Chromium-only stainless — car exhausts, appliance trim, cutlery blades, washing-machine drums — magnetic, nickel-free and therefore the cheapest stainless grade.
Chromium-only stainless — car exhausts, appliance trim, cutlery blades, washing-machine drums — magnetic, nickel-free and therefore the cheapest stainless grade.
The 400 series contains chromium but little or no nickel. Ferritic grades such as 409 and 430 are used for exhaust systems, catalytic-converter shells, appliance panels and trim; martensitic grades such as 410 and 420 for blades, cutlery and valve parts. All are magnetic, which is how yards separate them from the austenitic 300 series at the first pass.
With no nickel to sell, 400-series scrap is valued for its chromium and sells at a fraction of the 304 price, often not far above carbon steel.
Stainless mills making ferritic grades use it as a chromium unit; carbon steel mills can take small amounts. Exhaust scrap from car dismantlers and shredder plants, once the converters are removed, is the main stream. Keeping it out of 304 lots matters more than its own value: 400-series pieces in an austenitic lot dilute the nickel assay.
Code: 400-series stainless scrap
The main importing countries for this grade — each links to the country page with its mills, smelters, price references and named firms.