PROPERTIES OF AUSTENITE STAINLESS STEEL MICROALLOYED WITH TELLURIUM AND ZIRCONIUM

Abstract

Stainless steel X8CrNiS18-9 (standard EN 10088-3: 2005) is the most commonly used austenitic stainless steel due to its good machinability. This steel has high mechanical and working properties thanks to a complex alloying, primarily with the elements such as chromium and nickel. The content of sulphur present in the steel from 0.15 to 0.35% improves machinability. Microalloying with tellurium and zirconium (individually and in combination) in most cases leads to improved properties of this stainless steel, compared to melt without alloying additives, e.g. the melt microalloyed with tellurium and especially melt microalloyed with zirconium and tellurium has significantly better machinability compared to the melt without alloying elementsThe addition of sulphur, which is the cheapest available additive for free machining, will impair not only the transverse strength and toughness but also the corrosion resistance. However, while sulphur improves machinability at the same time decreases the mechanical properties particularly toughness. This work aims to test machinability, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties of the mentioned steel, as well as the chemical composition of non-metallic inclusions

Keywords

• nonmetallic inclusions
• tellurium
• zirconium
• machinability
• corrosion resistance
• mechanical properties.