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Brown Metals Company stocks thin-gauge strip, coil and custom sheet in the alloy families below. This overview describes the general characteristics of each family. Exact thicknesses, tempers and specifications are on the Stock List, and detailed properties are in our Alloy Tech Sheets.
Stainless · Nickel Alloy · Carbon SteelMelted & Rolled in the USA Our stainless steels, Alloy 625 and low carbon steel are melted and rolled in the United States, and our stainless and Alloy 625 are DFARS compliant. Our beryllium copper is melted in Japan and rolled in the USA.
Chromium-nickel stainless
The 300 series is the workhorse of the stainless family. Chromium provides corrosion resistance, while nickel stabilizes an austenitic structure that is tough, highly formable and non-magnetic in the annealed condition. These grades cannot be hardened by heat treatment — strength comes from cold rolling, which is why we stock them in tempers from annealed through full hard.
A nominal 17% chromium / 7% nickel grade. Its lower nickel content lets 301 work-harden quickly, reaching very high strength in the harder tempers — widely used for springs, clips and clamps.
The general-purpose “18-8” grades and the most widely used stainless steels. 304L’s low carbon content helps preserve corrosion resistance after welding. Available Stress Relief Annealed (SRA™) for flatness in stencil and etching work.
Higher nickel slows work hardening, so 305 stays formable through deep drawing and spinning and remains essentially non-magnetic after forming.
Molybdenum-bearing for improved resistance to pitting and chlorides — widely used in marine, chemical and medical equipment.
Titanium-stabilized to resist intergranular corrosion after exposure to elevated temperatures. Also the alloy behind our 321 tool wrap for heat treating.
Straight-chromium stainless
The 400 series alloys rely on chromium rather than nickel, making them magnetic and generally more economical than the 300 series. Within the series there are two distinct families: ferritic grades, which are not hardenable by heat treatment, and martensitic grades, which contain more carbon and can be heat treated to high hardness.
430 (ferritic) is ductile and does not work-harden readily; in mild environments its corrosion resistance approaches some nickel-bearing grades, and it resists oxidation at elevated temperatures. 410 (martensitic, 0.15% carbon max) is supplied annealed so parts can be formed first, then hardened by heating, quenching and tempering.
High-strength specialty stainless
Precipitation-hardening (PH) grades combine the corrosion resistance of stainless with strength that rivals heat-treated alloy steels. 17-7PH® is a chromium-nickel-aluminum alloy that can be formed in a relatively soft condition and then hardened with a low-temperature heat treatment, minimizing distortion of finished parts. It has long been a staple of aerospace and high-strength spring applications.
Stocked in Annealed (Condition A) and Condition C.
Cold-rolled carbon steel strip
Low carbon steel is an economical, highly formable material for parts that don’t require stainless corrosion resistance. Cold rolling and annealing produce tempers from full hard to soft, letting you match stiffness to the forming operation.
Stocked in #5 Temper (Annealed), #2 Temper (Half Hard) and #1 Temper (Hard).
High-performance nickel alloy
Alloy 625 is a nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy built for environments that defeat stainless steel. Molybdenum and niobium (columbium) strengthen it without an aging treatment, and it stays strong and tough from cryogenic temperatures to about 2000°F while resisting a wide range of corrosive media.
Stocked in the annealed condition.
High-strength copper alloy
Beryllium copper offers the highest strength of any copper alloy while retaining good electrical and thermal conductivity. It can be formed and then heat treated to full strength, or supplied mill hardened and ready to use, and is widely used for precision springs and electrical contacts.
C17200 (Berylco® 25) and C17500 (Berylco® 10) — limited stock in select tempers and thicknesses, available while supplies last. Melted in Japan, rolled in the USA.
Order online
Small coils, cut sheets, stainless tool wrap and packaged shim stock are available online from our Sidecuts.com store and ship in 1–2 business days.
Type 321 stainless foil that shields parts during heat-treat & brazing.
Shop tool wrap on Sidecuts.com →
Boxed shim stock in 302 / 304 Full Hard stainless and 1008 / 1010 #1 Temper low carbon steel, assorted thicknesses, ready to ship.
Shop shim stock on Sidecuts.com →Educational information only. Descriptions, properties and applications on this page are general industry information and are not a recommendation of any material for a particular use. Selecting a material for a specific application is the responsibility of the purchaser and their engineering team.
Send us the alloy, temper, thickness and width for a quote.
