Custom 455® is a martensitic age-hardenable stainless steel with a single-step aging treatment that develops exceptionally high yield strength, good ductility, good toughness, and a hardness capability of approximately HRC 50. This stainless can be machined in the annealed condition and welded in much the same manner as other precipitation hardenable stainless steels. Because of its low work-hardening rate, it can be extensively cold formed and has minimal dimensional change during hardening to permit close-tolerance finish machining in the annealed state. It should be considered where simplicity of heat treatment, ease of fabrication, high strength and corrosion resistance are required in combination.
