What types of stainless steel are there?

There are several different types of stainless steel as categorised by their internal microstructure — the crystalline structure of the metal itself. These types include Austenitic, Ferritic, Martensitic and Duplex. Duplex, Super Duplex and Hyper Duplex are all a combination of austenitic and ferritic microstructures, approximately 50:50. The microstructure is the crystallographic structure of a metal at a microscopic level, and it will usually define the generic properties.

Martensitic stainless steels are also referred to as precipitation-hardened PH grades. These stainless steels offer very high strength levels, although formability and toughness are compromised.

The more standard grades, which make up the majority of the market are Austenitic i.e. 304/316 (3xx series) and Ferritic i.e. 410/420/430 (4xx series).

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If you have any more questions about stainless steel, please contact us today. Langley Alloys manufactures premier grades of stainless steel, including Austenitic, Super Duplex, Ferritic, and Martensitic.