Overview of Heat Treatment Tray Material Advantages
When your heat treatment line needs to run at elevated temperatures for extended periods, the tooling that carries your workpieces must be reliable enough-no warping, no cracking, no premature failure. That's exactly what our custom GX25CrNiSi18-9 heat-resistant steel trays are built to deliver.
Our heat treatment trays are manufactured from premium GX25CrNiSi18-9 austenitic heat-resistant casting steel (material number 1.4825), a grade specifically designed for production environments requiring prolonged high-temperature operation. These trays are suitable for a wide range of industrial furnaces, including carburizing furnaces, nitriding furnaces, annealing lines, and more. Whether you're using AICHELIN, IPSEN, FENGDONG, or any other brand of industrial furnace system, our custom trays are precisely matched to your specific application.
Unlike off-the-shelf trays that force your process to adapt to the equipment, we take the opposite approach: every tray is cast to your exact dimensions, required load capacity, and furnace clearance requirements, with a material composition that balances high-temperature strength, oxidation resistance, and cost-effectiveness.
Material Specification & Compliance
Material Designations:
- EN Chemical Designation: GX25CrNiSi18-9
- EN Numeric Designation: 1.4825
- Standard: EN 10295:2002 - Heat resistant steel castings
Chemical Composition (wt.%) – EN 10295:2002:
| Element | Min | Max |
| C | 0.15 | 0.35 |
| Si | 0.50 | 2.50 |
| Mn | - | 2.00 |
| Cr | 17.00 | 19.00 |
| Ni | 8.00 | 10.00 |
| Mo | - | 0.50 |
| P | - | 0.040 |
| S | - | 0.030 |
- The silicon content in this grade-ranging from 0.5% to 2.5%-is notably higher than in many other cast stainless steels, and this is by design. Silicon promotes the formation of a stable, adherent oxide layer (SiO₂) on the material surface, which significantly enhances oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures
Mechanical Properties (as-cast / solution annealed):
| Property | Property | Standard Reference |
| Tensile Strength Rm | ≥450 MPa | EN 10295 |
| Yield Strength Rp0.2 | ≥230 MPa | EN 10295 |
| Elongation A | ≥15% | EN 10295 |
| Brinell Hardness | ~150 HB |
- Additional data: Tensile strength up to 510 MPa with yield strength reaching 260 MPa in certain conditions; elongation at break 17%.
Physical Properties:
- Density: 7.8 g/cm³
- Melting range: 1370°C – 1410°C
- Maximum service temperature (mechanical): 900°C continuous; up to 1150°C for oxidation-limited applications
Key Performance Features
Excellent High-Temperature Strength Retention
This GX25CrNiSi18-9 heat-resistant steel maintains structural integrity at sustained operating temperatures. With tensile strength of 450–510 MPa at room temperature and meaningful strength retention well into the 900°C range, your trays won't sag or deform under load during extended heat treatment cycles.
01
Superior Oxidation & Scaling Resistance
The chromium-nickel austenitic matrix, combined with elevated silicon content, forms a protective Cr₂O₃/SiO₂ oxide layer on the material surface. This layer is dense, adherent, and self-healing-meaning that even after repeated thermal cycling, the tray resists further oxidation and scale formation. Continuous service temperature capability reaches 1150°C, with intermittent exposure possible up to 1200°C.
02
Resistance to Thermal Fatigue
Heat treatment trays are subjected to repeated heating and cooling cycles-sometimes quenching directly from furnace temperature. The austenitic microstructure of 1.4825 provides excellent resistance to thermal shock and thermal fatigue, minimizing the risk of cracking that plagues less ductile materials.
03
Carburization & Creep Resistance
In carburizing and carbonitriding environments, many materials suffer from surface carburization-carbon diffusion into the base metal leading to embrittlement and premature failure. GX25CrNiSi18-9 offers meaningful resistance to carburization, extending service life in carbon-rich atmospheres. Its creep resistance at elevated temperatures ensures dimensional stability over hundreds of operating cycles.
04
Cost-Effective Solution
Among cast austenitic stainless steels, EN 1.4825 has a very low base cost relative to higher-nickel or higher-chromium alloys. It offers a favorable balance of performance and material cost, making it the go-to choice for heat treatment fixtures where extreme temperature capabilities aren't required but reliability at 900–1050°C is essential.
05
Applications
Our Custom GX25CrNiSi18-9 Heat-Resistant Steel Trays are widely used in:
- Carburizing furnaces – Continuous and batch-type systems
- Nitriding furnaces – Gas nitriding and ferritic nitrocarburizing lines
- Annealing furnaces – Box furnaces, bell furnaces, and roller hearth furnaces
- Quenching & tempering lines – Where trays must withstand repeated thermal cycling
- Solution treatment furnaces – For stainless steel and superalloy processing
These trays serve as workpiece carriers, supporting components through the entire heat treatment cycle-from loading and heating to quenching and unloading. They are compatible with major furnace brands including AICHELIN, IPSEN, FENGDONG, AFC, ECM, and BMI.
Products Description
Casting processes available:
- Lost wax / investment casting – For complex geometries, thin walls, and smooth surface finish
- EPC (Expendable Pattern Casting / Lost foam) – Ideal for medium-to-large trays with intricate features
- Sand casting – For heavy-section trays and large batch quantities
After casting, each tray undergoes solution annealing heat treatment to optimize the austenitic microstructure and relieve internal stresses from the casting process. Where required, we also provide precision machining of critical bearing surfaces, lift points, and locating features.
Quality standards: Our castings comply with EN 10295, DIN 17440, DIN 17224, AISI, ASTM, JIS SUH35, NF A35-572/584, BS970, BS1449, and ISO 683/13 standards.
Products Description
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between this material and common stainless steels like 304 or 310?
-
GX25CrNiSi18-9 is a cast austenitic heat-resistant steel specifically designed for high-temperature applications. Its silicon content (0.5–2.5%) is significantly higher than that of ordinary stainless steels. This high silicon content promotes the formation of a dense oxide layer (SiO₂/Cr₂O₃), greatly improving scaling resistance and carburization resistance. In contrast, 304 oxidizes rapidly at high temperatures, and while 310 offers higher temperature capability, its cost is substantially higher.
How is the weldability of this material?
-
It can be welded using the same processes as for austenitic stainless steels (e.g., SMAW, GTAW). We recommend using a matching filler metal, such as E 25 20 R. However, welding will locally disrupt the as-cast microstructure, so post-weld solution annealing or at least stress-relieving treatment is recommended.
What information is required to customize a tray?
-
We need the following information: ① 2D drawing or 3D model (or a hand sketch) of the tray; ② maximum operating temperature and furnace atmosphere; ③ expected load weight per tray; ④ cooling method (air cooling, oil quenching, polymer quenching, etc.); ⑤ annual quantity or initial batch size. The more detailed your design inputs, the better we can ensure the service life of the tray.
Can the tray be fully customized according to my furnace dimensions, including non-rectangular shapes?
-
Yes. Whether you need a rectangular, round, trapezoidal, or special-shaped tray with clearance features, we can provide a fully custom design based on your actual furnace interior dimensions and usage habits. Simply provide photos or dimensional drawings of your furnace interior.
Can my company's logo or part numbers be cast into the tray?
-
Yes. We can add your company logo, heat number, traceability code, orientation arrows, or other markings directly into the casting mold at no additional cost. Just provide vector artwork.
Hot Tags: custom gx25crnisi18-9 heat-resistant steel tray, China custom gx25crnisi18-9 heat-resistant steel tray manufacturers, suppliers, factory
