6/15/2016

WhatIsStainlessSteel?|Ferritic,Austenitic,Martensitic&Duplex

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WhatIsStainlessSteel?
Sinceitwasinventedacenturyago,stainlesssteelhascometobeavitally

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importantmaterial,itsanticorrosivequalitiesmakingitperfectforuseinahugerangeof
differentenvironmentsandcircumstances.

SteelPlates

Tothelayperson,onepieceofstainlesssteelmayseemjustlikeanyother,butthetruth
ofthematterisalittlebitmorecomplicated.Thedurabilityofstainlesssteelandthefact
thatitdoesnthavetobepaintedorcoatedinanywaymakesittheidealmaterialforuse
inplaceswherecleanlinessisaveryhighpriority,suchashospitalsorkitchens.
Asstatedpreviously,thereismorethanonetypeofstainlesssteel,withdifferentgrades
beingcreatedviatheadditionofvariousotherelements.Theseareselectedtocreate
slightlydifferentalloyswithparticularpropertiessuchasheatresistanceorworkability,
whichmakethesteelmoresuitableforspecifictasks.
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6/15/2016

WhatIsStainlessSteel?|Ferritic,Austenitic,Martensitic&Duplex

Thisversatilityisreflectedinthefactthatthereareactuallyover150differentgradesof
stainlesssteel,withfifteenofthembeingtheonesmostcommonlyused.Populargrades
ofsteelinclude:304stainlesssteeland316stainlesssteel.Onamorebasiclevel,
therearefivetypesofstainlesssteel,whichcanbeclassifiedasfollows:
FerriticThesesteelscontainlessthan0.10%carbonandaremagnetic.Thefactthat
theycantbehardenedviaheattreatmentanddontweldtoahighstandardlimitstheuse
ofthesemetalssomewhat,buttheyarestillsuitableforawiderangeofapplications.
AusteniticThisisthemostcommontypeofstainlesssteel,accountingforupto70%
ofallstainlesssteelproduction.Itsversatilityisinlargepartdowntothefactthatitcanbe
formedandweldedwithsuccessfulresults.
MartensiticThistypeofsteelsharessomecharacteristicswithferritic,butboasts
higherlevelsofcarbon,uptoafull1%.Thismeansthattheycanbetemperedand
hardenedandarethushighlyusefulinsituationswherethestrengthofthesteelismore
importantthanitsresistancetocorrosion.
DuplexPutsimply,Duplexsteelsareacombinationofferriticandausteniticsteels,a
structurewhichrendersduplexsteelstrongerthanboth.
PrecipitationHardeningWiththeadditionofelementssuchasAluminium,Copper
andNiobium,thesesteelsbecomeextremelystrong.Theycanbemachinedandworked
intoawidevarietyofshapeswithoutbecomingdistortedand,intermsofcorrosion,have
thesameresistancelevelsasausteniticsteels.

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PostedonJanuary30,2013byBrownMcFarlane
Thisentrywaspostedin100YearsofStainlessSteel,StainlessSteel.Bookmarkthepermalink.

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