Höganäs publishes the sintered properties. We publish the grades that suit a segment as well as a filter.
For pressed and sintered stainless, Höganäs has the deepest data set in the industry. The comparison worth making is on grade coverage, carbon control and who owns the supply.
The 304L, 316L and 410L grades are in production supply into sintered structural parts, porous filters, diamond segments and hardfacing work, under an ISO 9001:2015 system.
Side by side
| Attribute | Represented by UnstratStainless steel powders | Höganäs ABStainless steel powders for sintered components (304LHD, 316LHC, 316LHD, 410LHC, 430LHC, Cold 100)1Sweden | Höganäs ABforAM 316L 20-53 GA for additive manufacturing2Sweden |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grades published12 | SS 304L, 316L and 410L | 304LHD, 316LHC, 316LHD, 410LHC, 430LHC and Cold 100, plus EZ machinability variants named in the product line | 316L in a 20 to 53 µm gas-atomised cut |
| Carbon control12 | 0.03 to 0.05% max depending on grade | 0.02% C in the powder across the published grades | 0.01% C typical |
| Chromium and nickel12 | Not published on the site | 316L at Cr 16.9, Ni 12.7, Mo 2.3; 304L at Cr 19.0, Ni 11.2; 410L at Cr 12.0 | Cr 17, Ni 12, Mo 2.5, Mn 1.5, Si 0.8 |
| Particle size12 | -100# (150 µm) and -325# (45 µm) cuts | Published as percentage below 45 µm: 31.0 to 43.0% depending on grade | 20 to 53 µm nominal, maximum 5% over and under size |
| Apparent density12 | Not published | 2.73 to 3.00 g/cm³ across the published grades | 4.1 g/cm³, tap density 5.0 g/cm³ |
| Oxygen12 | Not published | 0.25 to 0.30% in the powder; 0.15 to 0.34% after sintering depending on atmosphere | 0.06% typical |
| Sintered mechanical data published12 | Not published | Per grade and atmosphere: sintered density 6.34 to 7.02 g/cm³, UTS 197 to 471 MPa, yield 145 to 377 MPa, elongation 0.3 to 23%, HV10 100 to 192, impact energy 5 to 105 J | Printed and heat treated: UTS 530 to 595 MPa, yield 345 to 505 MPa, elongation 45 to 55% |
| Corrosion behaviour stated12 | Corrosion resistance and strength in sintered structural parts | 316L rated very high general and pitting corrosion resistance; 304L high general, medium pitting; 410L medium general, poor pitting | Good resistance to atmospheric corrosion and many organic and inorganic chemicals |
| Applications named12Höganäs does not name diamond segment bond duty for its stainless grades in this document. | Sintered structural parts, porous filter media, bond matrix in diamond segments, welding and hardfacing | Lock parts, small gears, cams and connectors; exhaust flanges, sensor bosses, shafts, valve components, exhaust clamps | General-purpose additive manufacturing stainless |
| Quality system | ISO 9001:2015 | Not stated in this document | Not stated in this document |
Competitor values are quoted from the vendor documents listed under Sources, as published on the date shown. Configurations vary, so treat every row as a starting point for the evaluation rather than a like-for-like test result.
What the table means
The documentation gap is real and worth stating plainly
Höganäs publishes, for each stainless grade and each sintering atmosphere, the green density, sintered density, hardness, yield, tensile, elongation and impact energy, plus post-sinter chemistry. That is a design engineer's whole first afternoon, handed over free. Our published sheet gives grades, carbon ceilings and two mesh cuts. If your process is being designed from published data, theirs is the better starting point and we would rather you knew that before the enquiry than after.
Where our grade set fits differently
The published Höganäs applications are automotive and appliance parts. Our stainless line is published for four duties at once: sintered structural parts, porous filter media, bond matrix in diamond segments and hardfacing. The 410L martensitic grade at -325 mesh is the one that matters for segment work, and Höganäs does not name diamond bonding for its stainless range in this brochure. Different customer, different sheet.
Carbon is where a low-carbon grade earns its name
Both lines are low-carbon by design: ours at 0.03 to 0.05% max, Höganäs at 0.02% in the powder. Their figure is tighter. What we publish is a ceiling rather than a typical value, which is the more conservative way to state it, and the difference between 0.02 typical and 0.03 max is smaller than it looks on a page. Ask for the batch certificate and compare like with like.
Questions buyers ask
What is the best alternative to Höganäs stainless powder for a sovereign powder metallurgy programme?
For a standard automotive or appliance part designed from published data, Höganäs is hard to argue with: full sintered property tables for 304L, 316L, 410L, 430L and Cold 100 at two sintering atmospheres. Our line publishes 304L, 316L and 410L with carbon at 0.03 to 0.05% max and cuts at -100 and -325 mesh, aimed at structural parts, filters, diamond segments and hardfacing from one source. The reason to choose it is programme independence and grade fit across those four duties, not superior published data.
Which stainless grade should I use for a diamond segment bond matrix?
The martensitic 410L grade at -325 mesh is the one intended for bond matrix duty in our range, with the austenitic 304L and 316L grades aimed at corrosion-critical structural and filter work. Höganäs publishes 410LHC data in detail but does not name diamond bonding as an application in its sintered components brochure, so if you want a supplier whose sheet addresses the duty directly, that is the difference.
How does 316L powder for pressing compare with 316L for additive manufacturing?
They are not interchangeable. Höganäs press-and-sinter 316L sits at 2.73 to 3.00 g/cm³ apparent density with 31 to 43% below 45 µm, while its forAM gas-atomised 316L is a spherical 20 to 53 µm powder at 4.1 g/cm³ apparent density with 15 s/50 g flow. Our published 316L grades are press-and-sinter cuts at -100 and -325 mesh. If you are feeding a laser bed, ask specifically for gas-atomised spherical material rather than assuming a mesh designation covers it.
Do you publish sintered mechanical properties?
Not on the site. Höganäs publishes sintered density, hardness, yield, tensile, elongation and impact energy per grade and atmosphere. That is a documentation gap on our side, logged as such. The measurements exist per batch and per qualification; they are simply not on the public sheet yet.
Sources
- 1. Höganäs AB, Stainless steel powders for sintered components (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-30 · © 2026 Höganäs AB, document 2245HOG-3
- 2. Höganäs AB, forAM® 316L 20-53 GA: Austenitic stainless steel powder for Additive Manufacturing (copy held on this site)Retrieved: 2026-07-30