What are duplex grades F51, F53, F55, F60 and F61?
F51, F53, F55, F60 and F61 are duplex and super duplex stainless steel designations taken from ASTM A182. This standard is one of the most widely referenced standards for the supply of stainless steels. The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) is one of the world’s largest standards organisations, reviewing, collating and publishing technical […]
View full articleSuper Duplex less impacted by Ni price increases
The production of all metals is subject to pricing pressure. Inflation, energy costs and employee wages are variables that affect all industrial producers. However, other consumables and raw materials have proven more volatile. The pricing of super duplex stainless steels is inherently less volatile than for nickel alloys. Graphite electrode surcharge In recent years, steel […]
View full articleWhat is Nitronic 50?
Nitronic 50 is a higher-performance austenitic stainless steel that provides approximately twice the yield strength of regular 3xx series stainless steels and improved corrosion performance. It is widely used in a variety of marine and industrial applications. Compared with Alloy 316L, it contains increased chromium and molybdenum additions which support the improved corrosion resistance. Whilst […]
View full articleValve User Edition 50
The latest edition of the Valve User magazine can be found here, which includes a feature on Langley Alloys investment in nickel alloy stocks. As a key supplier to valve manufacturers and their appointed subcontractors, we have been an active member of the British Valve and Actuator Association (www.bvaa.org.uk) for several years. One of their […]
View full articleStainless Steel World News (8/19)
Considered to be the very first super duplex stainless steel on the market, Ferralium® 255 was launched in 1969 by Langley Alloys. After 50 years of successful application and continuous development, the history of this unique alloy is shared in further detail.
View full articleWhat is S32760?
The origins of Alloy 32760 can be traced back to the development of the trademarked alloy Zeron 100 by Mather & Platt. This Manchester, England based foundry supplied castings for a number of applications, but this alloy was developed primarily for their product range of centrifugal pumps for the oil and gas industry. The Zeron […]
View full articleDuplex, Super Duplex and Hyper Duplex
The development of duplex alloys has followed a trajectory of increasing alloy content and increasing levels of corrosion resistance and yield strength, from duplex to super duplex, to hyper duplex. The origin of duplex stainless steels can be traced back to the 1930s. Aggressive process environments in pulp and papermaking mills in Sweden spurred […]
View full articleGrants for Growth
Langley Alloys approached the Grants for Growth team at Stoke-on-Trent City Council for help with funding for a new capital expenditure project. Langley Alloys were looking to purchase an additional CNC lathe to increase the company’s capacity and allow them to provide extra services to their customers. As part of their investment, the company created […]
View full articleWhat is precipitation hardening?
The process of solution annealing is applied to most alloys after their final forging or rolling process. By holding the particular alloy at a relatively high temperature for several hours – typically around 1000degC – all of the different elements within the alloy are absorbed into the solid solution. By then immediately quenching the bar or plate, the structure is retained at room temperature.
However, with the encouragement of time spent at elevated temperatures, the solubility of certain elements in the alloy will change. This means that precipitates – combinations of selected elements – come out solution and appear as small particles distributed throughout the alloys microstructure. The precipitate particles act to ‘pin’ grain boundaries within the microstructure of the alloy, which hinders their movement when the alloy is being strained. This increases the yield strength of the alloy. Depending upon the combination of temperature and time used for the ageing heat treatment, both the number, size and distribution of precipitates can vary. Therefore, it is possible to produce a range of different strength levels within the same alloy composition, purely by altering the temperature and time of the ageing heat treatment.
View full articleWhat is API 6ACRA?
API 6A CRA is a supplement to API 6A, covering a group of high-performance alloys – specifically age-hardened nickel alloys, which includes Alloy 718, Alloy 725 and Alloy 925 as well as Alloys 716, 935 and 945. From a material supplier’s perspective, it covers the most relevant aspects of the metals properties: production route, chemical […]
View full articleWhat is NACE MR0175?
NACE formally stands for the National Association of Corrosion Engineers, but is commonly used as short-hand for the internationally recognised standard NACE MR0175. A ‘NACE compliant’ product, really meaning one that is compliant to NACE MR0175, is one that meets the requirements of NACE MR0175 and therefore can be considered for sour service environments within the set operational limits.
View full articleDuplex stainless steels for nuclear applications
Langley Alloys has recently completed a contract for the supply of duplex stainless steel, for application in a nuclear power station. Duplex stainless steels are commonly specified for applications involved with water treatment, desalination and distribution. This is due to their improved corrosion performance compared with more standard 3-series stainless steels. Langley Alloys supplies a […]
View full articleDuplex Stainless Steels
If you were looking for property in North America, then duplex is an apartment split over two floors. In printing terminology duplex printing is the ability to print on both sides of a piece of paper. However, in stainless steels, duplex means a hybrid microstructure to attain a combination of properties. The most widely produced […]
View full articleThe difference between S31803 and S32205
Duplex stainless steels account for >80% of the consumption of duplex, super duplex and hyper duplex grades. Developed in the 1930’s for application in paper and pulp manufacture, duplex alloys are based around a 22% Cr composition and the mixed austenitic:ferritic microstructure that delivers desirable mechanical properties. Compared with the generic 304/316 austenitic stainless steels, […]
View full articleTrademarks For Corrosion Resistant Alloys
In everyday life we are surrounded by product trademarks as an important part of the marketing mix – trying to identify target groups of consumers and getting them to choose your product over that of a competitor. A product trademark is one part of the overall brand, and can be a short-cut for the […]
View full articleLangley Alloys Exhibiting at Valve World Americas
Langley Alloys will be a first-time exhibitor at the forthcoming Valve World 2019 event, on June 19th-20th at Houston. Given the plethora of valve designs, operating environments and liquid medium being carried, the choice of construction materials is equally lengthy. Ahead of the event we review the Langley Alloys portfolio of relevance to valve manufacturers.
View full articleSea Work 2019
Langley Alloys will be exhibiting at the forthcoming Sea Work show in Southampton on June 11th-13th 2019. This provides the perfect opportunity to showcase our portfolio of alloys, many of which are very well-suited to marine applications. Amongst our standard product range the following alloys are frequently specified in the production of marine and sub-sea components.
View full articleAlloy 400 vs. Alloy K500
Summary: There is negligible difference in the composition of Alloy K500 versus Alloy 400, therefore their corrosion resistance is comparable. However, Alloy K500 has several times greater yield and tensile strength, making it more suitable for heavily loaded applications. Langley Alloys stocks a wide range of sizes from 5/8” up to 10” diameter solid round […]
View full articleQuality feedstock for Norsok castings
Langley Alloys recently supplied a significant quantity of Sanmac™ 2205 (F51/S32205) for a customer to use in the production of castings. The castings were destined for an offshore application, with the end client requiring Norsok approvals – which require feedstock produced by the AOD (argon oxygen decarburisation) process.
View full articleCorrosion Resistant Alloys for the Toughest Environments
Corrosion resistant alloys and their importance in the modern world cannot be underestimated. Without them, we would not be able to work, travel and play in marine environments. Whether you enjoy recreational boating, have travelled by ferry, transport tonnes of cargo on board ships or extract vital natural resources from the deepest recesses under the […]
View full articleWhere Duplex Steel is Used in Architecture
Although stainless steel has been used for nearly a hundred years, higher-performance duplex grades have really only been available commercially since the 1980’s. Interestingly, the application of duplex stainless steels by architects, designers and building contractors has gained favour in recent times. It has both practical and aesthetic uses, with many contemporary assemblies using it […]
View full articleSpecial grades of Stainless Steel Hollow Bars from Langley Alloys
Stainless steel hollow bars are one of the newest products we are able to offer customers here at Langley Alloys, as we continue to work with Sandvik to develop the UK market. With a focus on innovation and improving our product range, we have invested in Sanmac 316L and Sanmac 2205 duplex stainless steel hollow […]
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