Chapter 16: Stainless Steels

Steels with chromium contents above 12% show high resistance to oxidation and corrosion and are generally designated as stainless steels. This chapter discusses the compositions, microstructures, heat treatments, and properties of martensitic, ferritic, austenitic, ferritic-austenitic (duplex), and precipitation hardening stainless steels. It also describes solidification sequences and explains how chromium carbides may segregate to grain boundaries at certain temperatures, making grain boundary regions susceptible to intercrystalline or intergranular corrosion.