Steel grades

12% Cr martensitic creep-resistant steel for steam turbine applications. Operates to ~580°C continuous. Combines corrosion resistance of 12% Cr with creep strength from Mo+V. Used for steam turbine blades, bolts, discs, and high-pressure steam piping in fossil power plants.

High-carbon high-chromium cold-work tool steel. Excellent wear resistance and dimensional stability after heat treatment. Used for blanking and forming dies, drawing mandrels, gauges, shear blades, and thread rolling dies. Not suitable for impact loading.

Ti-stabilized ferritic stainless with Mo — 18% Cr + 2% Mo + Ti. Best pitting resistance in the ferritic family (PREN ~25, comparable to 316L austenitics). Ti stabilization prevents sensitization after welding. Used as cost-effective replacement for 316L in hot water systems, solar collectors, catering equipment, and automotive exhaust heat exchangers. No Ni = lower cost than austenitic.

Low-cost utility ferritic stainless steel (12% Cr). A cost-effective alternative to 304 where full corrosion resistance is not required. Good weldability for a ferritic grade. Used for railway wagons, bus bodies, sugar industry, mining equipment, and structural applications.

Lean ferritic stainless with just 12% Cr and ~1% Ni — the cheapest stainless option. Also called "utility ferritic" or 3CR12. Lower corrosion resistance than 304 but much better than carbon steel. Magnetic, weldable (with precautions), and formable. Used where mild corrosion resistance at lowest cost is the goal: railway wagons, coal trucks, bus chassis, sugar mills, and architectural cladding in mild environments.

Low-carbon 18/10 austenitic stainless — AISI 304L. C max 0.030% prevents sensitization after welding without stabilizing elements. THE welding-grade 304. Slightly higher Ni (10-12.5%) than 1.4301 (304) for better austenite stability. Used for welded vessels, piping, food equipment, and any 304 application requiring post-weld corrosion resistance without solution annealing.

High-Mo, high-Ni variant of 316L. Often specified for pharmaceutical and biotech cleanroom applications where delta-ferrite must be minimized (high Ni ensures fully austenitic structure). Also used in chemical processing and offshore. Often dual-certified with 1.4404.

Higher-alloy variant of 316L — Ni 12.5-15.0% (vs 10.0-13.0 for 1.4404) and Mo 2.5-3.0%. Guaranteed delta-ferrite free (essential for pharmaceutical/biotech electropolished surfaces). THE pharma and biotech process equipment stainless. Also used for chemical plant and food processing where maximum pitting resistance in the 316-family is needed.

Super duplex stainless steel — SAF 2507 / UNS S32750. PREN >40 giving outstanding resistance to pitting, crevice corrosion, and stress corrosion cracking in chloride environments including hot seawater. 50/50 austenite-ferrite microstructure. UTS >800 MPa — roughly 2x the strength of 316L. Used for offshore oil/gas, desalination, chemical tankers, flue gas desulfurization, and subsea equipment.

Super duplex stainless with W + Cu addition — trade name Zeron 100 (Rolled Alloys). PREN >41 — even higher than SAF 2507 (1.4410) due to tungsten contribution. Outstanding pitting, crevice, and stress corrosion cracking resistance in hot seawater and aggressive chlorides. Used for subsea oil/gas equipment, seawater desalination, FGD systems, and chemical tankers in the most aggressive chloride environments.

Low-carbon nitrogen-enhanced austenitic Cr-Ni-Mo steel — AISI 316LN. Nitrogen (0.12-0.22%) boosts yield strength above 316L while maintaining weldability. Higher PREN than 316L for better pitting resistance. Charpy impact compliant to -196°C. ASME Section III approved for nuclear pressure boundary. Used for nuclear power piping, LNG cryogenic vessels, pharmaceutical equipment, and chemical plants.

High-Mo austenitic stainless — 4-5% Mo (vs 2-2.5% for 316L). N addition for strength and PREN. Superior pitting and crevice corrosion resistance in chloride environments compared to 316L/317L. PREN ~34-38. UNS S31726 / AISI 317LMN. Used for chemical plant, pharmaceutical equipment, pulp bleach plants, and FGD systems where 316L would fail. Resistant to intergranular corrosion even after welding.

Nitrogen-alloyed work-hardening austenitic — AISI 301LN. Lower Ni (6-8%) than 304 makes it metastable: cold work transforms austenite to martensite → UTS up to 1400 MPa in full-hard condition. N addition compensates low C for corrosion and strength. Used for rail car bodies, springs, structural parts requiring high strength-to-weight ratio, and architectural cladding.

Titanium-stabilized ferritic stainless steel with 12% chromium, often called the muffler grade stainless steel. Ultra-low carbon (max 0.03%) with Ti stabilization prevents sensitization during welding. Excellent formability for stamped and deep-drawn components. Primary material for automotive exhaust systems (manifolds, catalytic converter housings, mufflers), hot water heaters, and welded tubes. Cost-effective alternative to austenitic grades. Service temperature up to 600°C.

Ti- and Nb-stabilized ferritic stainless steel with very low carbon (max 0.03%) and 17.5-18.5% Cr. The dual stabilization with Ti and Nb provides excellent resistance to intergranular corrosion and superior high-temperature oxidation resistance. Non-hardenable. Used extensively for automotive exhaust manifolds, catalytic converter housings, heat exchangers, furnace parts, and kitchen equipment. More economical than austenitic grades for high-temperature applications.

Martensitic chromium stainless steel with moderate carbon content (0.26-0.35%) and 12-14% Cr. Part of the AISI 420 family. Can be hardened to approximately 50-52 HRC. Good balance of hardness, toughness, and corrosion resistance. Used for cutlery, kitchen knives, scissors, springs, surgical instruments, and pump shafts. Better toughness than higher-carbon variants X39Cr13 and X46Cr13.

Premium hot work tool steel — higher Mo (2.7-3.2%) than H13/1.2344 (1.1-1.5%) for superior hot strength and temper resistance. Better thermal fatigue life in demanding die casting. Often specified for aluminum high-pressure die casting where H13 life is insufficient. Used for Al/Mg die casting dies, hot forging dies, and extrusion tools requiring longer life than H13.

Martensitic chromium stainless steel with medium-high carbon content (0.36-0.42%) and 12.5-14.5% Cr. Higher hardness potential than X30Cr13 (up to 54 HRC) but slightly reduced toughness. Used for high-quality cutlery, cutting tools, scissors, surgical instruments, and measuring tools requiring both corrosion resistance and good edge retention.

Hardenable martensitic stainless steel with Mo addition for improved corrosion resistance and hardenability. Higher Cr (15.5-17.5%) than basic Cr13 grades. Achieves 220-275 HB after QT. Good resistance to nitric acid, water, steam, acetone, alcohol, and glycerine. Used for pump shafts, valve components, springs, fasteners, turbine blades, and food processing equipment requiring both hardness and corrosion resistance.

Low-carbon martensitic stainless steel with nickel (3.5–4.5%) and molybdenum (0.3–0.7%) for improved toughness, weldability, and corrosion resistance. Available in QT650, QT780, and QT900 conditions. Primary material for hydraulic turbine runners (Francis, Kaplan), pump impellers, compressor components, and offshore parts. Service range -60°C to 300°C. Also known as F6NM (ASTM cast) and UNS S41500.

Austenitic CrNiMo stainless — AISI 316 variant with higher Mo (2.5-3.0%) and Ni (10.5-13.0%). Better pitting resistance than standard 316 (1.4401) due to higher Mo minimum. C max 0.05% (not L-grade, so slightly higher strength than 316L). Used for chemical plant, textile dyeing equipment, and applications requiring guaranteed higher Mo than 316 minimum.

THE hot work tool steel — AISI H13 / JIS SKD61. 5% Cr + Mo + V for outstanding thermal fatigue resistance, red hardness above 40 HRC at 600°C, and excellent toughness. Air-hardening — uniform hardness in large sections with minimal distortion. Used for aluminum/zinc die casting dies, extrusion dies, forging dies, hot shear blades, and plastic molds. ESR grade available for critical applications.

Nickel cold-work tool steel with exceptional toughness from ~4% Ni content. Excellent through-hardenability, polishability, and impact resistance. Used for plastic injection molds (high-gloss), embossing dies, scrap shear blades, punches, cutlery dies, and bending tools.

Martensitic chromium stainless steel with high carbon content (0.43-0.50%) and 12.5-14.5% Cr. The highest carbon grade in the basic Cr13 martensitic series. Achieves hardness up to 56 HRC. Good compromise between hardness and corrosion resistance. Equivalent to AISI 420C/420HC. Used for knife blades, surgical instruments, razor blades, CO2 capture pipes, and precision cutting tools. Good polishing capability.