All About Stainless Steel

According to the NF EN 10 020 standards, the carbon content is low, less than 1.2% in stainless steel. Stainless steel is a prevalent metal due to its excellent quality. Here is a complete guide to this iron-metal alloy!

 

What are the leading families of stainless steel?

 

There are several types of stainless steel. Classification is based on factors of chemical composition and critical properties of use. The chemical composition of stainless steel considers the proportions of chromium, nickel, and various other elements. Fundamental wear properties include, but are not limited to, corrosion resistance and creep resistance.

 

Classification of stainless steel can also be done according to the crystal structure. In this case, it is possible to distinguish between these significant families of stainless steel.

 

• Martensitic stainless steel;
• Precipitation hardening stainless steel;
• Ferritic stainless steel;
• Austenitic stainless steel (ASTM 300 series);
• Austere-ferritic or duplex stainless steel.

 

Martensitic stainless steel.

 

Martensitic stainless steel contains 12% to 18% chromium and a low percentage of carbon, up to 1.2%. They are magnetic metals and are very rigid. This type of stainless steel offers excellent resistance to moderate corrosion and is suitable for tempering. Also, they have high mechanical properties.

 

Precipitation hardening stainless steel

pn16 flange dimensions varies accordiong to type of steel.  To obtain this type of metal, special treatment is required to improve fracture resistance. This type of stainless steel is used to design sword blades.

 

Ferritic stainless steel

 

Ferritic stainless steels contain low levels of carbon, less than 0.1%. Metals in this group can hold up to 27% chromium. In addition to being magnetizable, ferritic stainless steel has excellent mechanical properties. Ferritic stainless steel is used to manufacture plated sheets and kitchen utensils. There are several types of ferritic steels, depending on the chromium content.

 

• Low alloy ferritic steel (11-14% chromium);
• Unstabilized ferritic steel (15-18% chromium);
• Stabilized ferritic steel (16-20% stabilized chromium);
• Refractory steel (14-20% chromium).

 

Stabilized ferritic steels offer the advantage of being weldable. Stabilization is possible only after the addition of titanium, niobium, and often zirconium. When it comes to refractory steel, they are ideal for facing high temperatures. To do this, niobium is added to most compositions of these metal groups.

 

pn16 flange also contains 18-20% chromium to improve corrosion resistance. They have a molybdenum content not exceeding 2%. Certain ferritic stainless steels have a high proportion of chromium in the range of 22-25%. Another group of metals called "Super Ferities" contains more than 25% chromium and 3% molybdenum. Its improved corrosion resistance makes it ideal for use in marine environments. Its toughness can also be improved by adding up to 4% nickel.

 

Austenitic Stainless Steel (ASTM 300 Series)

 

Steels in this category contain 14-30% chromium and 8-10% nickel. They are easily deformed and ductile. In other words, it can be stretched without breaking. It is non-magnetic and has excellent impact resistance. The presence of nickel increases the resistance of this type of stainless steel to corrosion. They can be used at both high and low temperatures, thanks to their excellent structural stability.