Nitronic 50 CNC Machining
Twice the strength of 316 SS. Non-magnetic. Galling resistant. Cryogenic toughness.
Nitronic 50 Machining Overview
Nitronic 50 (UNS S20910 / XM-19) is a nitrogen-strengthened austenitic stainless steel that offers roughly twice the yield strength of 316 stainless steel while maintaining excellent corrosion resistance. Its unique combination of high strength, non-magnetic properties, outstanding galling resistance and cryogenic toughness makes it the material of choice for demanding subsea, marine and oil and gas applications.
Unlike many high-strength stainless steels, Nitronic 50 achieves its elevated strength without the need for heat treatment, which simplifies manufacturing and maintains its corrosion resistance throughout. The material also retains excellent impact toughness at cryogenic temperatures, making it versatile across extreme operating conditions.
At Clarent Precision, Nitronic 50 is part of our broader specialist stainless steel and super alloy capability. We have the experience and equipment to machine this high-strength material to tight tolerances, delivering components for the subsea, marine and energy sectors.
Key Properties of Nitronic 50
High Strength
Approximately twice the yield strength of 316 stainless steel in the annealed condition, without the need for heat treatment.
Excellent Corrosion Resistance
Superior to 316 in many corrosive environments, including seawater, brackish water and chloride-containing solutions.
Galling Resistance
Outstanding resistance to galling and wear, making it ideal for valve stems, pump shafts and threaded fasteners.
Non-Magnetic
Remains non-magnetic even after cold working, which is critical for applications near sensitive electronic equipment or in mine countermeasures.
Cryogenic Toughness
Retains excellent impact toughness at cryogenic temperatures, making it suitable for LNG and low-temperature applications.
No Heat Treatment Required
Achieves high strength in the as-supplied condition, eliminating the cost and lead time associated with heat treatment.
The Nitronic 50 Machining Challenge
Nitronic 50's high nitrogen content and elevated strength make it more demanding to machine than standard austenitic stainless steels. Understanding these challenges is essential for producing quality components.
- Work hardening: Like all austenitic stainless steels, Nitronic 50 work hardens during machining. Its higher initial strength means the work-hardened layer is even harder to cut through if parameters are not correctly set.
- Higher cutting forces: The elevated yield strength generates significantly higher cutting forces than 316 or 304, requiring rigid machine setups and robust tooling.
- Heat generation: Poor thermal conductivity concentrates heat at the cutting zone, accelerating tool wear. Effective coolant delivery is essential.
- Tool selection: Correct tool grade, geometry and coating selection are critical for maintaining tool life and achieving good surface finish.
Our experience machining Nitronic 50 and similar high-strength stainless steels, combined with optimised cutting strategies and high-pressure coolant, allows us to deliver consistent results to tight tolerances.
Our Nitronic 50 Machining Capabilities
- CNC Milling: 3 and 4 axis machining centres. Sizes up to 762mm x 406mm x 508mm.
- CNC Turning: Live tooling lathes for complete mill-turn operations. Capacity up to Ø279mm x 413mm.
- Batch Sizes: From single prototypes to production batches. Milling runs up to 1,000+, turning up to 10,000.
- Tolerances: Routinely achieving +/- 0.01mm on critical dimensions, verified by CMM inspection.
Applications and Industries
Nitronic 50 is specified wherever high strength, corrosion resistance and galling resistance are required in combination.
- Subsea and marine valve stems and pump shafts
- Offshore oil and gas fasteners and fittings
- Naval and defence components (non-magnetic requirement)
- Cryogenic and LNG equipment
- Chemical processing equipment
- Power generation components
Post-Production Treatments
Nitronic 50 components may require specific treatments depending on the application.
- Passivation: To optimise the protective chromium oxide layer for maximum corrosion resistance.
- Surface grinding: For critical sealing faces and ultra-tight tolerance requirements.
- Thread rolling: For high-strength fasteners requiring superior fatigue performance.
Precision Component Examples
Examples of high-performance components produced at our Leighton Buzzard facility.
Precision machined engineering component
High-performance machined component
Quality Assurance
Nitronic 50 components often serve safety-critical subsea and offshore applications where quality documentation is mandatory. Our ISO 9001 certified quality system provides full material traceability, Certificates of Conformity, First Article Inspection Reports and CMM dimensional reports. Every component is inspected in our temperature-controlled inspection department.
Our quality systems →Frequently Asked Questions
What is Nitronic 50?
Nitronic 50 (UNS S20910 / XM-19) is a nitrogen-strengthened austenitic stainless steel developed by Armco (now AK Steel). It offers approximately twice the yield strength of 316 stainless steel while maintaining excellent corrosion resistance, non-magnetic properties and outstanding galling resistance. It achieves this elevated strength without heat treatment, making it cost effective to manufacture.
How does Nitronic 50 compare to 316 stainless steel?
Nitronic 50 offers roughly twice the yield strength of 316 in the annealed condition, along with superior corrosion resistance in many environments, better galling resistance and the ability to remain non-magnetic even after cold working. 316 remains a good general-purpose stainless steel, but Nitronic 50 is the better choice when higher strength, galling resistance or non-magnetic properties are required.
What are the main applications for Nitronic 50?
Nitronic 50 is widely used in subsea and marine applications (valve stems, pump shafts, fasteners), offshore oil and gas equipment, naval and defence components (where non-magnetic properties are important), cryogenic and LNG equipment, and chemical processing. Its combination of strength, corrosion resistance and galling resistance makes it particularly well suited to valve and pump components.
Why choose Nitronic 50 over other stainless steels?
Choose Nitronic 50 when you need significantly higher strength than 316 without sacrificing corrosion resistance, when galling resistance is important (threaded connections, valve stems), when non-magnetic properties are required, or when cryogenic toughness is needed. It fills the gap between standard austenitic stainless steels and more expensive nickel-based super alloys in many applications.
Need Nitronic 50 Components Machined?
Specialist stainless steel and super alloy capability. Send us your drawings for a competitive quote.