stainless steel

Introduction
stainless steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. Stainless steels are steels containing at
least 10.5% chromium, less than 1.2% carbon and other alloying elements.
Stainless steel’s corrosion resistance and mechanical properties can be further
enhanced by adding other elements, such as nickel, molybdenum, titanium,
niobium, manganese, etc.

Stainless Steel Manufacturing Processes

 Casting of stainless steel

All the raw materials are heated together in an electric furnace for about 8-12
hours. When the raw materials are melted, they are poured into molds of required
dimensions and allowed to cool. The casted stainless steel can be rectangular,
billets, tubular or slabs.

 Hot rolling

The semi-finished stainless steel then undergoes a hot rolling process where the
thickness of the sheets of stainless steel is reduced and made uniform. The stainless
steel is passed through two rolls until the specified gauge is obtained.

 Annealing

After the hot rolling process, the heat treatment of the stainless steel begins.
Annealing is a process of heat treatment where the steel is heated and cooled in
controlled settings to soften the final product. This process reduces the stress
formed in the hot rolling process.Sometimes, the stainless steel also undergoes age
hardening where the strength of the product is increased by melting. Hardening at
the right temperature is important. If the steel is heated at a lower temperature, it
results in stainless steel of higher strength and lower toughness. On the other hand,
if the steel is heated at a higher temperature, the stainless steel obtained is of higher
toughness and lower strength . The heating process as such does not alter the
properties of the stainless steel. However, the cooling process determines the
properties of the final product. After heating the stainless steel for about 900-1000
degrees Fahrenheit, the material is cooled by processes like water quenching where
the raw material is subjected to ice bath for a couple of hours. This is essentially
used for thicker sections of the steel. For thinner sections, cool air is blasted on
sections of the metal and the process is called as air blasting.
  Descaling

Descaling becomes necessary for a smoother final product. The heat treatment can
cause the formation of scales on steel. The most commonly used method for
descaling is pickling where acids are used to descale the steel. In electro-cleaning,
the surface is applied with electric current using phosphoric acid and cathode to
remove the scales. Depending upon the type of stainless steel, the process of
annealing and descaling can span several steps.

 Finishing

This is a vital step in the production of stainless steel as it determines the

applications of steel and makes it easier to use. Depending upon the application,
they can undergo smooth or rough finishing. Hot rolling, cold rolling, annealing,
descaling these processes depend on the application of the stainless steel.

In industual fields
these steels are available in the form of billets, slabs and rods. Different grades are
available. These grades are defined by the percentages of alloying elements.

Advantages
 resistance to corrosion in highly corrosive environments
 resistance to oxidation and creep resistance at high temperatures
 strength and ductility at low temperatures
 good mechanical properties
 easy to work with (stamping, bending, hydroforming, welding, brazing…)
Applications
 Food and catering
 Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
 Medical equipment manufacturing
 Architecture and construction
 Home appliances
 Offshore and shipbuilding
 Automotive manufacturing
 Energy and industry

Summary
Production technology of stainless steel has developed to enable manufacture of
stainless steel products of better properties at lower costs in response to growing
demand. While the demand for stainless steel products and their applications are
expected to expand yet more in the long run, with new steel materials having
specific functionality, such as high-purity ferritic and dual-phase steels,
accounting for a good part of that expansion. This means that a wider variety of
products will have to be produced in smaller lots, and technically demanding
products will account for a larger proportion of all production. Therefore,
besides aiming for efficient mass production of products for general
applications as in the past, the technical development of the stainless steel
industry will have to focus on efficient production of technically demanding
highly functional products in small lots. Another important aspect is the
development of recycling technologies for stainless steel scrap and waste arising
from the stainless steel industry itself. This will be fundamental to maintaining
and strengthening the material’s advantage of excellent recyclability.

Prepared by
Omar Raffa Ahmed
Second stage – petrochemical engineering