Considering stainless steels are alloys, they do not melt and freeze at an exact temperature, like metallic components would, but rather throughout a temperature range determined by the steel’s chemical composition. As a result, when heated, alloys begin to melt at the solidus temperature and become entirely molten at the liquidus temperature.
The melting ranges of a few of the most popular stainless steel types are grouped in the following table for comparison. Data are taken from the ASM Speciality Handbook’s chapter on stainless steels and the Outokumpu Stainless data sheets.
| Melting Range, °C | Steel Grades |
| 1325-1400 | 1.4547, (254SMO) |
| 1370-1480 | 440A, 1.4125, (440C) |
| 1375-1400 | 1.4401, (316), 1.4404, (316L) |
| 1385-1445 | 1.4462, (2205) |
| 1400-1420 | 1.4310, (301) |
| 1400-1425 | 1.4886, (330), 1.4541, (321), 1.4550, (347) |
| 1400-1440 | 1.4542, (17-4PH) |
| 1400-1450 | 1.4372, (201), 1.4301, (304), 1.4307, (304L), 1.4303, (305), 1.4833, (309), 1.4845, (310) |
| 1425-1510 | 430, 446 |
| 1450-1510 | 420 |
| 1480-1530 | 409, 410, 416, |
