MICROSTRUCTURAL , MECHANICAL

& CORROSION BEHAVIOUR OF

AUSTENITE & SUPER AUSTENITE
STAINLESS STEEL
Presented by:
Shaik Rafi (20A81A0381)
T Rakesh (20A81A0385)
P Deva Dathathreya (21A85A0312)
K Eswar (21A85A0336)
Under the guidance of
Dr . M V RAMESH
Professor & HoD
Mechanical Department
 CONTENTS
• INTRODUCTION
• AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL
• ADVANTAGES
• LIMITATIONS
• APPLICATIONS
• LITERATURE STUDY
• SENSITIZATION
• AIM & OBLECTIVES
• WORK PROGRESS
• OBSERVATION OF MICROSTRUCTURAL
• HARDNESS TEST
Introduction : -
• Stainless steel is a corrosion resistant steel is an alloy of iron
that is resistant to rusting and corrosion.
• It contains at least 10.5% chromium and usually nickel, as
well as 0.2 to 2.11% carbon.
• In spite of this there is a group of iron-base alloys, the iron-
chromium-nickel alloys known as stainless steels.
• which do not rust in sea water, are resistant to concentrated
acids and which do not scale at temperatures up to 1100°C.
• First developed accidently by Harry Brearley in Sheffield ,
England.
Classification of Stainless Steels : -
• Historically, stainless steels have been classified by microstructure and
are described as austenitic, martensitic, ferritic, or duplex (austenitic
plus ferritic). In addition, a fifth family, the precipitation-
hardenable(PH) stain- less steels is based on the type of heat
treatment used rather than the microstructure.

1. Austenitic stainless steel.

2. Ferritic stainless steel.
3. Martensitic stainless steel.
4. Duplex stainless steel.
5.Precipitation-hardenable stainless steel.
Austenitic stainless steels: -
• Austenitic micro structured stainless steels, it is the largest family of stainless steels containing
sufficient amount of alloying steel, with Nickel and or manganese and nitrogen to maintain an
austenitic microstructure at all temperatures.
• type 304 (18-8) stainless steel, as shown in generally contain 16 to 26% , and small amounts of
other alloying elements such as molybdenum, titanium, niobium, and nitrogen. Iron-chromium-
manganese-nickel grades.
• Austenitic stainless steels can be further Subdivided into two subgroups, 200 series and 300
series.
• Nickel contents in these alloys can be as high as 35%. Molybdenum and copper additions are also
common.
Super austenitic grades containing 6% Mo as well as liberal amounts of chromium, nickel, and
nitrogen for improved corrosion resistance.
Classification of Austenitic stainless steels: -
Advantages of Austenitic Stainless Steels:-
 Austenitic stainless steels are the largest group in the stainless steel family.
 Austenitic structures generally feature moderate strength and high forgeability.
 Adding a certain amount of nitrogen can enhance can enhance its
anti-corrosion ability.
 Percentage of elongation is extremely high, may range from 70-80%.
 These alloys are commonly used as structural materials due to their combination
of good mechanical properties and high corrosion resistance.
 Stainless steel is an alloy of iron , chromium , and other metals.
 The food, pharmaceutical, chemical, pulp and paper, and petrochemical
industries depend heavily on austenitic
stainless .
 It is durable and has a long lifespan.
 It is a versatile material that can be used for a variety of application.
Limitations : -
Stainless is susceptible to extreme temperature.
Machine made of stainless steel are not very efficient.
The main weak points of austenite stainless is its low resistance
against chloride.
Applications : -
1. Austenitic stainless steels are used for domestic, industrial, transport
and architectural products
primarily based on the corrosion resistance
but also for their formability, strength at high
temperatures
2. Some austenitic steels have very low thermal expansion
coefficients which are used where dimensional
stability is required.
3. These are one of the most important alloy systems
used as structural
components in current and future nuclear reactor systems.
 Literature Studies :-
S.NO MATERIAL TITLE OBSERVATIONS

• Austenite steel may undergo microstructural

changes during short (or) long term exposure
to high temperature. In this case of longer
ageing times, other precipitates such as
intermetallic phase are formed , which are
usually accompanied by dissolution of
1 Austenitic Stainless Steel Microstructures in carbides.
Austenitic Stainless
Steels • Austenite steel may undergo microstructural
changes during short (or) long term exposure
to high temperature. In this case of longer
ageing times, other precipitates such as
intermetallic phase are formed , which are
usually accompanied by dissolution of
carbides
Literature Studies :-
S.NO MATERIAL TITLE OBSERVATIONS

• 316 has good corrosion resistance and high-

temperature strength because of high alloying
content
• An 316 specimens were used in this study,
Chemical composition is
Carbon(C) -0.014
Manganese(Mn)-1.34
2 316 Austenitic Sensitization On The Phosphorous(P)-0.03
Stainless Steel Grain Boundary In 316 Silicon(Si)-0.54
Austenitic Stainless Steel Sulfur(S)-0.008
chromium(Cr)-18.52
Nickel(Ni)-11.48
• The polished samples were electrolytically
etched with oxalic acid (10 ml C2H2O4 + 90 ml
H2O) at 10 V, to reveal the microstructures
Literature Studies :-
S.NO MATERIAL TITLE OBSERVATIONS

• A 904L has excellent weldability and

formability , excellent toughness because of
high alloying content.
• An 904L specimens were used in this study,
Chemical composition is
Carbon(C) -0.02
Manganese(Mn)-2
3 904L Super Austenitic Sensitization On The Phosphorous(P)-0.03
Stainless Steel Grain Boundary In 904L Silicon(Si)-0.70
Super Austenitic Stainless Sulfur(S)-0.01
Steel chromium(Cr)-19 to 21
Nickel(Ni)-0.15
Molybdenum(Mo)-4 to 5
• The polished samples were electrolytically
etched with ammonia acid (10 ml C2H2O4 + 90
ml H2O) at 10 V, to reveal the microstructures.
Literature Studies :-
S.NO MATERIAL TITLE OBSERVATIONS

• A 304L has excellent corrosion resistance and

high-temperature strength because of high
alloying content
• An 304L specimens were used in this study,
Chemical composition is
Carbon(C) -0.03
Manganese(Mn)-2
4 304L Austenitic Sensitization On The Phosphorous(P)-0.045
Stainless Steel Grain Boundary In 304L Silicon(Si)-1
Austenitic Stainless Steel Sulfur(S)-0.015
chromium(Cr)-17.5 to 19.5
Nitrogen(N)-0.10
Nickel(Ni)-8 to 10.5
• The polished samples were electrolytically
etched with oxalic acid (10 ml C2H2O4 + 90 ml
H2O) at 10 V, to reveal the microstructures.
Literature Studies :-
S.NO MATERIAL TITLE OBSERVATIONS

• A has excellent corrosion resistance and high

strength because of high alloying content
• An 202 specimens were used in this study,
Chemical composition is
Carbon(C) -0.15
Manganese(Mn)-7.5 to 10
Phosphorous(P)-0.060
5 202 Austenitic Sensitization On The Silicon(Si)-1
Stainless Steel Grain Boundary In 202 Sulfur(S)-0.03
Austenitic Stainless Steel chromium(Cr)-17 to 19
Nitrogen(N)-0.25
Nickel(Ni)-4 to 6
• The polished samples were electrolytically
etched with oxalic acid (10 ml C2H2O4 + 90 ml
H2O) at 10 V, to reveal the microstructures.
Sensitization :-
Austenitic stainless steels may become sensitised if they are heat – treated or used at temperatures
in the range 500-850C.
The heat-affected zones (HAZ) of welds may also be sensitised in some circumstances.
Cause : Chromium carbides form in the grain boundaries of some austenitic stainless steel in the
temperature range
500-850 C. As the diffusion of chromium (Cr) is slow, it cannot diffuse from the body of
the grains to replace the Cr which has gone into the carbides. A lower Cr film along the grain
boundary is established. The grain boundary has lower corrosion resistance and may be attacked in
an environment the stainless steel is said to intergranular corrosion . A complete stainless steel
component may be affected after service or heat treatment in the critical temperature range, or
part of the heat affected zone of a weld may suffer the problem.
This classical explanation of sensitisation is based
on the precipitation of carbides . Nitrides and
Carbonitrides also form, and the nitrogen
content of the steel must be taken into
account. The susceptibility of the stainless steel
is related to sum of the carbon and nitrogen contents.
Aim : -
To Study the microstructural , mechanical & corrosion behaviour of
Austenite & Super Austenite Stainless Steel.

Objectives : -
To understand the morphology feature of Austenite & Super
Austenite Stainless Steel.
To Study the mechanical properties of Austenite & Super Austenite
Stainless Steel.
To understand the corrosion behaviour of Austenite & Super
Austenite Stainless Steel.
Work progress : -
GRINDING
• For soft and ductile stainless steel , it is strongly recommended that the use of very coarse grinding
foil/papers and high pressure avoided, as these can result in deep deformation.
• As a general rule , the finest possible grit , consistent with the sample area and surface roughness
should be used for plane grinding.
POLISHING
• Any deformation from the first grinding step that is not removed by fine grinding will leave its
traces . These traces can be removed by final polishing , but it is time consuming.
• Fine grinding should be carried out with diamond on a rigid disc on MD-Plan or MD-Sat cloth.
• Fine grinding should be followed by a through diamond polish on a medium hard cloth before a
final polish with colloidal silica or alumina to remove any fine scratches . This final step should be
very thorough and can take several minutes. A good final polish increase the chance of better
contrast
ELECTROLYTIC ETCHING
• Electrolytic polishing gives excellent results for checking the microstructure of stainless steel.
However , the process can dissolve some elements, such as small carbides , and care should be
taken.
• Before electrolytic polishing ,the samples have to be ground to 500# or finer on silicon carbide
foil/paper .the finer the initial surface , the better the results of the electrolytical polish
Observations of microstructural : -
 At 550 C for different time durations
Observe the microstructural of austenite stainless steel and super
austenite stainless steel in different grades.
To observe the grain ,grain boundaries and Twins
Chemical composition :
Hardness Test :
Hardness testing is a non-destructive test method that involves applying a constant load via a
rounded or pointed object, under controlled conditions, to create an indentation in a metal surface.
This is then measured to determine the hardness of the material.
THANK YOU