Sources and scope for this page: Industry convention — no single governing standard (conventional usage, definitions vary between sources), covering the definition of austenitic stainless. No independent source check is recorded for this page: the content rests on the sources listed and on the working shown on the page. How sources, methods and updates are recorded.
Definition
Austenitic stainless has a face-centred cubic structure stabilised by nickel. It is the most corrosion-resistant common family, non-magnetic in the annealed state, and weldable.
Its weakness is machining: it work-hardens severely, is gummy, and has low thermal conductivity so heat concentrates at the edge. The three rules are sharp tooling, constant feed, and no dwelling.
Common misuse
Assuming all stainless machines alike. Ferritic and martensitic grades cut much more like carbon steel; austenitic grades do not.