Technical Information about Stainless Steel - Classification, Common Properties, and Application

The choice of a specific grade of stainless steel is determined by the application and the conditions under which it will operate.

Nearly all end user applications can be covered by two basic types, austenitic stainless steels and ferritic stainless steels. It is estimated that approximately 95% of stainless steel applications use these two classifications.

Martensitic, duplex and precipitation hardening stainless steels, as well as the more exotic super austenitic stainless alloys, fulfil a necessary role where their particular properties are essential. Process pressures to improve process yields and efficiencies. Minor modifications of process conditions can enable the use of the more common grades, resulting in better availability, ease of maintenance and better cost effectiveness.

Stainless steels are not indestructible materials, nor immune to all corrosive attack. However, with careful selection and proper fabrication the vast majority of corrosive conditions can be handled by one of the members of the family of stainless steels. When the secondary properties are considered a wide variety of other applications can be handled by these very exciting and vesatile materials.

Home | Austenitic SS | Ferritic SS | Duplex SS | Martensitic SS | Heat Resisting Austenitic SS | Super Austenitic SA | Precipitation Hardening SS