Grade selection

This resource summarises all the alloying elements found in all varieties of stainless steels. Each family (Austenitic, Ferritic, Martensitic, Duplex, Precipitation Hardening) is described in terms of its mechanical and physical properties stemming from the elements found in them. Each element (Carbon, Chromium, Nickel, Molybdenum, Niobium, Titanium, Manganese, Silicon, Nitrogen, Cobalt) is then individually described and the change in mechanical properties that different concentrations of the element has on the steel is explained.

Date: 2004
Provider: Euro Inox

This resource is an advice sheet that provides guidance on the approval process for products that come into contact with water intended for human consumption. Stainless steels are covered in chapter 3 - ‘Metallic Products’ - and Annex 5 - ‘STAINLESS STEEL GRADES TESTED ACCORDING TO BS 7766’ - lists a number of grades. Guidance is given on approval procedures for grades in the list and not in the list. Guidance is also given on communication pipes.

Date: 2012
Provider: Other

This resource is an advice sheet that provides guidance on the approval process for products that come into contact with water intended for human consumption. Stainless steels are covered in chapter 5 - ‘Metallic Products’ in which readers are directed to the same guidelines as in chapter 3 of advice sheet 5 - ‘Approval of Products made from Recognised Materials’ for any metallic elements including boreholes and wells.

Date: 2022
Provider: Other

Metal has become increasingly popular because if provides unique design opportunities, strength and corrosion resistance. Each metal family has unique characteristics. Performance over time depends on the designer understanding the advantages and limitations of each metal and taking these into consideration during the design process. Part 2. Predicting a metal's performance in exterior applications, soil, or concrete requires knowledge of the factors influencing corrosion. Unfortunately, good comparative corrosion data for different metals can be difficult to obtain. Research reports comparing service environments and the performance of different metals are usually written by and for metallurgical engineers. This article summarizes published data and other selection criteria so non-metallurgists can take advantage of available research.

Date: 2000
Provider: Nickel Institute

How long will the metal panels stay attractive? How much maintenance is required? Architects, building owners, structural engineers, and other specifiers regularly face these questions. Materials selection decisions are often based on personal experience and budget limitations rather than scientific data. Usually the result is satisfactory, but when the wrong metal is used and problems arise, reputations can be damaged and remedial costs can be high.

Date: November 2000
Provider: Nickel Institute

This resource is a program designed to help specifiers select appropriate stainless steels and surface finishes for applications where corrosion staining is aesthetically unacceptable, even without structural deterioration. The program uses the tabs; ‘environment’ to choose the pollution levels, ‘salt’ to choose the distance to coastal or trafficked areas, ‘weather’ to choose the climate, ‘design’ to choose the element orientation and surface finish and ‘maintenance’ to choose the cleaning schedule. Following the completion of these tabs, a ‘stainless steel selection guideline’ tab becomes available. This tab presents numerous suitable grade selections and also a series of warnings for the specifier to consider.

Date: 2006
Provider: International Molybdenum Association

This resource is a brochure which provides guidelines for evaluating a project to determine which stainless steel grade, surface finish and design are most suitable to resist corrosion. Corrosion damage is unlikely to impact the metal structurally but bad specification can lead to staining which may be regarded as aesthetically unacceptable for the structure. The ‘Site and Design Evaluation System’ is divided into 5 sections:  ‘Environment’ discusses pollution levels, ‘Salt exposure’ discusses  the distance to coastal or trafficked areas, ‘Weather’ discusses the local climate, ‘Design’ discusses the element orientation, crevices and surface finish and ‘Maintenance’ discusses the cleaning schedule. Each section describes where the relevant information can be found and what specification is suitable to resist the different levels of corrosion attack. This brochure works with the IMOA software found in the resource ‘Stainless Steel Grade Selection Software’ which implements this selection criteria to produce a grade and surface finish by considering all 5 sections.

Date: 2006
Provider: International Molybdenum Association

With their exposure to high levels of salt, coastal waterfront locations are notorious for corrosion problems. Whether the location is in close proximity to saltwater, exposed to sea spray and splashing, or subject to occasional tidal storm surges, rapid corrosion can be a substantial concern. Buildings, railings, light poles and sculptures adjoining saltwater are at risk for issues ranging from premature aesthetic problems to outright structural failure.

Date: November 2007
Provider: The Construction Specifier