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Duplex Stainless Steelsĭuplex stainless steel get their name from the fact that they contain both a ferritic and austenitic microstructure. Martensitic grades include 420 stainless steel, which is used in engineering applications like shafts and 440C stainless steel – the hardest and most abrasion resistant of all the stainless steel. Like ferritic stainless steel, they are plain chromium steels containing between 12 and 18% chromium.įeatures of martensitic stainless steel include: When compared with other stainless steel, the martensitic stainless group have a relatively high carbon content (0.1 - 1.2%). The first stainless steel to be developed for commercial applications were martensitic stainless steel. Other than 304 stainless steel, other common austenitic grades include the popular marine grade, 316 stainless steel and the machining bar grade, 303 stainless steel. Excellent performance at low temperatures.Some of the features of austenitic stainless steel include: It is sometimes used generically for austenitic stainless steel other than 304, even if the actual composition is vastly different. This name refers to the average composition, 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Globally, 304 accounts for more than 50% of stainless steel consumed. The most common grade of austenitic stainless steel is 304 (1.4301).
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Austenitic Stainless SteelsĪdding nickel to stainless steel in sufficient amounts, changes the microstructure to “austenite”.ħ0% of commercially produced stainless steel are austenitic.
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409 stainless steel is the material of choice for automotive exhausts due to its combination of low price, corrosion resistance and excellent formability.
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Grade Families of Stainless SteelĮach one of the grades is grouped into one of five stainless steel families. This results in hundreds of different grades of stainless steel that are covered by a range of national and international standards.
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