# 353 MA Forgings (UNS S35315 / EN 1.4854)

**353 MA is an austenitic heat-resistant stainless steel of about 25 % chromium and 35 % nickel, micro-alloyed with nitrogen and cerium.** It carries the designations UNS S35315 and EN 1.4854 (X6NiCrSiNCe35-25). Metalcor rates it resistant to scaling in air up to 1100 C with good creep rupture strength. Alleima attributes its performance in oxidizing, carburizing and nitriding environments to the nitrogen and rare earth metal additions. The grade belongs in furnace and high-temperature process hardware, not in seawater or acid service.

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. melts its own steel and forges 353 MA into seamless rolled rings, forged rings, flanges, shafts, discs, sleeves, bars and tube sheets to customer drawings. Rings roll to 6,000 mm outside diameter, single pieces run to 30 tonnes, minimum order is 10 kg and lead time is 20 to 60 days.

Manufacturer: Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China. Telephone +86 189 2135 9659. Email sales@steelforgepieces.com. Website https://www.steelforgepieces.com/

Pricing is by quotation against drawing; this page carries no list price because the cost of a forging depends on weight, machining allowance, test scope and certification level.

## Designations

| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Common names | 353 MA, 353MA, Alloy 353 MA, Avesta 353 MA, Alleima 353 MA, RA 353 MA |
| UNS | S35315 |
| EN material number | 1.4854 |
| EN designation | X6NiCrSiNCe35-25 |
| Alloy class | Austenitic heat-resistant stainless steel, 25Cr-35Ni, N and Ce micro-alloyed |
| Product standards | ASTM A240 (plate, sheet, strip), ASTM A479 (bars and shapes for boilers and pressure vessels), ASTM A959 (harmonised wrought stainless compositions), EN 10095 (heat resisting steels and nickel alloys) |
| Welding | Matching 1.4854 filler. Preheat and post-weld heat treatment normally not required. |

There is no dedicated ASTM forging specification for S35315. Forgings are ordered against a customer or project specification that calls up the chemistry, the delivery condition, the mechanical tests and the NDT acceptance class.

## Chemical composition, per cent by weight

| Element | EN 1.4854 limit | S35315 harmonised range | Typical |
|---|---|---|---|
| C Carbon | 0.07 max | 0.040 to 0.080 | 0.050 |
| Si Silicon | 1.30 max | 1.2 to 2.0 | 1.3 |
| Mn Manganese | 1.50 max | 2.0 max | — |
| P Phosphorus | 0.040 max | 0.040 max | — |
| S Sulphur | 0.015 max | 0.030 max | — |
| Cr Chromium | 24.0 to 26.0 | 24.0 to 26.0 | 25 |
| Ni Nickel | 34.0 to 36.0 | 34.0 to 36.0 | 35 |
| N Nitrogen | 0.17 max | 0.12 to 0.18 | 0.17 |
| Ce Cerium | 0.03 to 0.08 | 0.03 to 0.08 | 0.05 |
| Fe Iron | Balance | Balance | about 37 |

Two corrections to data published elsewhere. First, carbon is 0.07 % maximum, not 0.7 %; an earlier version of this page carried that decimal point error. Second, the AZoM datasheet lists cerium at 1.3 %, the same figure it gives for silicon, which conflicts with the 0.03 to 0.08 % range specified by Metalcor for 1.4854 and appears to be a transcription error. Use 0.03 to 0.08 % when writing a purchase specification.

## Mechanical properties, room temperature, solution annealed

| Property | Specified | Reported typical |
|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength Rm | 650 to 800 N/mm2 | 720 to 740 MPa (104 to 110 ksi) |
| Proof strength Rp0.2 | 300 N/mm2 min | 360 MPa (52 ksi) |
| Elongation A5 | 40 % min | 46 to 50 % |
| Hardness | 152 HB 30 max | 190 HB, 82 HRB |
| Modulus of elasticity | 190 kN/mm2 | 190 to 200 GPa |
| Shear modulus | — | 78 GPa |
| Shear strength | — | 520 MPa (75 ksi) |
| Fatigue strength | — | 280 MPa (41 ksi) |
| Poisson's ratio | — | 0.28 |

Design to the specified minima, not the typical column. Hardness is the widest disagreement between sources: Metalcor gives 152 HB 30 as a maximum for 1.4854 while MakeItFrom reports about 190 HB for annealed S35315.

## Physical and thermal properties at 20 C

| Property | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Density | 7.9 g/cm3 | 0.285 lb/in3 |
| Specific heat capacity | 480 J/kg K | 0.12 BTU/lb F |
| Thermal conductivity | 11 to 12 W/m K | 6.8 BTU/h ft F |
| Electrical resistivity | 1 ohm mm2/m | — |
| Latent heat of fusion | 330 J/g | — |
| Melting onset, solidus | 1330 C | 2420 F |
| Melting completion, liquidus | 1370 C | 2510 F |
| Scaling resistance in air | 1100 C | 2010 F |
| Maximum mechanical temperature | 1100 C | 2010 F |
| Maximum corrosion temperature | 450 C | 840 F |

On the temperature limit: Metalcor states resistant to scaling in air up to 1100 C and MakeItFrom gives 1100 C as the maximum mechanical temperature, while AZoM cites 1150 C as the maximum service temperature in air. The figures describe different limits. AZoM also warns that service below 950 C may cause reduced room temperature impact toughness, so a part cycled through the intermediate range can end up less tough at ambient than as delivered.

## What the grade is good at

- **Oxidation resistance.** Cerium at 0.03 to 0.08 % with silicon around 1.3 % builds a dense, adherent chromium oxide scale. ASM Alloy Digest describes RA 353 MA as a 25Cr-35Ni alloy designed for oxidation resistance above 1800 F.
- **Carburising and nitriding atmospheres.** Alleima states the nitrogen and rare earth metal additions give high performance in oxidizing, carburizing and nitriding environments; the high nickel content limits carbon pick-up.
- **Creep rupture strength.** Metalcor rates 1.4854 as having good creep rupture strength, the property that sets service life of load-bearing furnace hardware.
- **Weldability without PWHT.** Matching 1.4854 filler, with preheat and post-weld heat treatment normally not necessary.

## Applications for 353 MA forgings

Metalcor lists heat treatment furnaces as the application for 1.4854. In forged rather than tubular form that means the hardware around the furnace.

- **Furnace and heat treatment hardware.** Retort and muffle flanges, radiant tube flanges and support rings, burner block rings, roller hearth shafts, bushings and sleeves, fan hubs, machined rings for furnace internals.
- **High temperature process plant.** Flanges, header rings and tube sheets for cracking, reforming and waste heat recovery duty, transfer line components, forged fittings adjacent to furnace coils.
- **Cement, lime and mineral processing.** Kiln nose ring and burner pipe components, cooler and grate parts, cyclone and riser duct rings.
- **Incineration and energy recovery.** Recuperator tube sheets, boiler penetration flanges, forged discs and rings for hot gas expanders, sleeves for high temperature ducting.

### Where 353 MA is the wrong grade

353 MA is not a seawater, chloride or acid alloy. MakeItFrom gives a maximum corrosion temperature of 450 C for S35315 against a 1100 C mechanical limit, and the grade carries no molybdenum. It should not be substituted into subsea, firewater, desalination, reverse osmosis or sulphuric acid duty. For those services specify duplex or super duplex forgings (ASTM A182 F51, F53, F55), a 6Mo austenitic (A182 F44, 904L), or a nickel alloy (Hastelloy C-276, Inconel 625).

## Forged product forms

- Seamless rolled rings, radial-axial rolled, OD 50 mm to 6,000 mm, rectangular or contoured section
- Forged rings, upset and punched, for sections outside the ring mill envelope
- Flanges: weld neck, blind, slip-on, lap joint and special profile
- Shafts and spindles, including stepped, eccentric and roller hearth shafts, turned to 14 m
- Discs, covers and tube sheets, solid or bored, proof-machined where volumetric inspection is required
- Sleeves, bushings and hollow bar, bored to 1,600 mm diameter by 10,000 mm
- Round, square and flat forged bar in cut lengths
- Nozzles, blocks, bodies and heavy-wall forged pipe sections

## Melting, forging and heat treatment

**Melting.** The normal route for 353 MA is the 25 t electric arc furnace, refining in the 25 t and 50 t ladle furnaces, then vacuum oxygen decarburisation in the 30 t or 60 t units. VOD is what allows carbon to be pulled to the 0.07 % maximum while nitrogen is held at 0.12 to 0.18 %. Protective-atmosphere electroslag remelting at 3 t and 6 t is available where a project calls for remelted product. Maximum heat size 60 tonnes.

**Forging.** Presses of 6,300 t, 4,000 t and 2,000 t, ring mills at 6 m, 3 m and 1 m, hammers from 750 kg to 5 t. As a stiff high-nickel austenitic steel with a narrow hot working window, 353 MA is worked with controlled reheats rather than pushed for reduction in a single heat, so that grain refinement is achieved through the section and not only at the surface.

**Heat treatment.** Solution annealed and cooled quickly, to dissolve carbides and keep cerium and nitrogen in solution. Slow cooling through the intermediate range is avoided because precipitation in that band is the mechanism behind the loss of room temperature toughness. Three high-temperature car-bottom furnaces cover the solution treatment range; two 15 m well-type furnaces allow long shafts to be quenched vertically. Treatment condition and cooling medium are recorded on the certificate.

## Testing and certification

| Discipline | Method | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical analysis | Optical emission spectrometry, infrared carbon and sulphur | ASTM E415, ASTM E1019 |
| Alloy verification | Handheld PMI on the finished part | Positive material identification |
| Tensile | 600 kN and 300 kN universal testing machines | ASTM A370, ISO 6892 |
| Impact | Charpy V-notch with low temperature bath | ASTM A370 |
| Hardness | Portable Leeb; bench machine via accredited laboratory on request | ASTM A956, converted per ASTM E140 |
| Ultrasonic | Full-digital flaw detection, acceptance class on the certificate | ASTM A388, EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 |
| Magnetic particle and visual | Surface examination, endoscope for bores | ASTM E709 |
| Grain size | Metallography | ASTM E112 |
| Certification | Mill certificate, or witnessed by BV, DNV, LR, SGS, TUV or customer inspector | EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 |
| Works approvals | CCS, BV, DNV, LR, NK | Classification societies |

Because the steel is melted on site, chemistry is verified at the furnace rather than taken from a supplier certificate, and traceability runs from the melt number to the shipped part. Intergranular corrosion testing to ASTM A262 or G28 and other tests outside the in-house scope are placed with an accredited third-party laboratory, with the report issued alongside the mill certificate.

## Commercial terms

| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | 10 kg, no minimum piece count |
| Lead time | 20 to 60 days |
| Maximum single piece | 30 tonnes |
| Maximum rolled ring OD | 6,000 mm |
| Pricing | By quotation against drawing. No list price applies. |
| Quotation turnaround | Normally within two working days |
| Certification | EN 10204 3.1 as standard, 3.2 witnessed on request |
| Export markets | North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia-Pacific |

## Frequently asked questions

**What is 353 MA stainless steel?**
An austenitic heat-resistant stainless steel of roughly 25 % chromium and 35 % nickel, micro-alloyed with nitrogen and cerium, designated UNS S35315 and EN 1.4854 (X6NiCrSiNCe35-25). It originated as the Avesta 353 MA brand, is now supplied by Alleima, and is marketed by Rolled Alloys as RA 353 MA. Metalcor describes it as having good creep rupture strength and resistance to scaling up to 1100 C.

**What is the carbon content of 353 MA?**
Low. Metalcor specifies 0.07 % maximum for EN 1.4854, AZoM gives 0.050 % typical, and MakeItFrom lists 0.040 to 0.080 % for UNS S35315. Any figure near 0.7 % is a decimal point error.

**What is the maximum service temperature of 353 MA?**
Metalcor rates it resistant to scaling in air up to 1100 C, MakeItFrom gives a maximum mechanical temperature of 1100 C, and AZoM cites 1150 C as the maximum service temperature in air. AZoM adds that service below 950 C may cause reduced room temperature impact toughness. Confirm the limit against the governing design code and the actual atmosphere.

**Is 353 MA suitable for seawater, chloride or acid service?**
No. MakeItFrom gives a maximum corrosion temperature of 450 C, and the grade contains no molybdenum. Use duplex, super duplex, 6Mo austenitic or nickel alloy forgings for wet corrosion duty.

**Why is cerium added to 353 MA?**
Cerium, specified at 0.03 to 0.08 %, improves the density and adherence of the protective chromium oxide scale together with the elevated silicon. Alleima and ASM Alloy Digest both identify the rare earth addition as the defining feature of the grade. It survives forging provided the heat treatment keeps it in solution.

**Which standards cover 353 MA product forms?**
ASTM A240 for plate, sheet and strip; ASTM A479 for bars and shapes for boilers and pressure vessels; ASTM A959 for harmonised wrought stainless compositions; EN 10095 for heat resisting steels and nickel alloys. No dedicated ASTM forging specification exists for S35315.

**How does 353 MA compare with AISI 330 or Incoloy 800H?**
All three are high nickel austenitic grades used well above 800 C, and the choice depends on which mechanism governs the part (oxidation, carburisation, creep rupture, thermal cycling) and on code acceptance for the equipment. ASM Alloy Digest positions RA 353 MA as aimed at oxidation resistance above 1800 F. Send the metal temperature, atmosphere and stress and the published data for each candidate will be compared before a grade is committed.

**What size and weight can be forged, and what is the minimum order?**
Rings roll to 6,000 mm outside diameter and from 50 mm by the upset-and-punch route. Heaviest single piece 30 tonnes. Shafts turn to 14 m, bores to 1,600 mm diameter by 10,000 mm. Minimum order 10 kg with no minimum piece count; lead time 20 to 60 days.

**Who manufactures these forgings?**
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., an integrated melting works and open-die forge at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, operating since 1997 with 460 staff and CCS, BV, DNV, LR and NK approvals. Contact sales@steelforgepieces.com or +86 189 2135 9659.

## Sources and revision note

Property data compiled from publicly available datasheets for UNS S35315 and EN 1.4854: the Metalcor datasheet for 1.4854 / Alloy 353 MA, the AZoM datasheet for grade 353MA, the MakeItFrom entry for UNS S35315, Alleima product information for 353 MA, and the ASM Alloy Digest entry for RA 353 MA. Where sources disagree, both figures are shown and the conflict identified rather than averaged. Values are for enquiry and preliminary design only; the mill certificate issued with each forging is the governing document.

Reviewed and corrected by the technical department of Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., September 2026.