Selection of Material (Stainless steels)

1. Ferritic stainless steel

Ferritic steels are defined by a body-centered cubic (BBC) grain structure
Properties:
a) Soft magnetic properties
b) 11 to 30% chromium
Effect on temperature:
a) Cannot be hardened or strengthened by in high temperature but may be hardening by
only cold working
b) The steel is highly prone to embrittlement if held at temperature within 400–500 °C
Corrosion resistance:
a) Good resistance to stress-corrosion cracking
b) The corrosion performance is poorer than the austenitic grades
Cost: Cheaper than austenitic
Ease to fabricated: Weldable but difficult to weld with a greater risk of weld sensitisation
unless stabilised by alloy additions
2. Martensitic stainless steels
Structures of martensitic stainless steels are body-centered tetragonal (BCT) and they are
classified as a hard ferro magnetic group
Properties:
a) Good ductility and toughness
b) Ferro magnetic
c) Normally containing no nickel
d) Wide range of hardness and strength levels
Effect on temperature: Hardenable by heat treatment
Corrosion resistance: Corrosion resistance
Cost: Expensive
Ease to fabricated: Poor weldability in comparison with that of other stainless steels
3. Austenitic stainless steel
Uniform structure of austenite (FCC, with carbides in solution)
Properties:
a) Widely used in chemical industry
b) Greater strength than plain carbon steels
c) Non-magnetic in the annealed condition

Effect on temperature: Do not brittle in low temperatures. Thermal conductivity is

significant lower tan of mild steel
Corrosion resistance: Excellent corrosion resistance over a wide range of conditions
Cost: Expensive
Ease to fabricated:
a) Unsurpassed strength, toughness, and formability among the commercially viable
alloys
b) Low heat input welding process
Selection of Material (Carbon steel)

1. Low carbon steels (Plain carbon steels)

The microstructures consist of ferrite and pearlite.
Properties:
a) Relative soft and weak but have high ductility and toughness
b) Rated at 55-60% machinability
Effect of temperature: Unresponsive to heat treatments intended to form martensite
Corrosion resistance: Low carbon steel is not resistant to corrosion
Cost: Low cost
Ease of fabrication: Good formability, weldability and it can be easily worked
2. High carbon steel
Composition 0.6% to 1.4% Carbon
Properties:
a) Hardest carbon steels
b) Strongest carbon steels
c) Least ductile of the carbon steels
Effect on temperature: Unresponsive to heat
Corrosion resistance: Susceptible to corrosion
Cost: Low cost
Ease of fabrication: Good formability, weldability and it can be easily worked
Corrosion

1. Uniform corrosion
Definition:
Uniform corrosion occurs at the same rate over the exposed metal surface. For example,
metal such as cast irons and steels corrode uniformly in open atmospheres due to
exposure to soils and natural waters which cause the material to rust and silver tarnishes
due to exposure to air. This type of corrosion is mainly cause by oxygen in natural
environment.
Mechanism:
In corrosion process, the anodic reaction is always an oxidation reaction:
M = M+ + e (1)
In acidic environment which pH < 7, the cathodic process is major by the reduction of
hydrogen ions:
2H+ + 2e = H2 (2)
In natural or alkaline environment, which pH ≥ 7, the cathodic process is mainly by the
reduction of dissolve oxygen:
O2 + 2H2O + 4e = 4OH- (3)
Uniform pattern of distribution of cathodic reactants over the metal surface that exposed,
reaction (2) and reaction (3) occur in a uniform manner and there is no favoured site for
cathodic or anodic reaction. This anodes and cathodes are placed randomly and
alternating with time. The final result is more or less uniform loss of dimension.
Prevention:
a) Use thicker materials for corrosion allowance
b) Use corrosion inhibitors or modifying the environment
c) Cathodic protection (Sacrificial Anode or Impressed Current -ICCP) and Anodic
Protection
d) Use paints or metallic coatings such as plating, galvanizing or anodizing
2. Stress corrosion cracking (SSC)
Definition:
Stress corrosion cracking is a cracking process that needs the simultaneous action of
corrodent and sustained tensile stress. This type of corrosion happen due to combination
with hydrogen embrittlement
Mechanism:
Stress corrosion cracking is caused by the conjoint action of three component which are a
susceptible material, a specific chemical species and tensile surface. There is no
integrated mechanism for stress corrosion cracking in the literature. There are plenty of
models have been proposed which include the following adsorption model, film rupture
model, pre-existing active path model and embrittlement model.
Prevention:
a) Avoid the chemical species that cause stress corrosion cracking
b) Use of materials known not to crack in the specified environment
c) Control of hardness and stress level
d) Introduce compressive stress by shot-peening for example
e) Control operating temperature and/or the electrochemical potential of the alloy