TYPE & GRADES OF STAINLESS STEEL

There are basically three main types of Stainless Steel - Martensitic, Ferritic & Austenitic.

The Martensitic steels are magnetic containing typically 12% chromium and a moderate carbon content. These types of steel is hardenable by quenching & tempering like plain carbon steel and find their main application in cutlery manufacture, aerospace and general engineering.

The Ferritic steels are magnetic & have a low carbon content & contain chromium as the main element, typically at the 13% and 17% levels.

The Austenitic steels are non-magnetic and in addition to chromium, typically at 18%, they contain nickel, which increases their corrosion resistance, and are the most widely used group of Stainless Steels.

Apart from these the other grades of stainless steel include precipitation hardening, duplex and highly alloyed grades