{"id":4484,"date":"2019-09-13T12:07:54","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T09:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fractory.com\/?p=4484"},"modified":"2024-01-26T16:37:53","modified_gmt":"2024-01-26T14:37:53","slug":"stainless-steel-finishes-en-astm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fractory.com\/stainless-steel-finishes-en-astm\/","title":{"rendered":"Stainless Steel Finishes Explained – EN & ASTM"},"content":{"rendered":"

Selecting the right stainless steel finish for your application is very important. You are probably looking for a long lifespan, corrosion resistance and low maintenance needs. The right finishing is the way to guarantee that stainless steel<\/a> will behave as expected.<\/p>\n

However, the process can be somewhat confusing. There are different standards that offer their own designation for each type of stainless steel surface finish. Some manufacturers even create in-house standards to designate the surface finishes of their products.<\/p>\n

To make it simpler for you, we recommend focusing on the most recognised standards around the world. For example, both EN and ASTM standards are very common. Therefore, we are using these as our examples.<\/p>\n

Fractory’s laser cutting service for stainless steels<\/a> offers instant quotes online<\/strong> with a variety of surface finish possibilities available for selection.<\/p>\n

Stainless Steel Finishes According to EN and ASTM Equivalents<\/h2>\n

Let’s start by comparing the EN and ASTM finishes in a table format. This gives you a great overview of the possibilities using both standards.\u00a0 We’ll get into the details of each finish later in the article<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Mill Finishes<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
EN Designation<\/th>\nASTM Equivalent<\/th>\nDescription<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
1D<\/td>\nNo. 1<\/td>\nHot rolled, heat treated and pickled<\/a>. Rough surface but free of milling scale.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2B<\/td>\nNo. 2B<\/td>\nCold rolled, heat treated, pickled and skin passed. Smooth surface.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2D<\/td>\nNo. 2D<\/td>\nCold rolled, heat treated and pickled. Smooth surface.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2H<\/td>\nTR<\/td>\nWork hardened. Cold worked for higher strength. Bright surface.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2R<\/td>\nBA<\/td>\nCold rolled, bright annealed and skin passed. Smooth, bright and reflective surface.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2Q<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nCold rolled, hardened and tempered<\/a>. Scale-free surface.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Polished and Brushed Finishes<\/h3>\n

\"Stainless<\/p>\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
EN Designation<\/th>\nASTM Equivalent<\/th>\nDescription<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
1G-2G<\/td>\nNo. 3<\/td>\nGround. Grade of grit or surface roughness can be specified. Unidirectional texture, not very reflective.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1J-2J<\/td>\nNo. 4<\/td>\nBrushed or dull polished. Grade of brush, polishing belt or surface roughness can be specified. Unidirectional texture, not very reflective.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1K-2K<\/td>\nNo. 6<\/td>\nSatin polished. Additional specific requirements to a J-type finish for adequate corrosion resistance in marine and external architectural applications.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1P-2P<\/td>\nNo. 7-8<\/td>\nBright polished. Process or surface roughness can be specified. Non-directional finish, reflective with a high degree of image clarity.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/h3>\n

Patterned & Coloured Finishes<\/h3>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
EN Designation<\/th>\n\u00a0ASTM Equivalent<\/th>\nFinish<\/th>\nDescription<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
2F<\/td>\nNo. 2D<\/td>\nPatterned Finish<\/td>\nCold rolled, heat treated, and skin passed on roughened rolls. Bright annealing or annealing and pickling. Uniform non-reflective matt surface.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1M<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nPatterned Finish<\/td>\nDesign upon agreement. One side is flat. Plates used on floors.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2M<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nPatterned Finish<\/td>\nDesign upon agreement. One side is flat. Fine texture is mainly used for architectural applications.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2W<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nPatterned Finish<\/td>\nDesign upon agreement. Both sides with corrugated texture, used to increase strength and\/or for aesthetics.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2L<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nColoured Finish<\/td>\nColours upon agreement. Colour is obtained by a chemical process.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
1S-2S<\/td>\n–<\/td>\nSurface Coating<\/td>\nGenerally coated with tin, aluminium or titanium.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Mill Finishes for Stainless Steel<\/h2>\n

Mill finish is the basic supply condition for stainless steels, no matter whether they are cold or hot rolled. However, most of these steels require further finishing processes to meet the requirements of certain applications.<\/p>\n

Here is an in-depth description of the stainless steels that fall into this group according to the table above.<\/p>\n

1D Stainless Steel Finish – Hot Rolled, Annealed & Pickled<\/h3>\n

After the steel is hot rolled in the mill, it is then put through a heat treatment called annealing<\/a>. Annealing consists of heating the steel and letting it cool down slowly to remove internal stress and reduce hardness. This makes it more ductile and workable.<\/p>\n

After the annealing process, the 1D stainless steel is ready for the last step to achieve the designated finish – pickling. This process consists of cleaning the surface with acid to remove the scales. Scales form during the previous processes, hot rolling and annealing.<\/p>\n

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