When choosing steel for your fabrication needs, you need to ensure that the material you choose is right. Each stainless steel alloy has different properties that affect malleability, corrosion, strength and other characteristics.
What is duplex stainless steel?
Duplex stainless steels are ferritic-austenitic steels that combine the benefits of both. They contain high levels of chromium and nitrogen, which makes them highly resistant to both uniform and localized corrosion, as well as crevice and pitting corrosion. They have both good weldability and high strength, as well as high resistance to the cracking that can result from stress corrosion. They have low thermal expansion, making them a good material for applications that include extreme temperature changes. They can resist abrasion and erosion.
At the microstructure level, duplex steel balances equal amounts of austenite and ferrite in solution-annealed condition. The higher the temperature during annealing, the higher the ferrite content will be. The chemical composition of any steel grade will vary slightly between national standards. However, the duplex steel will fully meet any required standard that is specified on an order.
What is duplex stainless steel used for?
The characteristics of duplex stainless steel make it a good material for a number of industrial and infrastructure applications, including:
- desalinization plants, where fresh water is extracted from salt water.
- bridges.
- water heaters for both homes and businesses.
- rotors, impellers and shafts for motors.
- cargo tanks and pipe systems to handle chemicals that might prove corrosive to other metals.
- flue-gas cleaning.
- seawater systems, such as seawater cooling systems.
- blast walls and firewalls on offshore platforms, such as drilling platforms.
- reinforcement bars that strengthen concrete structures.
- components for structural design needs.
- pulp and paper industry equipment. Duplex steel stands up well to both corrosive chemicals and heat, making it perfect for these applications.
At Great Plains Stainless, we take great pride in offering a wide range of stainless steel grades to conform with your needs, no matter what the application. We have been dealing with specialty alloys since 1983. With over 3,000 line items in stock, we can get you the items you need quickly. Locations in Tulsa, OK; Santiago, Chile; Shanghai, China and Nelson, New Zealand mean that we can offer you same-day shipping to over 50 countries as well as convenient freight options. Get in touch today to discuss your stainless steel needs and what we can do for you.