Stainless, acid & heat resistant steel

Different types of stainless steel

Stainless steel is divided into groups. The most common groups are:

• Ferritic stainless steel - has a low carbon content with a chromium content between 13-30%. This type of stainless steel has a moderate corrosion resistance, is easy to form and process and has a low price.
• Martensitic stainless steel - With the addition of at least 0.1% carbon, the steel can be hardened, giving a higher strength compared to ferritic stainless steels. Increased carbon content reduces the corrosion resistance of the steel. Martensitic steels therefore generally have a higher chromium content to compensate for this.
• Austenitic stainless steel - A sufficiently high addition of nickel results in a steel that is fully austenitic. Austenitic steels have a good formability at room temperature and a significantly increased corrosion resistance due to the nickel content.
• Duplex (Ferritic + Austenitic) A slightly lower nickel content results in a steel consisting of both austenite and ferrite. These steels combine the favourable properties of ferritic and austenitic steels. Duplex steels are often used in the cellulose industry, for example.