Professional Documents
Culture Documents
An 6 Stainless Steel - 2016 - ENG
An 6 Stainless Steel - 2016 - ENG
preparation
of stainless steel Application
Corrosion resistant steels contain at
Notes
least 11% chromium and are collectively
known as “stainless steels“. Within this
group of high alloy steels four categories
can be identified: ferritic, martensitic,
austenitic, and austenitic-ferritic (duplex)
stainless steels. These categories de-
scribe the alloy’s microstructure at room
temperature, which is largely influenced
by the alloy composition.
Surface of stainless steel after 3µm polish, DIC 25x Insufficiently polished stainless steel after 100x
showing deformation from grinding colour etching (Beraha II), showing deformation
Production and
application of
stainless steel
Fig.2:
Austenitic steel,
colour etched
(Beraha II).
100x
Application
The corrosion resistance of stainless steels
is based on alloying chromium with iron, Heat
and is dependant on the formation of a pas- treatment
sive surface oxide layer, which rebuilds itself and
spontaneously when mechanically damaged. machining
Ferritic stainless steels are soft and Table 1 shows a preparation method for stain-
rpm 300 150
austenitic steels are ductile. Both are prone less steel samples, 30 mm mounted, on the
to mechanical deformation. Final polishing semi-automatic Tegramin 300 mm diameter.
usually leaves these steels highly reflective, Table 2 shows a preparation method for 6 Force [N]/ 25 40
specimen
however, if they are not thoroughly prepol- stainless steel samples, 65x30 mm, cold
ished, deformation can reappear after etching mounted or unmounted using Struers MAPS
Time (min) As needed 5
(Fig. 3). or AbraPlan/AbraPol, 350 mm diameter.
final polishing.
Preparation method for electrolytic polishing and
etching of stainless steel. Grinding on SiC foil/paper
320#, 500# and 1000#.
Grinding
Step PG FG
Chemical etching
3) V2A etchant:
Caution: Always follow the recommended
100 ml water
safety precautions when working with chemi-
100 ml hydrochloric acid
cal reagents.
10 ml nitric acid
For martensitic steels Etch at room temperature or
925 ml ethanol up to 50°C
25 g picric acid
Color etchant Beraha II:
50 ml hydrochloric acid
Stock solution
For austenitic steels 800 ml distilled water Fig. 5: Ferritic stainless steel with manganese 200x
sulfides and strings of small carbides, etched
1) Swab etch: 400 ml hydrochloric acid electrolytically with 10% oxalic acid
500 ml distilled water 48 g ammonium biflouride
300 ml hydrochloric acid To 100 ml of this stock solution
200 ml nitric acid add 1-2 g potassium metabisulfite
50 ml of a saturated for etching.
iron-III-chloride solution
2.5 g copper-II-chloride Electrolytic etching
For austenitic-ferritic steels (Duplex)
2) 100 ml water
40% aqueous sodium hydroxide
300 ml hydrochloric acid
solution
15 ml hydrogen peroxide (30%)
All stainless steels:
10% aqueous oxalic acid
Fig. 6: Tempered martensitic stainless 75x
steel with delta ferrite, etched with picric acid
complex carbides within the austenite grains. For a successful mechanical polish,
This leads to an impoverishment of chromium it is suggested that
in the austenite solid solution, which increases - coarse abrasives for plane grinding
the susceptibility to intergranular corrosion or are avoided.
oxidation. - fine grinding and polishing with
diamond should be thorough
By reducing the carbon to below 0.015% and and ensure removal of all
adding small amounts of titanium or niobium, deformation from plane grinding.
the risk of intergranular corrosion is reduced, - a final oxide polish with colloidal
as these elements form carbides in preference silica or alumina should be carried
to the chrome (Fig. 8). out to provide a deformation free surface.
Fig. 7: Cold worked austenitic steel showing twinning,
etched with V2A etchant.
Delta ferrite can appear due to critical heat A four step procedure, completed on automatic
treatment conditions in martensitic or cold preparation equipment, gives good and repro-
working of austenitic steels (Fig. 9). ducible results. Stainless steels are difficult
to etch chemically and the recommended
Austenitic-ferritic stainless steels (Duplex) etchants are very corrosive and require careful
consist of ferrite and austenite. Electrolytic handling.
etching in a 40% caustic soda solution reveals
the structure and the correct percentage of each Alternatively, electrolytical polishing and etch-
phase can be estimated (see Fig.1, and Fig. 10 ing is recommended, which gives a deforma-
below). These steels are ductile and are specifi- tion free surface, but does not retain carbides.
cally used in the food, paper and petroleum
industries.
Fig. 8: Austenite with carbides and some 200x
titanium carbon nitrides
Summary
Stainless steels are corrosion resistant steels
with high chromium and nickel contents. Fer-
ritic and stainless steels are soft, respectively
ductile, and are prone to mechanical deforma-
tion and scratching during metallographic
preparation. In addition, carbides can not
always be retained.
FRANCE SPAIN
Struers S.A.S. Struers A/S, Spain
370, rue du Marché Rollay Camino Cerro de los Gamos 1
F-94507 Champigny Building 1 - Pozuelo de Alarcón
sur Marne Cedex CP 28224 Madrid
Téléphone +33 1 5509 1430 Teléfono +34 917 901 204
Télécopie +33 1 5509 1449 Fax +34 917 901 112
struers@struers.fr struers.es@struers.es
HUNGARY SUOMI
Struers GmbH Struers A/S, Suomi
Magyarországi Fióktelep Hietalahdenranta 13
Tatai ut 53 00180 Helsinki
2821 Gyermely Puhelin +358 (0)207 919 430
Phone +36 (34) 880546 Faksi +358 (0)207 919 431
Fax +36 (34) 880547 finland@struers.fi
hungary@struers.de
SWEDEN
IRELAND Struers Sverige
Struers Ltd. Ekbacksvägen 22
Unit 11 Evolution@ AMP 168 69 Bromma
Whittle Way, Catcliffe Telefon +46 (0)8 447 53 90
Rotherham S60 5BL Telefax +46 (0)8 447 53 99
Tel. +44 0845 604 6664 info@struers.se
Fax +44 0845 604 6651
info@struers.co.uk UNITED KINGDOM
Struers Ltd.
ITALY Unit 11 Evolution @ AMP
Struers Italia Whittle Way, Catcliffe
Via Monte Grappa 80/4 Rotherham S60 5BL
20020 Arese (MI) Tel. +44 0845 604 6664
Tel. +39-02/38236281 Fax +44 0845 604 6651
Fax +39-02/38236274 info@struers.co.uk
struers.it@struers.it
USA
JAPAN Struers Inc.
Marumoto Struers K.K. 24766 Detroit Road
Stainless steel weld Takara 3rd Building Westlake, OH 44145-1598
18-6, Higashi Ueno 1-chome Phone +1 440 871 0071
etched according to Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0015 Fax +1 440 871 8188
Beraha II. Phone +81 3 5688 2914 info@struers.com
Fax +81 3 5688 2927
struers@struers.co.jp
20x