This specification covers general requirements that shall apply to stainless wire and wire rods. Wire is intended primarily for cold forming, including coiling, stranding, weaving, heading and machining as covered under the required specifications. The material may be furnished in one of the conditions detailed in the applicable material specification, that is, annealed, bright annealed, or cold worked. Intergranular corrosion test, grain size test, tension test, and chemical analysis shall conform to the chemical and mechanical requirements of the material specification.

1.1 This specification covers general requirements that shall apply to stainless wire and wire rods. Wire rods are a semifinished product intended primarily for the manufacture of wire. Wire is intended primarily for cold forming, including coiling, stranding, weaving, heading and machining as covered under the latest revision of each of the following ASTM specifications: A 313/A 313M, A 368, A 478, A 492, A 493, A 580/A 580M and A 581/A 581M.

1.2 In case of conflicting requirements, the individual material specification and this general requirement specification shall prevail in the order named.

1.3 General requirements for flat products other than wire are covered in Specification A 480/A 480M.

1.4 General requirements for bar and billet products are covered in Specification A 484/A 484M.

1.5 The values stated in inch-pound units or SI (metric) units are to be regarded separately as standard; within the text and tables, the SI units are shown in brackets ([]). The values stated in each system are not exact equivalents; therefore, each system must be used independent of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the specification.

1.6 Unless the order specifies the applicable metric specification designation, the material shall be furnished in the inch-pound units.