Now Available: Böhler N360 to AMS 5898

Corrosion resistant nitrogen (CREN) steels are ideal for high-performance applications. In addition to enabling superior corrosion resistance, the nitrogen content in these alloys also ensures high strength and fatigue resistance.
Many CREN steels for the aerospace industry are explicitly designed to a particular aerospace material specification, or AMS. With regard to AMS 5898, only two alloys that meet the requirements are currently available.

AMS 5898 Qualified Steels:

• Bohler N360
• Cronidur® 30

In the U.S. market, Cronidur® 30 is typically the more familiar of the two steels, but Böhler N360, manufactured in Europe, has an identical chemical composition and also qualifies to AMS 5898.

Todd Chavanne, Business Development at Sullivan Steel, has been in the steel industry for decades. His work is key to sourcing this European alternative for his state-side customers. Todd explains the importance of the decision, “N360 is a CREN grade made by Böhler—it’s an option for AMS 5898, a direct substitute for Cronidur.”

A recent addition to Sullivan’s offerings, AMS 5898 N360 steel supports aerospace production and strengthens the supply chain of qualified metals.

Introducing Böhler N360

Böhler is a highly respected Austrian mill that produces some of the world’s most high-performing steels. For over a century, the company has produced alloy steels for specialized industries, including aviation, automotive, and oil & gas.

Böhler has an extensive range of aerospace alloys for flight-critical components, including CREN grades, such as N360, which meets the criteria of AMS 5898.

N360 Properties & Production

For applications requiring AMS 5898, N360 is a direct, DFARS qualified substitute for Cronidur®30.

N360 is a CREN grade steel; its composition is high in nitrogen and relatively low in carbon compared to mid-range stainless steels like 440C. Its specialized chemistry imparts a combination of performance characteristics that’s difficult to achieve and highly desirable for critical aerospace components.

Böhler N360 offers superior performance for:

• Corrosion resistance
• Fatigue resistance
• Cleanliness
• Heat tolerance
• Wear resistance

Sullivan also supplies another high-performing CREN alloy, XD15NW® (AMS 5925), which is a viable option to either Cronidur®30 or Böhler N360 in many instances. See our related post: XD15NW®: A Cronidur® 30 Alternative for Aerospace Applications.

Chemical Compositions

1. SAE AMS 5898, 2. Bohler product sheet, 3. Energietechnik product sheet

Böhler produces N360 using a pressurized electroslag remelting practice (P-ESR) to achieve higher nitrogen contents than a typical ESR process will allow.

For reference, the standard electroslag remelting process involves melting a steel ingot in an electrified slag pool to remove impurities. P-ESR, however, encapsulates the entire ESR process in a pressurized environment to enable certain alloys to better infuse into the steel’s chemistry.

Each remelt furnace is made to a particular size of ingot; a mill may have several standard sizes of ESR furnace. Because the P-ESR process is more costly and complex, mills tend to have fewer P-ESR than ESR furnaces, limiting the range of sizes produced using this method.

Strengthening the AMS 5898 Supply Chain

Finding AMS 5898 steel for production can be difficult, as only two mills produce it. This limited availability of DFARS qualified steel is problematic and aggravates risks to production caused by:

• Disruptions in raw material supply
• Operational issues at steel mills
• Geopolitical tensions affecting international trade
• Sharp increases in demand

“We want to give customers a choice,” says Todd, discussing Sullivan’s approach to serving customers, “You know, offering two different options that do the same thing. And with two different mills making AMS 5898 steel, it gives you that assurance of supply.”

Sullivan Steel stocks multiple CREN grades, including Böhler N360 and XD15NW®, to support supply chains. Sullivan’s experts also offer technical support throughout the qualification process for customers looking to qualify additional grades.

As an example, XD15NW® (AMS 5925) is an aerospace CREN grade produced by French steel mill Aubert & Duval and distributed by Sullivan that displays nearly identical performance characteristics to AMS 5898 steels; it is an option for many applications where AMS 5898 is specified.

Chemical Compositions of AMS 5925 & XD15NW

4. SAE AMS 5925, 2. Aubert & Duval product sheet

Sullivan Offers AMS 5898 Qualified Steel

Thanks to their elevated nitrogen content, CREN steels offer superior corrosion resistance, increased wear resistance, and high hardness. These alloys are a reliable choice for flight-critical components, including:

• Bearings
• Ball screws
• Roller screws
• Landing gear components

Sullivan Steel, based out of New Jersey, now offers Böhler N360. This choice is part of our commitment to providing customers with a range of options to strengthen the supply chain for AMS 5898.

If your application has demanding performance requirements and you want to expand your steel sourcing options, we can help.

Learn more about Böhler N360, start a Live Chat, or request a quote to get started.