Eagle Stainless Tube & Fabrication, Inc. recently released their list of 5 factors to consider when selecting a grade of stainless steel. While there are more than 3,500 grades of steel, not all grades are created equally.
1. Choose the Right Metal for Your Operating Environment
To determine which grade of steel will uphold best in a given environment, think about the conditions your final product will face. Extremely low pH, high stresses and high temperatures, and crevice corrosion negatively impact stainless steel performance. With any steel grade, high-quality structural design is the best defense against corrosion.
2. Prioritize Strength, Ductility, and Toughness
Stainless steel contains 1030% chromium as its alloying element, which is what helps it resist corrosion. The nickel addition in austenitic grades provides the highest toughness and ductility among stainless grades. Grades high in chromium, molybedenum, and nickel are the most resistant to corrosion.
Alloy content is not the only aspect to consider when choosing a grade of stainless steel; the materials processing also affects is mechanical response. The duration of time steel is held at different temperatures as part of its cooling process, as well as the total speed at which it is cooled, can affect its overall quality.
3. Factor in Form and Process
Austenitic stainless steel is widely available in bar, wire, tube, pipe, sheet, and plate forms; most products require additional forming or machining before they can be used for their specific application. When welding any stainless steel parts, embrittlement in the weld area is a top concern. Choose a lower carbon grade like 304, 304L, or 316L to reduce carbide formation.
4. Consider Customer Preferences
Customers may need certification for application-specific specifications. For instance, ASTM A213 and A249 should be used for boiler, superheater, and heat-exchanger tubes, while ASTM A908 should be used for hard-drawn austenitic stainless steel industrial needle tubing. There are more than 12,000 ASTM standards, and each addresses a specification so customers know the technical standards tested for chemical composition, heat treatment or temper, and other physical and mechanical attributes.
5. Manage Material Cost and Availability
Although high-performing austenitic stainless steels are the most expensive stainless steels up front, they are worth the investment. Choosing a corrosion-resistant material well-suited to its application reduces maintenance, downtime, and replacement costs. Life-cycle costing methods can quantify current and future costs and create an apples-to-apples comparison of different materials.
Courtesy of Eagle Stainless Tube & Fabrication, Inc.