Stainless Steel

Stainless steel in metalurgy know as inox steel or inox from French word "inoxydable" is mean as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass. Stainless steel doesn't stain as ordinary steel, but it is not stain-proof.It is named corrosion-resistant steel when the alloy type and grade are not detailed, particularly in the aviation industry. There are different grades and surface finishes of stainless steel to suit the environment the alloy must endure. Stainless steel is used where both the properties of steel and resistance to corrosion are required.

What about Austenitic stainless? Austenitic stainless is one type of stainless steel. Austenitic stainless are iron-chromium-nickel alloys which are hardenable only by cold working. Nickel is the important element varied within the alloys of this class while carbon is kept to low levels. The nickel content about 4% to 22% - higher values of nickel are added to increase to ductility of the metal. When chromium is increased to raise the corrosion resistance of the metal, nickel must also be increased to maintain the austenitic structure. These alloys are slightly magnetic in the cold-worked condition, but are essentially non-magnetic in the annealed condition in which they are most often used. The austenitic types feature adaptability to cold forming, ease of welding, high-temperature service, and, in general, the highest corrosion resistance.

The other stainless steel type is MARTENSITIC. This group contains a 12% - 14% Chromium and 0.08% - 2.00% Carbon.The high Carbon content of the martensitic stainless steels allows them to respond well to heat treatment to give various mechanical strengths such as hardness 500004574. However, the Carbon is detrimental when welding and care must be taken. In the heat treated condition, this group of stainless steels show a useful combination of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties that qualify them for a wide range of application.