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Stainless Alloys

Data covering stainless alloys is available within Granta’s MaterialUniverse data module. It can be used with GRANTA MI or CES Selector.  This data supports rational selection, enterprise material strategy, and positioning (technical and economic) of these materials.

Why would you be interested?

The data will be of value to you if you design corrosion or heat-resistant components, or supply materials for these applications, and are interested in:

• Cost minimization
  
  
• Optimizing durability
  
  
• More efficient materials selection in design
  

It will also help if you need to pre-screen materials choices as a precursor to consulting handbooks, vendor data, and codes.

The problem

Stainless alloys are expensive and they vary enormously in:

• Cost  - by two orders of magnitude (see table, below)
  
  
• Processability – forming, machining, welding – another cost factor
  
  
• Corrosion resistance – both corrosion rate and type

For any new design there are huge opportunities to:

• Save cost
  
  
• Increase corrosion life
  
  
• Or make an expensive mistake!

For instance:

• 304L is by far the most widely used stainless steel.  It is a great all-round alloy, very well understood, and in plentiful supply, but does it always offer the best price/performance?  No – there are often cost-saving alternatives, the exact one depending on the design situation
  

• Some alloys offer similar corrosion resistance, but lower nickel content - nickel being responsible for much of the expense of stainless alloys, especially with recent price rises
  
  
• Other alloys are more expensive per kg or lb, but cheaper overall due to greater strength (allowing less to be used) or greater corrosion life (allowing a longer lifetime, less downtime in service)

The Granta solution

The Stainless Alloys dataset within MaterialUniverse contains:

• Over 300 alloy compositions and conditions
  
  
• Stainless steels
  
  
  • Austenitic
    
    
  • Ferritic
    
    
  • Martensitic
    
    
  • Duplex
    
    
  • Precipitation hardened (PH)
    
    
• Nickel alloys
  
  
  • Commercially pure
    
    
  • Alloys with Fe, Cr, Cu, Co, Mo, W, Be, etc
    

New in 2008

The March 2008 release pays special attention to:

• Low nickel stainless steel: 201L and other 200 series
  
  
• Lean duplex (lower nickel) and super duplex (high corrosion resistance)
  
  
• ‘N’ nitrogen strengthen alloys
  
  
• Super ferritics, super austenitics
  
• Cost per kg or lb (more accurate price model - quarterly updateable)

The Stainless Alloy section now contains the following material selection criteria for each alloy:

• Formability (cold, hot)
  
  
• Machinability
  
  
• Weldability (MIG, Plasma, sub arc, TIG)
  
  
• Brazeability
  
  
• Pitting and crevice corrosion
  
  
• PREn - pitting resistance equivalent number
  
  
• Stress corrosion cracking
  
  
• Intergranular (weldline) corrosion
  
  
• General corrosion in: water, sea water, acids, organic acids, alkalis, sour oil & gas