FERRITIC STAINLESS STEEL AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME

The present invention has an object to provide a ferritic stainless steel having a broad range of suitable quenching temperature and a high hardness and excellent corrosion resistance after quenching and beautiful and useful as a material for martensitic stainless steel products and provide an industrially stable method for production. The ferritic stainless steel of the present invention is characterized by having a steel composition comprising, by mass %, C: 0.45% or more and 0.55% or less, Si: 0.10% or more and 1.00% or less, Mn: 0.1% or more and 1.0% or less, Cr: 12.0% or more and 15.0% or less, Ni: 0% or more and 1.0% or less, Mo: 0.50% or more and 0.80% or less, V: 0.10% or more and 0.20% or less, N: 0.015% or more and 0.100% or less, P: 0% or more and 0.040% or less, S: 0% or more and 0.030% or less, balance: Fe and impurities, having an average crystal grain size of a ferrite phase of 10 μm or less, and having carbides having a diameter of 1.5 μm or less of 0.8/μm2 or more.