Patent ID: 7297214

Claim:
Free cutting alloy constituted as ferrite containing stainless steel containing: 2 mass % or lower, including zero, Ni; 12 to 35 mass % Cr; and 0.021 to 0.4 mass % C; one or more of Ti and Zr such that W Ti +0.52W Zr =0.14 to 3.5 mass %, wherein W Ti and W Zr denote respective contents in mass % of Ti and Zr; and one or more of S and Se in the respective ranges of 0.01 to 1 mass % for S and 0.01 to 0.8 mass % for Se so that a total content in mass % of S and Se is set to a value higher than two times a C content in mass %; wherein S content is determined such that a value of W S /(W Ti +0.52W Zr ) is 0.45 or less, wherein W S denotes a S content; wherein (W Ti +0.52W Zr )/W c =6.7 to 20, wherein W c donates content in mass % of C; and wherein a (Ti,Zr) based compound containing one or more of Ti and Zr as a metal element component, C being an indispensable element as a bonding component with the metal element component, and one or more of S, Se and Te is dispersed in a matrix metal phase.