Stainless Steel Technical Guide
Effects of Alloying Elements and Impurities in
Stainless Steels and High Strength Heat-Resisting
Alloys
Aluminum (AI) Nitrogen (N)
A strong ferrite former. Added to type 405 12% straight chrome weld metal to A strong austenite former
make it non-hardening (ferritic) Used to minimize grain grown in high chromium straight chromium steels at high
Used to improve high temperature scaling resistance temperatures
Added with titanium to some high strength alloys for age hardening effects Adversely affects weld metal toughness at cryogenic temperatures
Strong nitride former Raises strength
Carbon (C) Nickel (Ni)
A strong austenite former An austenite former
Added to some high strength alloys for hardening and strengthening effects Used to improve the general corrosion resistance against non-oxidizing liquids
Adversely affects weld metal corrosion resistance and toughness at low Sometimes added in small amounts to straight chromium grades to improve the
temperatures mechanical properties
Generally improves weld metal toughness
Columbium (Niobium) Cb(Nb)
Phosphorus (P) Sulphur (S) Selenium (Se)
A strong carbide former. Used to stabilize austenitic stainless steels against
precipitation of chromium carbides in the range of 800- 1600°F One of these three elements is occasionally added to stainless steels in
Moderate ferrite former conjunction with a small amount of Molybdenum or Zirconium to improve
Added to some high strength alloys for hardening and strengthening effects machinability of the steel
Added to some martensitic straight chromium stainless steels to tie up the All three promote cracking in weld metal
carbon and reduce the hardening tendency of the steels
Cobolt (Co) Silicon (Si)
Added to various alloys to impart strength and creep resistance at high A ferrite former
temperatures Used to increase the corrosion resistance of austenitic steels
Used to improve high temperature scaling resistance
Chromium (Cr) Used to improve resistance of high temperature steels to carburization
A ferrite and carbide former Titanium (Ti)
Primary contributor to scaling and corrosion resistance
In the stainless steels, this element has little or no effect on high temperature A strong carbide and nitride former. Used to stabilize austenitic stainless steels
strength and creep strength against precipitation of chromium carbides in the range of 800-1600°F
A strong ferrite former
Copper (Cu) Added to some high strength heat resisting alloys for its hardening and
strengthening effects
Used to improve corrosion resistance of stainless steel in many liquids which Added with aluminum to some high strength heat resisting alloys for age
are reducing rather than oxidizing hardening effects
Molybdenum (Mo) Tungsten (W)
A ferrite and carbide former Improves the high temperature strength and creep resistance of some high
Used to improve high temperature strength and creep resistance temperature alloys
Used to improve general corrosion resistance of steels in non-oxidizing media, A strong ferrite former
and the resistance to pitting corrosion in all media Stainless Steel Covered Electrodes
Electrode Identification
Manganese (Mn) Commercial stainless electrodes are imprinted with the AWS grade and,
frequently, a lot number
Austenite former
Improves weld metal crack resistance in fully austenitic alloys
