AISI 4140 Alloy Steel (UNS G41400)

AISI 4140 Alloy Steel (UNS G41400)

Topics Covered
Introduction Chemical Composition Physical Properties Mechanical Properties Thermal Properties Other Designations Fabrication and Heat Treatment Machinability Forming Welding Heat Treatment Forging Hot Working Cold Working Annealing Tempering Hardening

Introduction
Alloy steels are designated by AISI four-digit numbers. They comprise different kinds of steels having composition exceeding the limitations of B, C, Mn, Mo, Ni, Si, Cr, and Va set for carbon steels. AISI 4140 alloy steel is chromium, molybdenum, manganese containing low alloy steel. It has high fatigue strength, abrasion and impact resistance, toughness, and torsional strength. The following datasheet gives an overview of AISI 4140 alloy steel.

Chemical Composition
The following table shows the chemical composition of AISI 4140 alloy steel.
Element Iron, Fe Chromium, Cr Manganese, Mn Carbon, C Silicon, Si Molybdenum, Mo Sulfur, S Phosphorous, P Content (%) 96.785 - 97.77 0.80 - 1.10 0.75 - 1.0 0.380 - 0.430 0.15 - 0.30 0.15 - 0.25 0.040 0.035

Physical Properties
The physical properties of AISI 4140 alloy steel are highlighted in the following table.
Properties Density Melting point Metric Imperial

7.85 g/cm3 0.284 lb/in 1416C 2580F

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AISI 4140 Alloy Steel (UNS G41400)

Mechanical Properties
The following table outlines the mechanical properties of AISI 4140 alloy steel.
Properties Tensile strength Yield strength Bulk modulus (typical for steel) Shear modulus (typical for steel) Elastic modulus Poisson's ratio Elongation at break (in 50 mm) Hardness, Brinell Hardness, Knoop (converted from Brinell hardness) Hardness, Rockwell B (converted from Brinell hardness) Hardness, Rockwell C (converted from Brinell hardness. Value below normal HRC range, for comparison purposes only) Hardness, Vickers (converted from Brinell hardness) Machinability (based on AISI 1212 as 100 machinability) Metric 655 MPa 415 MPa 140 GPa 80 GPa Imperial 95000 psi 60200 psi 20300 ksi 11600 ksi

190-210 GPa 27557-30458 ksi 0.27-0.30 25.70% 197 219 92 13 207 65 0.27-0.30 25.70% 197 219 92 13 207 65

Thermal Properties
The thermal properties of AISI 4140 alloy steel are given in the following table.
Properties Metric Imperial 6.78 in/inF

Thermal expansion co-efficient (@ 0-100C/32-212F) 12.2 m/mC Thermal conductivity (@ 100C)

42.6 W/mK 296 BTU in/hr.ft.F

Other Designations
Other designations equivalent to AISI 4140 alloy steel are listed in the following table.

AMS 6349 AMS 6381 AMS 6382

ASTM A193 (B7, B7M) ASTM A194 (7, 7M) ASTM A29 (4140)

ASTM A506 (4140) ASTM A752 (4140) ASTM A513 ASTM A829

ASTM A513 (4140) SAE J1397 (4140)

AMS 6390 ASTM A320 (L7, L7M, L7D) ASTM A519 (4140) SAE J404 (4140) AMS 6395 AMS 6529 ASTM A322 (4140) ASTM A331 (4140) ASTM A646 (4140) SAE J412 (4140) ASTM A711

Fabrication and Heat Treatment Machinability

AISI 4140 alloy steel has good machinability in the annealed condition.

Forming
AISI 4140 alloy steel has high ductility. It can be formed using conventional techniques in the annealed condition. It requires more
P

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AISI 4140 Alloy Steel (UNS G41400)

pressure or force for forming because it is tougher than plain carbon steels.

Welding
AISI 4140 alloy steel can be welded using all conventional techniques. However, the mechanical properties of this steel will be affected if it is welded in the heat treated condition, and post weld heat treatment should be performed.

Heat Treatment
AISI 4140 alloy steel is heated at 845C (1550F) followed by quenching in oil. Before hardening, it can be normalized by heating at 913C (1675F) for a long period of time followed by air cooling.

Forging
AISI 4140 alloy steel is forged at 926 to 1205C (1700 to 2200F)

Hot Working
AISI 4140 alloy steel can be hot worked at 816 to 1038C (1500 to 1900F)

Cold Working
AISI 4140 alloy steel can be cold worked using conventional methods in the annealed condition.

Annealing
AISI 4140 alloy steel is annealed at 872C (1600F) followed by slowly cooling in the furnace.

Tempering
AISI 4140 alloy steel can be tempered at 205 to 649C (400 to 1200F) depending upon the desired hardness level. The hardness of the steel can be increased if it has lower tempering temperature. For example, tensile strength of 225 ksi cab be achieved by tempering at 316C (600F), and a tensile strength of 130 ksi can be achieved by tempering at 538C (1000F).

Hardening
AISI 4140 alloy steel can be hardened by cold working, or heating and quenching.
Date Added: Sep 7, 2012 | Updated: Jul 11, 2013

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