This specification covers general requirements that shall apply to wrought stainless steel bars, shapes, forgings, and billets or other semi-finished materials, except wire, for forging. The materials shall be furnished in one of the following conditions: (1) hot-worked; (2) hot-worked and annealed; (3) hot-worked, annealed and cold-worked; or (4) hot-worked, annealed, and heat-treated. Product analysis tolerances shall be performed wherein the specimens shall conform to the required chemical compositions of carbon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, titanium, cobalt, columbium, tantalum, copper, aluminum, nitrogen, tungsten, vanadium, and selenium. The materials shall be heat treated and austenitic stainless steels and austenitic-ferritic grades shall be furnished in the solution annealed condition and shall conform to the required values of temperature, permitted annealing procedure, quenching, and rapid cooling.

1.1 This specification2 covers general requirements that shall apply to wrought stainless steel bars, shapes, forgings, and billets or other semi-finished material (except wire) for forging, under the latest revision of each of the following ASTM specifications: A276, A314, A458, A473, A477, A479/A479M, A564/A564M, A565/A565M, A582/A582M, A638/A638M, A705/A705M, and A831/A831M.

1.2 In the case of conflict between a requirement of a product specification and a requirement of this specification, the product specification shall prevail. In the case of conflict between a requirement of the product specification or a requirement of this specification and a more stringent requirement of the purchase order, the purchase order shall prevail. The purchase order requirements shall not take precedence if they, in any way, violate the requirements of the product specification or this specification; for example, by waiving a test requirement or by making a test requirement less stringent.

1.3 The requirements for introduction of new materials in specifications referencing this specification are given in Annex A1.

1.4 General requirements for flat-rolled stainless steel products other than bar are covered in Specification A480/A480M.

1.5 General requirements for wire products in coils are covered in Specification A555/A555M.

1.6 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.

1.7 Unless the order specifies an “M” designation, the material shall be furnished to inch-pound units.

1.8 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.