There are various stainless-steel products available on the market, and you can easily acquire them from a good stainless steel stockists. But since each of the product has different physical properties, its application various a lot.
To understand what is the right type of stainless steel bar is for your industry, in particular, you must know all you can about it. All manufacturing sites and construction industries need stainless steel products such as stainless steel bars, round bars, rods, etc., and the application typically varies as per the industry processes and standards. In this blog, we would be covering major stainless steel types and their applications.
Stainless steel types
There are many types of stainless steel available on the market, but these are some widely used stainless steel types:
Austenitic, Martensitic , Ferritic
Each of these stainless steel types has a different application and industry. Mostly they are used in chemical, medical, pharmaceutical, automotive industries.
Austenitic Stainless Steel: This type of stainless steel contains austenite in its first phase. The stainless steel type is the most common type of steel and is used in various industries. It is easily fabricated and formed to give the most accurate results.
Austenitic stainless steel is known for its ductile quality. It is a tough material, and to increase these qualities even further, they are mostly processed as hard rolled, and cold stretched.
You can imagine the versatility of the material from its quality and dual nature. When processed and delivered through a quench-annealed state, it can be formed in any shape and is soft too. Different stainless steel bars are formed of austenitic stainless steel. It is very apt for industries such as food processing, power plants, and chemical plants.
Martensitic Stainless Steel: Martensitic stainless steel is widely used in the manufacturing industry. It is a type of steel that contains high amounts of chromium and a lesser amount of other alloying metal like nickel. The chemical and physical properties of the stainless steel type match that of ferritic, but the carbon percentage is slightly on the higher side. Products made of martensitic stainless steel can have a carbon percentage of up to 1%. This makes it strong; it can be hardened, tempered easily, which explains why it is a first choice for the manufacturing industry.
Martensitic stainless steel can be hardened through heat treatment which can cause the product brittle and strong. This type of stainless steel is designated up to 400 series and is perfect for making surgical and medical instruments. It is also used in the oil and petrol industry. Martensitic stainless steel is used to make a stainless steel bar called medical steel bar; as the name suggests, it is used to make medical instruments.
Ferritic Stainless Steel: Among the most commonly used stainless steel in various industries, ferritic stainless steel is the most popular. You can easily acquire it from stainless steel stockist. This type of stainless steel has less amount of carbon content, which usually is about 0.10% only. It has magnetic properties, and it cannot be hardened through heat treatment. They are corrosion and oxidation resistant.
They are not used in heavy-duty industries. The stainless steel does not weld to high-standards and has some limitations. However, they have a wide range of applications too. Ferritic steel is commonly used to build automotive parts, industrial equipment, and kitchenware. It is high-resistance and corrosion-proof. It is a ductile material and affordable as it contains less chromium and nickel.
As per its unique properties, Ferritic steel is used to build stainless steel bars appropriate to use in the industrial, mechanical, chemical, hardware, and medical industry. Some common uses include stainless steel products like bars, rods, etc., and they are in high demand.
Wrapping Up
These were some common stainless steel types and their applications. You can find stainless steel stockists on the Enggpro website, where we have one of the widest networks of manufacturers, suppliers, and stockist. Start sharing your projects with them today. They have a good reputation, a fast turnaround time, and can help you get a major advantage in the industry with their quality products at affordable prices.
