Grade 201, austenitic chromium-manganese stainless steel

201 Stainless Steel Coil and Sheet

A lower-cost austenitic grade that replaces most of the nickel in 304 with manganese and nitrogen. Strong and easy to form, with lower corrosion resistance than 304, so it suits indoor, dry and decorative use.

Tell us about your project See sizes

Forms

Coil, sheet

Thickness

0.15–3.0 mm

Width

1000 / 1219 / 1240 / 1500 mm

Standards

ASTM A240, A666, ASME SA240

Is it for you?Sizes Properties J1–J4 Processing 201 or 304 FAQ

Is Sanmei Metal the right supplier for you?

We supply stainless steel together with the processing and technical support that projects and products need.

A good fit if you

Need a specific grade, finish or size for a project, from samples or one coil to a few containers

Want it slit, cut to size or fabricated to your drawing

Need documents: a Mill Test Report with every order, SGS testing on request

Want help choosing the right grade and finish for your application

Build products or projects: equipment housings, architectural interiors, elevator and kitchen work

When buying direct from a mill may suit you better

You need standard grades in full-mill quantities and compare on price per tonne

You need no slitting, cutting, documents or technical support

You already have a fixed spec and a mill allocation

Not sure which applies to you? Tell us about your order and we will give you our professional advice.

Tell us about your project See what we fabricate

Sizes we supply in 201.

Standard widths from stock, cut-to-length sheet, and custom slitting for strip-fed production lines.

201 coil

Width

1000, 1219, 1240, 1500 mm, or slit to your width

Thickness

0.15–3.0 mm

Coil weight

3–10 t

201 sheet

Width

1000, 1219, 1240, 1500 mm, or cut to size

Length

2000, 2438, 2500, 3000, 3048 mm

Thickness

0.3–3.0 mm

Every order ships with a Mill Test Report. Sample sheets and small batches are welcome.

Get a quote for 201 Send a cut list or drawing

201 mechanical and physical properties.

Minimum mechanical values and typical physical values for annealed 201, in US and metric units.

Mechanical properties

Property

Metric

Yield strength, min.

45 ksi

310 MPa

Tensile strength, min.

95 ksi

655 MPa

Elongation, min.

40%

Hardness, max.

100 HRB

Physical properties

Property

Metric

Density

0.283 lb/in³

7.83 g/cm³

Modulus of elasticity

28.6 × 10⁶ psi

197 GPa

Thermal expansion, 68–212 °F

9.2 × 10⁻⁶ /°F

16.6 µm/m·°C

Thermal conductivity

9.4 Btu/ft·hr·°F

16.3 W/m·K

Specific heat

0.12 Btu/lb·°F

502 J/kg·K

Electrical resistivity

27 µΩ·in

68.6 µΩ·cm

Tell us what the part is, where it will be used and roughly how many. We confirm the grade and finish before you order.

Tell us your application

J1, J2, J3 and J4: which 201 to order.

Chinese mills make 201 in four J types. Nickel and chromium are similar; carbon and copper are not, and that changes hardness, formability and price.

General shallow drawing

The standard 201. Meets ASTM A240, A666 and ASME SA240.

Hard, not for bending

Highest carbon and hardness, lowest price.

Lightly machined structures

Between J1 and J2 in hardness and cost.

Complex deep drawing

Highest copper and lowest carbon, for deep forming.

Ranked from highest to lowest

Copper content

Carbon content

Hardness

Price

Typical chemical composition, % by weight

Type

201 J1

0.104

1.21

13.92

10.07

0.81

0.41

0.036

0.003

—

201 J2

0.128

1.37

13.29

9.57

0.33

0.49

0.045

0.001

0.155

—

201 J3

0.127

1.30

14.50

9.05

0.59

0.41

0.039

0.002

0.177

0.02

201 J4

0.060

1.27

14.86

9.33

1.57

0.39

0.036

0.002

—

Tell us what the part is, where it will be used and roughly how many. We confirm the grade and finish before you order.

Tell us your application

Forming, welding and heat treatment.

201 works much like the 300 series in the shop. These are the numbers your fabricator will ask for.

Forming

Formed with all common methods, like 300 series grades. Choose J4 for deep drawing.

Welding

Welds with all conventional welding methods.

Hot working

1149–1232 °C (2100–2250 °F).

Annealing

1010–1093 °C (1850–2000 °F), then cool rapidly. Stay under 2000 °F to avoid scaling.

Have a drawing, cut list or sample photo? Upload it and we review it and send you a quote.

Upload your drawing

201 or 304 for your project?

201 saves cost when the environment is kind to it. Where moisture or chlorides are involved, 304 is the safer choice.

Choose 201 for

Indoor, dry environments

Decorative trim, furniture and appliance panels

Parts where strength and cost matter more than corrosion resistance

Deep-drawn parts, using J4

Choose 304 instead for

Outdoor, humid or coastal sites

Kitchens, washrooms and areas cleaned with chemicals

Welded structures that need long-term corrosion resistance

Projects that specify 304 or higher by standard

Not sure which fits?

201 vs. 304: which should you choose

Tell us what the part is, where it will be used and roughly how many. We confirm the grade and finish before you order.

Tell us your application

201 stainless steel FAQ.

Questions buyers ask before ordering 201.

What is the difference between 201 J1, J2, J3 and J4?

They are four Chinese mill types of 201 with similar nickel and chromium but different carbon and copper. J1 is the standard 201 for general shallow drawing, J2 is hard and not suited to bending, J3 suits lightly machined structures, and J4 is made for complex deep drawing.

Is 201 stainless steel magnetic?

Annealed 201 is essentially non-magnetic. Cold work such as bending or deep drawing can make formed areas slightly magnetic, the same as with 304.

Does 201 stainless steel rust?

201 resists corrosion well indoors, but it has lower corrosion resistance than 304, especially in humid, coastal or chloride environments. For outdoor use we usually recommend 304 or 316.

Which standards does your 201 meet?

201 J1 meets ASTM A240, ASTM A666 and ASME SA240. Each order ships with a Mill Test Report.

Can I order a small quantity?

Yes. We supply sample sheets and small batches as well as full coils, and can slit or cut to size.

Guide

Stainless Steel 201 vs. 304: Which Should You Choose?

Guide

What is J1, J2, J3, J4 for SS201

Question not answered here? Ask us directly and our team will reply in person.

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Why project buyers work with Sanmei Metal

Material-driven, engineering-supported, execution-ready. One supplier from the mill to your site.

Source from leading partner mills

Base coil from Lisco, Tisco, Jisco, Posco PZSS, Yongjin and Hongwang, each batch with its Mill Test Report.

Our mill partners

Finish in-house

PVD, water plating and surface finishing under one roof at our Foshan facility.

Decorative finishes

Engineer and fabricate

Our engineers review drawings so profiles and panels can be made and installed.

Architectural metal works

Protect and ship

Film matched to laser cutting or stamping, and crates or steel frames packed for sea freight.

Packing and filming

Technical questions about grades, finishes or tolerances?

Technical guide

Our Leading Coating Technology.

Thicker coating, consistent color and easy-clean surfaces. Each one measured in our own production and compared with typical market product.

PVD coating

Tested to GB/T and ISO standards, with MTR and SGS reports on request.

See all our quality control.

Documents you can check.

Every order ships with a Mill Test Report traced to its heat number, and SGS testing is available on request. These are real documents from our mill partners and our project work.