For instance, stainless steels are used for

many elevated-temperature applications, often in

conjunction with steels of lesser alloy content.
Because austenitic stainless steels have higher COefficients of thermal expansion and lower thermal
Table 5 Total U.S. shipments of stainless
steel, 1982-1992
Year
Shipments
ktpd) 1000tons
1Y82
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
I990
1991
I992
81 I 894
1032 1137
1132 I248
1135 1251
1077 I I87
1287 1418
1439 I586
1336 1472
1376 1516
1315 1449
1374 1514
(a) kt = kilotonnes (metric tonnes do3).Source: Amencan Iron and Steel
Institute
1 1200’
1
10800~
10400
1oo00,
v) 96001

2 88001
c
6 92001
I

.$ c 84001

2e 8000,
a 76001
72001
68001
64001
60001
1974 1978 1982 1986
Year
II J
1990 1994
~ i ~ . 6 Trends in worldwide stainless steel production.
Source:Ref 4
Table 6 U.S.mill shipmentsof stainlesssteel,
1992
Steel product Net tonnes Net tons 4,
Semifnishedcd)
Shapes and plates
Bars
Pipe and tubing
Wire
Hot-rolled sheets
Cold-rolled sheets
Hot-rolled strip
Cold-rolled strip
Total net shipments
87,423
158,078
122,770
28,906
22,194
62,437
638,446
7,343
246,525
1,374,123
96,340
174,202
135,293
31,854
24,458
68,806
703,568
8,092
271,671
1,514,284
6.4
11.5
8.9
2.1
1.6
4.5
46.5
0.5
17.9
(a) Includes ingots and stecl for caPtings, blooms. slabs. billets, and wire
rod$.Source: AmericanIron and Steel Institute
conductivities than carbon and alloy steels (Fig. 3
and4),these characteristics must be taken into account in the design of stainless steel-to-carbon steel
or stainless steel-to-alloy steel products suchasheat
exchangers. In such products, different thermal expansion imposes stresses on the unitthat would not
be present were the unit made entirely of carbon or
alloy steel; also, if the heat-transfersurface is made
of stainless steel, it must be larger than if it were
made of carbon or alloy steel.
Typical physical properties of selected grades of
annealed wrought stainless steels are given in Table
4.Physical propertiesmay vary slightlywithproduct
form and size,but such variations are usually not of
critical importanceto the application.
Fabrication and Cleaning. Frequently a particular stainless steel is chosen for a fabrication
characteristic such as machinability, formability,
or weldability.Even a required or preferred cleaning procedure may dictate the selection of a specific type. For instance, a
weldment that is to be
cleaned in a medium such as nitric-hydrofluoric
acid, which attacks sensitized stainless steel,
should be produced from stabilized or low-carbon
stainless steel even though sensitization may not
affect performance under service conditions. Examples of alloys designed to improve cold headability or provide enhanced
machinability are
described in the articles “Forging and Extrusion”
and “Machining,” respectively, in this Volume.
Surface Finish. Other characteristics in the
stainless steel selection checklist are vital for
some specialized applications but of little concern
for others. Among these characteristics, surface
finish is important more often than any other except corrosion resistance. Stainless steels are
sometimes selected because they are available in a
variety of attractive finishes. Surface finish selection may be made on the basis of appearance, frictional characteristics, or
sanitation. The effect of
finish on sanitation sometimes is thought to be
simpler than it actually is, and tests of severalcandidate finishes may be advisable. The selection of
finish may in turn influence the selection of the alloy because of differences in availability or durability of the various
finishes for different types.
For example, a more corrosion-resistant stainless
steel will maintain a bright finish in a corrosive
environment that would dull a lower-alloy type.
Selection among finishes is described in the article “Surface Engineering” in this Volume.
Stainless Steel Production
Production and Consumption Statistics.
Only modest tonnages of stainless steel were produced in the United States in the mid-l920s, but
annual production has risen steadily since that
time. Even so, tonnage has never exceeded about
2% of total production for the U S . steel industry.
Table 5 shows shipments of stainless steel over a
recent ten-year period.
Figure 6 shows that world stainless steel production has a mean annual growth rate of 4% from
1978to 1992with a significant acceleration from
1987to 1992.In 1988, world production (excluding what was then the Soviet-bloc East Europe,
Table 7 U.S. production of nickel-bearing
stainlesssteels for 1993
Dpe No. UNS No. Net tames Net tons
Austeniticstainless steels
201,202,205 s20100,
s20200.
s20500
301 S30100
302,302B S30200,
s30215
303,303Se S30300,
S30323
304 s3woo
s30409,
s3045 1
S30403,
s30453
304H, 304N
S30500,
S30800
S30900,
S30908
3WL, 304LN
305,308
309,309s
S31008
s31m
S31620.
S31609,
S31651
S31603,
310s S31653
316 S31700,
316F,316H,316N S31703
S32100,
S32109
s34700.
s34709
S34800,
S34809
316L,316LN
316,317L
321,321H
347,347H
348,348H
50,493
129.744
10,217
31,263
548,740
6,783
137,748
11,217
8,660
2,893
26,652
2,165
121,941
4,407
11,270
2,512
...
Precipitation-hardeningstainless steels
... S13800, 4,550
... SI7400 10,685
... S177oOplus 3,181
SI5500
all other
precipitationhardening
grades
Duplexstainless steels
329plus all other S32900 2,265
duplex grades
Other chromium-nickelstainless
steelswith:
Nickel under 8% 28,349
Nickel 8-16% 10,75I
Nickel over 16.24% 5,569
Nickel over24% 6,758
 Total 1,178,813
Source: Amencan Iron and Steel Instilure
55,659
143.0I9
1 1.262
34,462
604.885
7,477
151,842
12,365
9,546
3,189
29,379
2,386
134