This chapter presents the early classes of stainless steel. These include martensitic alloys, austenitic alloys, and ferritic alloys. It also presents stainless steel trade names. The chapter describes standardized designation for type 304 stainless steel by various specification organizations.

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.

This chapter provides a detailed discussion on microstructure, properties, and applications of two classes of stainless steel: duplex stainless steel and precipitation-hardening steel.

Stainless steels derive their name from their exceptional corrosion resistance, which is attributed to their finely tuned compositions. This chapter discusses the alloying elements used in stainless steels and the some of the processing challenges they present. One of the biggest challenges is that stainless steels cannot be hardened by heat treatment. As a result, they are highly sensitive to processing-induced defects and the formation of detrimental phases. The chapter explains how alloy design, phase equilibria, microstructure, and thermomechanical processing can be concurrently optimized to produce high-quality austenitic, ferritic, and duplex stainless steels.

Stainless steels derive their name from their corrosion-resisting properties first observed in 1912. Two groups, working independently, concurrently discovered what came to be known as austenitic and ferritic stainless steels. Martensitic and precipitation-hardened stainless steels would be developed later. This chapter discusses each of these four major types of stainless steel and their respective compositions, properties, and uses. It explains how alloying, heat treating, and various hardening processes affect corrosion performance, and includes a detailed discussion on the optimization of martensitic stainless steels for cutlery applications.

This chapter discusses the structural alloys being used for cryogenic applications in commercially significant quantities. It emphasizes the practical considerations involved in the material selection process and provides the information necessary to make preliminary selections of alloys most suitable for the intended cryogenic application. The chapter provides general information on a class or group of alloys, their representative mechanical and physical properties, and their fabrication characteristics. The materials covered are austenitic stainless steels, nickel steels, aluminum alloys, and other metals and alloys.

This article covers the metallurgy and properties of stainless steels. It provides composition information on all types of ferritic, austenitic, martensitic, duplex, and precipitation-hardening stainless steels, including proprietary and nonstandard grades, along with corresponding property and performance data. It also discusses the effect of various alloying elements on pitting, crevice corrosion, sensitization, stress-corrosion cracking, and oxidation resistance.

This chapter discusses the processes involved in heat treating of stainless steels, providing information on the classification, chemical compositions, and corrosion resistance of stainless steels and the effect of specific elements on the characteristics of iron-base alloys. Five groups of stainless steels are discussed: austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, precipitation-hardening, and duplex grades. The chapter also describes the heat treatment conditions that should be maintained for processing of stainless steels.

Steels that resist corrosive attack from normal atmospheric exposure and contain a minimum of 10.5% Cr and 50% Fe are generally classified as stainless steels. Their special qualities lie in a chromium-rich oxide surface film that quickly regrows when damaged. This chapter discusses the classification, composition, properties, treatments, and applications of austenitic, ferritic, martensitic, duplex, precipitation-hardening, powder metallurgy, and cast stainless steels. It also reviews the history of stainless steels and provides information on alloy designation systems.

This chapter examines the stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) failure of stainless steel pipe welds in boiling water reactor (BWR) service. It explains where most of the failures have occurred and provides relevant details about the materials of construction, fabrication techniques, environmental factors, and cracking characteristics. It includes a model that accounts for the primary factors involved in intergranular SCC, namely, tensile stresses above the yield stress of the base material, a sensitized microstructure, and reactor cooling water. The chapter also provides proven remedies and mitigation techniques corresponding to a wide range of issues related to stress, sensitization, and operating conditions.