Stainless Steel

Stainless steels generally contain between 10-20%
chromium as the main alloying element and are valued for high corrosion
resistance. With over 11% chromium, steel is about 200 times more
resistant to corrosion than mild steel. These steels can be divided into







three groups based on their crystalline structure:

• Austenitic:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Austenitic steels are non-magnetic and non heat-treatable, and
  generally contain 18% chromium, 8% nickel and less than 0.8% carbon. Austenitic steels
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  form the largest portion of the global stainless steel market and are
  often used in food processing equipment, kitchen utensils and piping.

• Ferritic: Ferritic steels contain trace amounts of nickel, 12-17% chromium, less than 0.1% carbon, along with other alloying elements, such as molybdenum, aluminum or titanium. These magnetic steels cannot be hardened with heat treatment, but can be strengthened by cold working.

• Martensitic:
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Martensitic steels contain 11-17% chromium, less than 0.4% nickel and
  up to 1.2% carbon. These magnetic and heat-treatable steels are used in
  knives, cutting tools, as well as dental and surgical equipment.