20 0 SERIE S STAIN LE SS STEEL

CrM n G R AD E S

OVERVIEW over the last couple of years during which

Nickel prices have been relatively high over nickel prices have been high. The International
the last couple of years. As a result, there Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF) estimates usage by
has been increased interest in low-nickel or weight according to the following graph:
no-nickel grades of stainless steel. One such
family of stainless steels is the 200-series and Stainless crude steel by categories
use of these has doubled this decade. They
have become popular in China and South East ��
Asia, particularly. However, this has not been ���� ���� ����
without problems. Because the 200-series �� ����
grades are austenitic, they are not magnetic ����
and therefore very difficult to distinguish ��
from the widely used 300-series grades, such
as grade 304, which are also non-magnetic. ��
This has led to confusion in the marketplace, ����
including cases of incorrect labeling, etc, with ��
200-series material being sold as grade 304. ����
��
Most growth in 200-series use over recent ���� ���� ���� ����
���� ��
years has been in low-nickel and therefore low- ��
chromium versions which have less corrosion
resistance than grade 304. The end result has ��� ���
�� ��� ��� ���
been corrosion failures in some applications
and dissatisfied customers. In addition, there �
are concerns that this 200-series material ���� ���� ���� ���� ����
may contaminate the existing stainless steel
recycling circuit which is based on grade 304. HIGH VOLUME STAINLESS STEELS
The nature, characteristics and uses of • Usually cheaper (because they have no or low
The 200-series are a technically valid family
the ferritic and austenitic grades may be nickel content)
of stainless steels but, like all stainless steel
summarized as follows:
grades, they have their limitations. If you are • Less formable and weldable than the
considering the use of a 200-series material Ferritic stainless steels austenitic grades
then you should ensure that you have all the
The term “ferritic” describes the crystal • Lower thermal expansion coefficient than the
necessary information that you require to austenitic grades
structure of this family of stainless steels. In
make a rational judgment – mechanical and
a carbon steel, the atoms of iron (Fe) are
physical properties, corrosion performance • Excellent resistance to a type of corrosion
arranged in a pattern called “body centred
in your environment etc. And it is strongly known as chloride stress corrosion cracking
cubic”. There is an atom of Fe at each corner
recommended that you deal only with of a cube and one in the centre of the body. • Magnetic
reputable and knowledgeable suppliers who Metallurgists call this structure “ferrite”.
can provide high quality material of known The largest single application for ferritic
origin. Stainless steel is made by adding chromium stainless steel is for automotive exhaust
(Cr) to steel, since a very thin chromium oxide systems where grade 409 is the most common
BACKGROUND layer then forms on the steel surface and it grade. But they are also used for many other
There are five families of stainless steels. is this which gives the metal its “stainless” items such as washing machine drums, bright
Three of these have specialized properties and appearance and corrosion resistance. When trim on automobiles, roofing, siding and
relatively low market shares: Cr is added to steel in this way, the crystal
railway wagons for coal and iron ore. They
structure does not change since Cr is a ferrite
represent about 25% of all the stainless steel
• Martensitic 2% former. All that happens is that some of the Fe
used worldwide.
atoms are replaced by Cr atoms in proportion
• Precipitation hardening 1%
to the composition of the stainless steel. That
Austenitic stainless steels
• Duplex 0.6% is why this material is called “ferritic stainless
steel”. The term austenitic describes another type
The other two families are used in large
volumes: These cubes of atoms are very small – there are of crystal structure. Some elements have the
a billion billion of them in each cubic millimeter ability to change ferrite to austenite when
• Austenitic 72% they are added into stainless steel. They are
of steel. But they are very important since they
• Ferritic 24% are the basic building blocks of the metal and called austenite formers and the best known
they give the metal its mechanical properties and most widely used of these is nickel (Ni).
There are two types of austenitic stainless steel:
(such as strength) and physical properties (such If sufficient Ni is added, the crystal structure
300-series and 200-series. Most stainless steel
as magnetism). changes from ferrite to a structure where there
used around the world is of the 300-series type
Ferritic stainless steels have the general is one atom at each corner of the cube and
but 200-series use has increased significantly
characteristics: one in the middle of each face – this “face
2B

ASSDA TECHNICAL BULLETIN 200 SERIES STAINLESS STEELS CRMN GRADES - EDITION 1: OCTOBER 2006 PAGE 1
centred cubic” structure is called “austenite”: The combination of good formability and This decade has seen a significant rise in
weldability mean that the austenitic grades stainless steel use, particularly in Asia. This has
When Ni is used to create the austenite
have good fabricability – they can easily be been accompanied by high nickel prices. As
structure, the resulting stainless steels are
used to manufacture all manner of items. It a consequence, the market share enjoyed by
known as the 300-series. The most common is for this reason that the 300-series dominate
of these is grade 304 which contains 200-series grades has doubled from about 5%
stainless steel use worldwide.
approximately 18% Cr and 8% Ni. This 8% to about 10%. And this growth has occurred
Ni is the minimum amount of Ni which can be TYPES OF 200-SERIES STAINLESS STEELS in grades such as J1 and J4, which are 4%
added into an 18% Cr stainless steel in order Because of the increased use of CrMn and 1% Ni grades respectively. Because of the
grades over the last couple of years, desire for cost saving, the 1% Ni grade became
to change all the ferrite to austenite. Another
there is a tendency to think of them as a particularly popular.
common 300-series grade is grade 316 which
is essentially grade 304 with 2% molybdenum new development. However, they have It should be noted that these grades, such
(Mo) added to improve corrosion resistance. been around since the 1930s and a lot of as J1 and J4, are proprietary alloys – they
development work was done in the 1940s are company specific and not covered by
Ni is not the only element which can change and 1950s, particularly in USA, because of a international codes and specifications, unlike
ferrite into austenite. Nitrogen (N) is also shortage of nickel at the time. Useful alloys the traditional 200-series grades such as grade
very powerful at doing this. But it is a gas which came out of that work were registered 201. So their composition is at the discretion
and can only be added in limited amounts with the American Iron and Steel Institute of the manufacturer and there are now many
before problems arise, such as the formation (AISI) and given AISI numbers (such as 201) small producers of grades such as these in
of chromium nitrides and even gas porosity. and Unified Numbering System (UNS) numbers China.
However, manganese (Mn) is also an austenite (such as S20100). Some of the most common
former and has the additional characteristic of these registered 200-series grades are set DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 200-SERIES AND
that it allows more N to be added. So Mn and out in table 1 (below), compared with the 300-SERIES STAINLESS STEELS
N, sometimes with copper (Cu), may be used composition of grade 304 The differences between these two series of
to replace some of the Ni and the resulting stainless steels may be summarized as follows:
Another interesting development occurred in
stainless steels are known as the 200-series. India in the 1980s. India has no indigenous Corrosion resistance
They are commonly referred to as the CrMn supply of nickel and imported nickel was
stainless steels, although it is the N which has In all of these stainless steels, Cr is trying
very expensive. So, to develop the market
the greatest effect in forming austenite. A to form ferrite while the austenitising
for stainless steel, local producers turned to
combination of Mn and N is normally not elements, Ni, N, Mn and Cu, are trying to
the 200-series. Grades such as J1 and J4,
sufficient to change all the ferrite to austenite form austenite. The higher the Cr content,
developed by Jindal Stainless Limited, became
so some Ni is still added, although in a smaller the more austenitising elements are needed
widely used (table 2 below).
to change all the ferrite to austenite. J4 is a
amount compared to what would be used in a
These grades were mainly used in India for good example – in order to get the Ni level
300-series grade.
cookware, and very successfully. Ferritic grades down to 1% Ni, and so minimize the price, it
The austenitic stainless steels have the general such as grade 430 could also have been used has been necessary to reduce the Cr content
characteristics: to avoid the cost of nickel but CrMn grades to 15-16%. This is much lower than the 18.0
were chosen because they are not magnetic. – 20.0% Cr specified for grade 304 and it
• Usually more expensive than the ferritic
Indian consumers who were buying cookware is Cr which makes the greatest contribution
grades (the 200-series are usually cheaper
had already associated quality with non- towards corrosion resistance. This means that
than the 300-series) such 200-series grades have lower corrosion
magnetic stainless steel, since high quality
• Good formability and weldability – generally products had been mainly made from grade resistance and are suitable for a much narrower
much better than the ferritic grades 304. Lower quality, cheaper items had been range of applications than grade 304. This has
made from grade 430, which is magnetic, so not been well understood and there are many
• Excellent toughness (impact resistance) even the belief arose among consumers that high instances where 200-series grades have failed
to very low, cryogenic temperatures – ferritic quality stainless steel was non-magnetic. CrMn due to corrosion, such as when they have been
grades have poor low temperature toughness grades, which are austenitic and therefore non- used for components like handrails in exterior
• Not magnetic (although some small degree of magnetic, fit that requirement. However, it applications.
magnetism can develop when cold worked, should be noted that magnetism has absolutely
Another issue can be high levels of impurities
such as in a bolt or at a bent edge) nothing to do with corrosion resistance – this
such as sulphur (S) in some 200 series grades.
was a consumer perception only.
Sulphur significantly reduces resistance to
corrosion such as pitting. High S is not a
TABLE 1: REGISTERED 200-SERIES GRADES problem which is inherent in 200-series grades;
it is a problem caused by poor steelmaking
Grade WChemical composition (wt%)
practices, and has been observed in some 200-
AISI UNS Cr Ni Mn N series material made by small producers with
inferior equipment and practices.
304 S30400 18.0 – 20.0 8.0 – 10.5 2.0 max 0.10 max
201 S20100 16.0 – 18.0 3.5 – 5.5 5.5 – 7.5 0.25 max A similar situation applies to carbon (C)
which is normally controlled to very low levels
202 S20200 17.0 – 19.0 4.0 – 6.0 7.5 – 10.0 0.25 max
during steelmaking in order to avoid welding
205 S20500 16.5 – 18.0 1.0 – 1.75 14.0 – 15.5 0.32 – 0.40 problems. High C has been measured in
some 200-series material manufactured by
small Asian producers and this can result in
intergranular corrosion when welded structures
are put into corrosion service.
TABLE 2: GRADES J1 AND J4
Strength and hardness
Chemical composition (wt%)
Grade
Nitrogen is a very effective strengthening
Cr Ni Mn N Cu
addition. As a result, the 200-series grades
J1 14.5 - 15.5 4.0 - 4.2 7.0 - 8.0 0.1 max 1.5 - 2.0
are generally stronger and harder than the
J4 15.0 – 16.0 0.8 - 1.2 8.5 - 10 0.2 max 1.5 - 2.0 300-series. This can be quite significant and

ASSDA TECHNICAL BULLETIN 200 SERIES STAINLESS STEELS CRMN GRADES - EDITION 1: OCTOBER 2006 PAGE 2
useful in some applications. Grade 201, for East Asia. Because they are non-magnetic,
instance, has a yield strength about 30% they cannot be easily distinguished from grade
higher than grade 304. And some very specific 304 and this has led to their misuse in some
high strength 200-series grades have been cases.
developed for applications such as propeller
Even when 200-series material is identified as
shafts on motor boats and for resistance to
such, it must be recognized that it may not
galling.
have the same level of corrosion resistance,
Formability formability and weldability as a 300-series
grade. Consequently, it is most important
The downside to this higher strength is that the that anyone considering using these grades
200-series grades are generally more difficult should have all relevant mechanical, physical
to form. Formability can be improved by the and corrosion data in order to be satisfied that
addition of copper which also has the benefit the material will be suitable for the intended
that it is an austenite former. purpose. Ideally, case histories should be
available to verify the satisfactory performance
RECYCLING of the material in applications similar to that
The positive image which stainless steel enjoys
being considered.
is enhanced by its very high level of recycling.
Little stainless steel is lost to landfill because It is strongly recommended that 200-series
it is an inherently valuable material, and it is material should only be sourced from reputable
the nickel content which represents most of and knowledgeable suppliers.
the scrap value. But because both 200-series
and 300-series grades are non-magnetic, it ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
is not possible to separate them except by If you are seriously considering the use of a
sophisticated analysis. As the amount of 200- 200-series grade, it is recommended that you
series material in the community increases, so also visit the ISSF website www.worldstainless.
too does the likelihood of this material getting org and read their article: “New 200-series”
into the established 300-series scrap circuit steels: An opportunity or a threat to the image
and causing contamination with manganese, of stainless steel?
copper and possibly other impurities. This
is an issue of concern to the entire stainless
steel industry since anything which disrupts
the efficient recycling of stainless steel has the
potential to damage the whole industry.

CONCLUSION
CrMn grades of stainless steel have been in
existence for many decades and have been
successfully used in numbers of applications.
But there have also been many failures and
unsatisfied customers. This has particularly
been the case over recent years with the rapid
growth of these materials in China and South

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ASSDA TECHNICAL BULLETIN 200 SERIES STAINLESS STEELS CRMN GRADES - EDITION 1: OCTOBER 2006 PAGE 3