stainless steel identification
stainless steel identification
(OP)
Hello,
I have an analysis of the following metal whose source I am trying to identify
17.3 Cr
1.5 Mn
0.47 Ni
0.43 Si
0.11 Al ? (is this real or contamination)
0.0 Mo
it doesnt quite fit with any of the grades that I can check against.
Also is there a single listing of all AISI grade chemical compositions
thanks
Kevin
I have an analysis of the following metal whose source I am trying to identify
17.3 Cr
1.5 Mn
0.47 Ni
0.43 Si
0.11 Al ? (is this real or contamination)
0.0 Mo
it doesnt quite fit with any of the grades that I can check against.
Also is there a single listing of all AISI grade chemical compositions
thanks
Kevin





RE: stainless steel identification
I use the Guide to Engineered Materials published every December by Advanced Materials & Processes.
Nick
RE: stainless steel identification
RE: stainless steel identification
Certainly analyze for niobium and titanium because the presence of these would indicate an attempt to make a stabilized ferritic.
The aluminum would seem to indicate a ferritc grade if you are sure if it's really there. I ahve never had an independent lab ( i.e. not from a producing mill ) that had its standards calibrated well enough to give accurate chemical analyses.
RE: stainless steel identification
I'm really suprised you've never had a lab that could properly do a chem analysis, I'm not certain bout SS, but the A2LA lab I used to work for is easily able to produce results on low alloy steels with a variation of no more than +or- .0089%wt Al (two sigma). I'm not sure if the additional high count channel for Cr would interfere with the results for Al but I dont think so since the atomic #'s are quite different. If you'd like I can send you results of daily check standard analysis on our Arc/Spark and the comparison to the certified standards.
Nick
njenrigh@hotmail.com
RE: stainless steel identification
I'm really suprised you've never had a lab that could properly do a chem analysis, I'm not certain bout SS, but the A2LA lab I used to work for is easily able to produce results on low alloy steels with a variation of no more than +or- .0089%wt Al (two sigma). I'm not sure if the additional high count channel for Cr would interfere with the results for Al but I dont think so since the atomic #'s are quite different. If you'd like I can send you results of daily check standard analysis on our Arc/Spark and the comparison to the certified standards.
Nick
njenrigh@hotmail.com
RE: stainless steel identification
RE: stainless steel identification
nick
RE: stainless steel identification
Take the above instance. If the grade were 439, the titanium range would probably be 0.25% to 0.45%. If it were dual stabilized 439, there would be a need to accurately measure niobium in the same range. How does the lab know what it should be looking for and in what amount.
The reading of 0.0% moly is suspect because it's almost impossible to get pure enough raw materials to get moly below 0.04%. Most likely it is an inaccurate reading.
Even stablized grades like 439 which use aluminum deoxidation average less than 0.035% Al. This reading is strangely high. Deliberate addition or inaccurate reading?
Ferritics always have Manganese less than 1.25%. The 1.5% seems erroneously high.
The analysis just doesn't add up, and this is what often occurs.
RE: stainless steel identification
2. My GEM shows composition of 439SS as:
C:.12 Mn:1.0 Si:1.0 Cr:17.0-19.0 Ni:.50 P:.04 S:.03 Al:.15
Ti:12*%Cmin-1.10
You are right the chemistry given fits no SS perfectly.
I rarely see Mo amounts in excess of .005% in low alloy steels, seems that the purity of raw materials is not an issue with these steels.
Thanks for the dialog.
Nick
RE: stainless steel identification
Carbon steels can have low residuals because so much is made via blast furnace with very low metallic contamination. All stainless steel is made from a high proportion of scrap stainless and grades are commonly not well separated, so lot's of moly and nickel get into grades which really don't want to have them.
RE: stainless steel identification
so its actually the material, not the analysis method...
Nick