One of the greatest advances in modern metallurgy was the discovery of a steel that does not rust, which occurred after research into high chromium steels began. French researchers began adding chromium or nickel to heat treated alloy steels during the 1880s and 1890s, while German researchers began combining chromium with nickel in the 1890s. This article recounts the early history of stainless steel.

From wartime use to cutlery and building facades, the stainless steel industry began to experience dynamic growth from the 1920s on, especially following World War II.

Vacuum solution nitriding is a promising technique for increasing the surface hardness, load-bearing capability, and fatigue strength of martensitic stainless steels without sacrificing corrosion resistance. This article examines the effects of nitriding pressure and temperature on surface nitrogen content and case depth in four martensitic stainless steels.

Low-temperature surface hardening of stainless steel by means of gaseous processing provides a high degree of tailorability of the hard surface case without affecting corrosion resistance. This article covers the fundamental and technological aspects of the process and examines the effect of different LTSH treatments on 304 and 316 austenitic stainless steel.

Deformation-induced martensite phase transformation during room temperature forming of austenitic stainless steel leads to higher residual stress. This article discusses the results of a study to determine the relationship between deformation-induced martensite phase transformation and residual stress in AISI Type 304 austenitic stainless steel (nominal 18% Cr, 8% Ni) after stamping.

Plasma nitriding is very effective in removing the passive layer of chromium oxide formed naturally on the surface of stainless steel, but controlling the kinetics is key for optimal results.

A new solid-state joining process for medical guidewire applications increases joint strength, provides superior bending properties, and does not require tertiary metals or ferrules. This process may be a superior method to create joints between dissimilar metals such as stainless steel and Nitinol.

Given the demonstrated antimicrobial properties of copper, it is incumbent upon materials scientists to design potent antimicrobial copper-containing stainless steels as an economical option.

Alloy developers worldwide have struggled to create creep-resistant alumina-forming, iron-based austenitic stainless steels for use as high-temperature structural alloys, but with limited success in balancing alloy cost, oxidation, and creep resistance. This article describes the research and development of a novel cast alumina-forming austenitic stainless steel. This work won the prestigious Engineering Materials Achievement Award presented at IMAT 2023 in Detroit.

In this study, 316L stainless steel samples were plasma nitrided for 64 h at 370-420 °C then subjected to surface hardness and pitting corrosion testing. The results show that interstitial hardening with nitrogen significantly improved the surface hardness as well as the pitting corrosion resistance of the austenitic stainless steel.

In recognition of ASM International's 100-year anniversary, AM&P highlights historic events and technological advancements that occurred over the course of those years. This issue extends the timeline from 1964 to 1973, which includes the introduction of stainless steel for automotive exhaust systems, the debut of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, the first of six lunar landings by U.S. astronauts, the completion of the 64-story U.S. Steel Tower in Pittsburgh, and the opening of the first steel mini-mill in Darlington, S.C.

This article describes how shielding gas composition, either argon or nitrogen, affects the hardness, tensile strength, and toughness of high-power, high-brightness laser welds made on various base materials, including A508 forging steel, 316L stainless steel, Inconel 690, and solution-annealed IN718.

Active screen plasma nitriding and nitrocarburizing are relatively new processes in which a plasma discharge is applied to a metal screen surrounding the workload, generating highly reactive gas species that flow to the component surface. The active screen also radiates heat, resulting in a uniform temperature throughout the load. This article provides an overview of the two processes and presents examples of their use on stainless steel piston rings (nitriding) and 4142 and 1045 steels (nitrocarburizing).

In order to expand the choice of materials available for use in additive manufacturing, parameters that consider welding metallurgy, laser powder interaction, and post processing must be developed. This article describes the outcomes of process development for a steel and stainless steel alloy that are not standard materials for laser powder bed fusion equipment.

In recognition of ASM International's 100-year anniversary , AM&P highlights historic events and technological advancements that occurred over the course of those years. This issue extends the timeline from 1924 to 1933, which includes the invention of 18-8 (type 304) stainless steel, the development of the Vickers hardness test, the debut of tungsten carbide cutting tools, and the first all-metal single-wing aircraft to transport mail.

In recognition of ASM International's 100-year anniversary, AM&P highlights historic events and technological advancements that occurred over the course of those years. This issue extends the timeline from 1954 to 1963, which includes the fatigue testing of a de Havilland Comet in a water tank, the discovery of the AOD process for stainless steel, the first commercial atomic power plant, the opening of ASM's geodesic dome, and the Project Mercury missions to orbit Earth.

This article discusses the capabilities of fusion or gas-assist fiber laser cutting technology for producing complex shapes from stainless steel, aluminum, nickel, titanium, and other metals ranging in thickness from 0.002 to 0.06 in.

In recognition of ASM International's 100-year anniversary, AM&P highlights historic events and technological advancements that occurred over the course of those years. This issue extends the timeline from 1974 to 1983, which includes the completion of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the development of a mechanical alloying process to create new alloys of metals and metal oxides, the debut of the stainless steel body DeLorean automobile, and the initial launch of Space Shuttle Columbia.

In recognition of ASM International's 100-year anniversary, AM&P highlights historic events and technological advancements that occurred over the course of those years. This issue extends the timeline from 1984 to 1993, which includes the release of an artist's conception of the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP), the development of a superconducting composite produced by explosive consolidation, and the completion of the stainless-steel-clad Canary Wharf Tower in London.

This article presents examples of engineered parts where PEEK (polyether ether ketone) thermoplastics have replaced traditional materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, and glass.