As experts in stainless steel, we know exactly that every stainless steel alloy has special properties. But we do not want to keep our knowledge to ourselves - with this article, we want to give you an overview of the various alloys of stainless steel.
We want to put you in a position to decide for yourself which alloy is best suited to your project. After reading our summary, you will not only know what stainless steel is but also understand its composition. Unlike your teachers at school, however, we want to focus on practice and not dwell too long on theory.
What is stainless steel?
In general, stainless steel is understood to be a metal that is considered rustproof or at least highly resistant to corrosion. If a product is made of stainless steel, that is a mark of quality - stainless steel is far higher-quality and more durable than ordinary steel.
At this point we must note that there is no single stainless steel. If cutlery or car parts are made of stainless steel, at that moment you do not yet know which stainless steel alloy these parts are made from - only that they were made from a material belonging to the group of stainless steels.
Considered scientifically, stainless steel is always a particularly pure steel: the proportion of sulphur and phosphorus must be below 0.025%. Furthermore, stainless steel alloys can be divided into alloyed and high-alloy grades.
This is how stainless steel is composed
When looking at the composition of stainless steel, we must bear in mind that there are various types of stainless steels. Apart from their constituents, they can also be classified by their atomic structures:
- Austenitic steel: chromium-nickel alloy, particularly corrosion-resistant
- Martensitic steel: 10-18% chromium, relatively corrosion-resistant
- Ferritic steel: 16-18% chromium, moderately corrosion-resistant
According to the standardised definition, stainless steel must contain more than 10.5% chromium. The high chromium content is responsible for forming the chromium oxide layer and ensures that the material cannot react with the oxygen in the ambient air - which would result in the formation of rust.
Which alloy for which field of use?
In the following, we look at the effect of various components on a stainless steel alloy. Different constituents affect an alloy's material properties differently, allowing various stainless steel grades to be produced for the most diverse demands. The following constituents are found very frequently in stainless steel.
Manganese
Taken on its own, manganese is a heavy metal that is very brittle and hard. Adding manganese increases the hardness and resistance of a stainless steel alloy. Because manganese is considerably cheaper than nickel due to large natural deposits, it is often used as a nickel substitute.
Nickel
Stainless steel alloys contain nickel because it makes the material more resistant. A positive side effect: a higher nickel content makes stainless steel easier to polish. The nickel content is usually around 8% and is also responsible for an alloy's resistance to dilute acids.
Titanium
By adding titanium, particularly hard stainless steel can be produced - which is also why titanium steel is considered the hardest steel. It is very tough and strong, and only slightly brittle when deformed. Titanium steel also weighs far less than other grades. Due to raw material prices, however, a stainless steel alloy containing titanium is a more expensive one.
Chromium
Chromium's outstanding properties are tarnish resistance and hardness as well as corrosion resistance. The high chromium content is the reason stainless steel is considered rustproof. At a proportion of 10.5 to 13.5%, chromium is an essential constituent of all stainless steel alloys.
Molybdenum
Adding molybdenum produces the stainless steel alloys grouped under the term V4A stainless steel. Molybdenum is acid-resistant, and its addition to a stainless steel alloy makes it acid-resistant too and prevents rusting even in permanent contact with seawater. Heat resistance is also improved by adding molybdenum.
Order stainless steel in any alloy at ESC Burg
Now that we have given you an overview of what stainless steel is, we would of course also like to reveal why we know it so well. Although our company history goes back well into the 20th century, we must look at one decisive turning point: once founded as a railway company and later continued as a rolling mill, our specialisation in stainless steel laid the foundation for our present-day company.
We wanted to support private and business customers as a comprehensive service provider for everything stainless steel. That is why we have specialised in offering various stainless steel alloys as made-to-measure sheet. As a customer, you can not only benefit from our experience but also draw on our high-quality machines for processing stainless steel sheets.
Get advice without obligation
If you are interested in our products, give us a call without obligation. That may seem a little old-school at first, but from our point of view it is the best way to supply you optimally. As our short overview of stainless steel alloys has shown, there are considerable differences in composition. So we must first find out whether you need a heat-resistant sheet or whether hot-rolled steel is the optimum solution for you.
Our experienced sales staff can find out with a few questions which alloy is the best solution for you. Naturally, the fact that there are certain price differences also plays a role: we do not want to sell you the most expensive product but the sheet that also makes economic sense for your project.
Professional services to customer order
We work exclusively to customer order and do not produce for stock. Our lean, efficient processes make this possible, allowing us to accept smaller orders from private individuals as well as large industrial orders.
Our average production time is 48 hours, so your order generally leaves our facility securely packaged within 2 days - regardless of whether you have commissioned only cutting or also surface treatment and forming. Call us and learn the price for your individually manufactured products in various stainless steel alloys during the phone call itself.
+49 3921 72-0