mm (1/16 inch) steel ball indenter under 100 kgf major load. The 95 HRB ceiling is the standard reporting for annealed austenitic stainless.

Rockwell C scale (HRC) uses a diamond cone indenter under 150 kgf major load. Used for cold-worked Nitronic 60 HS condition where hardness exceeds 100 HRB.

Brinell scale (HB or BHN) uses a 10 mm steel ball indenter under 3000 kgf. The conversion 95 HRB to ~210 HB is approximate; mill test reports record actual measured values.

For NACE MR0175 compliance hardness verification see the NACE MR0175 page. For yield-strength relationship see yield strength.

Chemistry — UNS S21800

Cr 16-18 / Mn 7-9 / Ni 8-9 / Si 3.5-4.5 / N 0.08-0.18 / C ≤0.10. See full element ranges with single and aggregate limits →

Nitronic 60 Mechanical Properties

Solution-annealed and cold-worked condition mechanical properties per ASTM A276, ASTM A479, and AMS 5848:

PropertySolution AnnealedCold-Worked HS
Yield Strength (0.2% offset)380 MPa (55 ksi) min620 MPa (90 ksi) min
Tensile Strength655 MPa (95 ksi) min860 MPa (125 ksi) min
Elongation (in 4D)35% min15% min
Hardness95 HRB max (~210 HB)30 HRC max
Impact (Charpy V at -196 C)54 J min-
Density7.62 g/cc7.62 g/cc

See yield strength, tensile properties, hardness, and density for cold-work curves and temperature-derated allowables.

Galling Resistance vs 304 / 316L (ASTM G98)

The primary reason buyers specify Nitronic 60. Threshold galling stress per ASTM G98 button-on-block self-mated test:

Self-Mated PairThreshold Galling Stress (ASTM G98)Relative
304 / 30435 to 70 MPa1x baseline
316L / 316L35 to 70 MPa1x baseline
Nitronic 50 / Nitronic 50175 to 275 MPa3-5x
Nitronic 60 / Nitronic 60350 to 500 MPa5-10x

Where threshold stress exceeds the applied contact stress, galling does not initiate. For 316L bolted joints at typical preload, contact stress routinely exceeds 70 MPa, so galling DOES initiate. Nitronic 60 raises the threshold above typical preload contact stress, so galling does NOT initiate. See galling resistance and galling failure mechanism for the full mechanism.

Heat Treatment

Solution anneal only at 1900-1950°F followed by water quench. No precipitation hardening response. See full heat treatment specification →

Welding

Matching filler ER218 per AMS 5847. GTAW, GMAW, and SMAW all qualified. No PWHT required for typical thicknesses. See full welding procedure →

Material Selection

Nitronic 60 wins for anti-galling at high temperature where 304/316L gall. Stellite is harder but brittle. vs 316L · vs Nitronic 50 · austenitic context →

Nitronic 60 Applications by Industry

Related Nitronic 60 Forms and Fasteners

Request a Quote

For Nitronic 60 stock with verified hardness certification, Contact the TorqBolt QA-QC team at info@torqbolt.com or +91-22-66157017. We respond within 24 hours with sized stock availability, lead time, and EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2 MTC documentation samples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Nitronic 60 hardness?

See the values in the table above. The hardness of Nitronic 60 is one of the property metrics that distinguishes it from 304 / 316L.

Why does Nitronic 60 hardness matter?

For design engineering decisions, hardness directly affects component sizing, service envelope, and material substitution choices.

How is hardness verified?

Standard test methods per ASTM. Mill test certificate (EN 10204 3.1) reports the measured value for the heat lot.

What is the temperature dependence?

Nitronic 60 retains useful properties from -196 C cryogenic to ~815 C upper service temperature. Above 540 C check sigma-phase precipitation envelope.