There are four main types of stainless steels:
Austenitic
Austenitic stainless steels contain a significant amount of chromium, and sufficient nickel or manganese to stabilise the austenite microstructure that gives these steels good formability and ductility (and makes them non-magnetic). A typical composition is 18 % chromium and 8 % nickel, as found in the popular AISI 304 grade. (AISI is an abbreviation of American Iron and Steel Institute and is commonly used as a grade designation.) Austenitic grades can be highly durable and corrosion resistant and have high ductility, low yield stress, relatively high tensile strength and good weldability. They have a very wide range of uses.
Ferritic
Ferritic stainless steels have properties similar to those of mild steel but show better corrosion resistance. Most common are 11 % and 16 % chromium containing grades – the former used mostly in vehicle exhaust systems and the latter mostly in cooking utensils, washing machines and Indoor architecture.
Austenitic-Ferritic (Duplex)
These stainless steels, which contain high chromium and some nickel, have a microstructure that is roughly 50 % ferritic and 50 % austenitic. They are mostly used in the process industry and in seawater applications.
Martensitic
Like ferritic grades, martensitic grades contain 12 to 16 % chromium. However, they have higher carbon content and are subjected to specific heat treatments during production, making them very hard and strong. They are used in applications such as turbine blades, cutlery and razor blades.
More details can be found in the publications below.
Duplex Stainless Steels
Duplex stainless steels form the latest family of stainless steels, tested as early as in the 1930’s and mass produced from the 1970’s onwards. Their excellent mechanical properties and their corrosion resistance have made them a first choice material for high-load applications in corrosive environments.
This reference document will inform and guide readers in how to appropriately select the correct duplex stainless steel for specific projects. It will also provide sound guidance for the selection of duplex stainless steels, when this family of stainless steels may not have been otherwise considered. This brochure is recommended for producers, material specifiers, architects, OEMs and stockists, with the knowledge that they will all find this a helpful tool in their material selection decisions and market development activities.
This brochure is available in Chinese, English and German.
Published 26 October 2021
Martensitic Stainless Steels
Martensitic stainless steels have an excellent strength to weight ratio, strong resistance to corrosion, a good hardness and a wide range of applications, of which the best known are probably knife steels, which are capable of holding a sharp edge.
To provide the right environment for further growth of this range of materials it was necessary to research existing and potential applications, to provide a technical introduction to the material and testimonials from existing producers who have used the material and can talk with authority about its value.
This brochure is available in Chinese, English and German.
Published 10 August 2021
Ferritic Stainless Steels
The Ferritic Stainless Steels brochure provides an overview of the properties of ferritic stainless steels, the advantages of using them and the applications where they can be used. We trust that this brochure will serve as a useful learning and reference resource for producers, material specifiers, architects, OEMs, stockists, and the wider community interested in stainless steels.
The first edition of the brochure is available in Chinese, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish.
[clicking on the language will open the pdf]
Published 10 June 2025
What is Stainless Steel?
A compact 6-page folder has been produced, entitled “What Is Stainless Steel?” Addressed to designers, fabricators and stockholders, it provides a concise summary of the principal families, main properties, commonly available finishes and process routes. Three graphs show how the various austenitic, ferritic and Duplex grades are interrelated and what the alloying elements confer to their technical properties.
The folder is available in Czech, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish
[clicking on the language will open the folder]
Published 08 November 2019
