# Z3CND18-12-02 Forgings: Rings, Flanges, Bars, Discs and Shafts

**Supplier:** Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., integrated melting works and open-die forging factory, established 1997
**Address:** No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China
**Telephone, WhatsApp and WeChat:** +86 189 2135 9659
**Email:** sales@steelforgepieces.com
**Page:** https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Stainless-Steel/Z3CND18-12-02.html
**Updated:** 2026-10-11

## Summary

Z3CND18-12-02 is a French AFNOR grade name for a low-carbon, molybdenum-bearing austenitic stainless steel listed in NF A 35-574. Composition limits are carbon 0.030 % max, chromium 16.50 to 18.50 %, nickel 10.00 to 13.00 % and molybdenum 2.00 to 2.50 %. The European cross reference is X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (1.4404), and for steel forgings for pressure purposes the cross reference given is X3CrNiMo18-12-3 (1.4449). The grade is also written Z3CND18.12.02.

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. melts and forges this grade in one works. Stainless heats run through a 25 t electric arc furnace, 25 t and 50 t ladle furnaces and 30 t and 60 t vacuum oxygen decarburisation units, then move to the presses, the ring mill, 14 heat-treatment furnaces and the machine shop without leaving the site. Traceability runs from melt number to shipped part rather than stopping at a purchased billet.

| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Grade | Z3CND18-12-02, also written Z3CND18.12.02 |
| Standard | AFNOR NF A 35-574 |
| Type | Austenitic, molybdenum bearing, low carbon |
| EN cross reference, general | X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (1.4404) |
| EN cross reference, forgings for pressure purposes | X3CrNiMo18-12-3 (1.4449) |
| UNS / AISI | S31603 / 316L |
| Melting route | EF, LF, VOD; ESR where specified. 60 t max heat |
| Delivery condition | Solution annealed, +AT |
| Max rolled ring OD | 6,000 mm |
| Max single piece | 30,000 kg |
| Minimum order | 10 kg, no minimum piece count |
| Lead time | 20 to 60 days |
| Certification | EN 10204 3.1, or 3.2 witnessed |
| Class approvals | CCS, BV, DNV, LR, NK |

## What the grade name means

Z3CND18-12-02 follows the older French AFNOR naming rules rather than the EN number system. Z marks a high-alloy steel, the figure 3 stands for roughly 0.03 % carbon, and C, N and D are the French initials for chromium, nickel and molybdenum at nominal 18, 12 and 2 %. The grade is therefore an 18Cr 12Ni 2Mo low-carbon austenitic stainless steel.

Z3CND18-12-02 is not Z2CND18-12. Z2CND18-12 belongs to the French RCC-M nuclear construction code and carries its own qualification and inspection rules. Z3CND18-12-02 sits under the general purpose standard NF A 35-574. Nuclear orders must state RCC-M and the class.

## Chemical composition, weight percent, NF A 35-574

| Element | Min | Max |
|---|---|---|
| C | - | 0.030 |
| Si | - | 0.75 |
| Mn | - | 2.00 |
| P | - | 0.040 |
| S | 0.015 | 0.030 |
| Cr | 16.50 | 18.50 |
| Mo | 2.00 | 2.50 |
| Ni | 10.00 | 13.00 |

Balance iron. Sulphur carries a minimum as well as a maximum, which points to a free-machining variant. If low-sulphur material is needed for welding or polishing, state the required sulphur maximum. Because the steel is melted on site, the heat can be aimed at the tighter range.

## Equivalent grades

| System | Designation | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| France, AFNOR | Z3CND18-12-02 | NF A 35-574, stainless steel for general purposes: semi-finished products, bars and wire rod |
| Europe, EN | X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (1.4404) | General cross reference |
| Europe, EN | X3CrNiMo18-12-3 (1.4449) | Cross reference quoted for steel forgings for pressure purposes |
| USA, UNS | 316L, S31603 | Same low-carbon austenitic material under a different naming system |

For bar, plate and general product, 1.4404 and 316L data applies closely. For a pressure-retaining forging the cross reference moves to 1.4449, which sits at a slightly higher carbon and molybdenum band, so the two are not interchangeable on a pressure-vessel order without checking the governing code. EN 10222-5 is the European standard for stainless steel forgings for pressure purposes and covers 1.4404 within its scope.

## Mechanical properties, 316L reference

Property requirements under NF A 35-574 are not published in the open grade databases in a form suitable to quote as acceptance values. The values below are the ASTM A240 Type 316L minimums, used as a reference for the matching 1.4404 and 316L composition in the solution-annealed condition.

| Reference grade | Tensile min | Yield 0.2 % proof min | Elongation in 50 mm min | Rockwell B max | Brinell max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 316L, S31603 | 485 MPa (70 ksi) | 170 MPa (25 ksi) | 40 % | 95 HRB | 217 HB |

Published 1.4404 data gives a typical as-delivered range of 170 to 230 MPa yield, 480 to 620 MPa tensile and 40 % or more elongation. Acceptance values for a given forging depend on section size, governing standard and test piece location, and are fixed in the approved inspection and test plan. Tensile testing runs in-house on 600 kN and 300 kN machines to ASTM A370 and ISO 6892.

## Melting, forging and heat treatment

**Melting.** Stainless and duplex grades run through a 25 t electric arc furnace, are refined in 25 t and 50 t ladle furnaces, and are decarburised under vacuum in 30 t or 60 t VOD units where low carbon and tight nitrogen control are needed. Protective-atmosphere electroslag remelting at 3 t and 6 t is available where the drawing or code calls for better cleanliness and less segregation. Maximum heat size is 60 tonnes.

**Forging and ring rolling.** Billets are upset and drawn on 6,300 t, 4,000 t and 2,000 t hydraulic presses, backed by 5 t, 3 t, 2 t, 1 t and 750 kg hammers. Ring blanks are pierced and expanded on radial-axial mills of 6 m, 3 m and 1 m, giving a maximum rolled outside diameter of 6,000 mm, with an upset-and-punch route from OD 50 mm below the mill range. Austenitic stainless grades work-harden quickly and have a narrower hot-working window than carbon steel, so finish temperature is controlled and the piece reheated between passes.

**Heat treatment.** Supply condition is solution annealed, +AT, with rapid cooling in water or air. Published 1.4404 data gives a solution-annealing range of about 1030 to 1110 degrees C. Fourteen furnaces cover the grade, including car-bottom furnaces up to 8,000 x 2,000 x 2,000 mm and two 15,000 mm deep well-type furnaces for vertical quenching of long shafts. With carbon at 0.030 % max, chromium-carbide precipitation during welding is much reduced compared with standard-carbon 18-12-2 material.

| Operation | Equipment | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Melting | EF 25 t, LF 25 / 50 t, VOD 30 / 60 t, IGESR 3 / 6 t | 60 t max heat |
| Pressing | Hydraulic open-die presses | 6,300 t / 4,000 t / 2,000 t |
| Ring rolling | Radial-axial mills, 6 m / 3 m / 1 m | OD 50 to 6,000 mm |
| Heat treatment | 14 furnaces, car-bottom and well type | 8,000 x 2,000 x 2,000 mm; 15 m deep |
| Turning | Vertical and horizontal lathes, CNC | 5,000 mm swing; 14,000 mm length |
| Boring | CNC deep-hole drilling machine | 1,600 mm dia x 10,000 mm |
| Single piece | Finished forging weight | 30,000 kg |

## Forged shapes supplied

| Product form | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Seamless rolled rings and forged rings | Valve body rings, flange blanks, bearing and slewing rings, pump casings, gear ring blanks |
| Forged flanges | Weld neck, blind, slip-on, socket weld, lap joint and orifice flanges |
| Forged bars and hollow bars | Machining stock for valve stems, trim, fittings, fasteners |
| Forged shafts and spindles | Pump and agitator shafts, eccentric shafts, drive spindles, rolls |
| Discs, tube sheets and covers | Heat-exchanger tube sheets, closures, blind heads, proof-machined for volumetric inspection |
| Sleeves and bushings | Wear sleeves, liners, bearing housings, couplings |
| Forged cylinders and pipe sections | Heavy-wall pressure sections, headers, cylinder bodies bored from solid |
| Valve and wellhead parts | Bodies, bonnets, blocks, stems, seat rings, spools, nozzles, manifolds |

Work is made to drawings rather than to a catalogue. Minimum order is 10 kg with no minimum piece count. Forgings can be supplied as-forged with machining allowance, rough-machined to a proof-machined condition suitable for ultrasonic testing, or finish-machined to drawing.

## Where the grade is used

Chemical and petrochemical plant including pressure vessels, tanks, heat exchangers and piping. Petroleum refining and catalytic recovery equipment. Pulp and paper plant such as digesters, liquor tanks and paper machine parts. Food processing and storage equipment. Pharmaceutical production. Waste-treatment thermal oxidisers. Offshore and onshore oil and gas hardware including compressor, generator and nitrogen-generator components. Valve bodies, bonnets, seat rings, stems and blocks in ball, gate, globe, check and plug valves.

Grade selection remains with the buyer and depends on the medium, concentration, temperature and chloride level. Material is supplied to the grade and standard nominated by the buyer, with no substitution without written approval.

## Testing and certification

The works holds CCS, BV, DNV, LR and NK classification society approvals and runs its own laboratory. Because the steel is melted here, chemistry is verified at the furnace rather than taken from a supplier certificate.

| Discipline | Method or equipment | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical analysis | Optical emission spectrometer; infrared carbon and sulphur analyser | ASTM E415, ASTM E1019 |
| Alloy verification | Handheld PMI analyser | Positive material identification |
| Tensile | 600 kN and 300 kN universal testing machines | ASTM A370, ISO 6892 |
| Impact | Pendulum impact tester with low-temperature bath, to -60 C | ASTM A370 |
| Ultrasonic | PXUT-3300, USM35XS, CTS-22 flaw detectors | ASTM A388, EN 10228-3, SEP 1921 |
| Magnetic particle and penetrant | Surface crack detection | ASTM E709 |
| Metallography | Microscope, mounting press, polisher | ASTM E112 grain size |
| Intergranular corrosion | Placed with an accredited third-party laboratory | ASTM A262, ASTM G28 |
| Certification | Mill certificate, or witnessed by BV, DNV, LR, SGS, TUV or the customer's inspector | EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2 |

Supporting records include heat-treatment charts, NDT reports, dimensional reports and PMI records, with traceability from melt number through forging, heat treatment and machining to shipment.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is Z3CND18-12-02 steel?
A French AFNOR grade name for a low-carbon, molybdenum-bearing austenitic stainless steel listed in NF A 35-574, covering stainless steel for general purposes in semi-finished products, bars and wire rod. The name reads as about 0.03 % carbon with 18 % chromium, 12 % nickel and 2 % molybdenum.

### What is the EN or ASTM equivalent of Z3CND18-12-02?
X2CrNiMo17-12-2 (1.4404) is the European cross reference, and X3CrNiMo18-12-3 (1.4449) is the one quoted for steel forgings for pressure purposes. Grade 1.4404 matches AISI 316L and UNS S31603.

### Is Z3CND18-12-02 a nuclear grade?
No. The RCC-M nuclear code uses Z2CND18-12. Z3CND18-12-02 comes from the general purpose standard NF A 35-574. Nuclear enquiries must name RCC-M and the class.

### In what condition is it delivered?
Solution annealed and rapidly cooled, the +AT condition. Surface can be as-forged, rough-turned, machined to drawing, shot-blasted or pickled.

### What size Z3CND18-12-02 forgings can you produce?
Seamless rings roll up to 6,000 mm outside diameter on the 6 m radial-axial mill, with 3 m and 1 m mills for smaller sizes and an upset-and-punch route from OD 50 mm. The heaviest single forging is 30 tonnes. Shafts turn up to 14,000 mm between centres, discs machine up to 5,000 mm diameter, and the deep-hole drilling machine bores 1,600 mm dia x 10,000 mm.

### Do you melt your own steel for this grade?
Yes. Stainless heats run through a 25 t electric arc furnace, 25 t and 50 t ladle furnaces and 30 t and 60 t VOD units, with electroslag remelting available where cleanliness governs. Maximum heat size is 60 tonnes.

### What is the lead time?
Normally 20 to 60 days from order confirmation. Third-party witnessed inspection to EN 10204 3.2, or corrosion testing placed with an outside laboratory, needs scheduling, so flag both at enquiry stage.

### How do I request a quotation?
Email the drawing or dimensions to sales@steelforgepieces.com or call +86 189 2135 9659. Include grade and standard, quantity, outline or finished sizes, delivery condition, heat treatment and testing requirements, certificate type and destination port.

## Contact

Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd.
No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China
Telephone, WhatsApp and WeChat: +86 189 2135 9659
Email: sales@steelforgepieces.com
Business hours: Monday to Saturday, 08:00 to 17:30 China Standard Time (UTC+8)
https://www.steelforgepieces.com/