Do you want to buy stainless steel products in bulk? You will need to consider certain elements and attributes while choosing a particular stainless steel for your needs. How can you choose the most suitable grade for particular needs or applications? Read on to learn the tips for choosing the right stainless steel grade for your next project.
Pick the right metal for your environment
Consider the conditions that your final products, such as Inconel Pipe or Hastelloy Tube will face. There are certain conditions, such as very low pH, crevice corrosion, high temperatures and high stresses that might negatively impact the performance of stainless steel. Common stainless steel types like 316 and 304 alloys will retain their toughness, strength, and corrosion-resistant elements over any given temperature. Austenitic grades are chosen to make products like Inconel Tube because the grade comes with excellent corrosion resistance capacity.
Consider the strength, toughness and ductility
The strength of a stainless steel grade is the stress that a metal can overcome before it deforms or fractures. Ductility is the capacity of a material to change its shape. For example, being drawn out into a thread or wire without breaking or losing strength. And, toughness indicates the metal’s ability to change form and take in energy before fracture.
Form and processing elements
The austenitic grade is usually found in bar, tube, pipe, wire, Inconel Plate forms, and sheet. These products need extra forming or processing before being used for particular applications. If your steel grade will go through processes like drilling, bevel cutting, CNC machining, reaming, knurling, threading, or chamfering, then you should choose a rate that decreases the risk of work hardening. It is wise to go for a grade that is of ‘free-machining’ quality and includes sulfur. Embrittlement is a major concern when dealing with welding stainless steel. You should choose a grade of low-carbon elements, such as 304, 304L, or 316L to decrease carbide accumulation.
Check the availability of materials as well as the cost
Though austenitic stainless steels are high-performing and the most expensive version too, they will be worth your investment in the long run. Go for a corrosion-resistant material to make products like Inconel Round Bar or Hastelloy Round Bar. This will help you decrease maintenance, replacement, and downtime costs. Life-cycle costing methods may measure the current and future costs and can facilitate a direct comparison of different materials.
Consider the needs and preferences of customers
Most manufacturers choose stainless steel to make aesthetically beautiful products like Hastelloy Pipe. Austenitic stainless steel grades offer different finishes, such as electropolished brightness, a lightly pickled look, a matte surface polish, light-absorbing black oxide coating, or particular RMS finishes. Your customers may want certifications for application-specific norms. Many ASTM standards are available and each grade refers to a specification. Customers have an idea of the technical standards used for chemical composition, temper, heat treatment, or other mechanical and physical attributes.
Comments