What is the tensile strength of stainless steel?

The tensile strength of stainless steel varies, ranging from 510 to 620 megapascals in SI units. In imperial units, it ranges from 73,900 to 89,900 pounds per square inch. Generally, the tensile strength of a material measures the force required to stretch or pull it apart.

The tensile strength of spider silk is comparable to stainless steel, although silk is considerably less dense. These materials are several orders weaker than aramid, a synthetic fiber used in Kevlar that has a tensile strength of approximately 3,620 megapascals. Other forms of steel, diamond, tungsten and fiberglass are also significantly higher in tensile strength than stainless steel.