This article presents an overview of the developments in stainless steels made since the 1990s. Some of the new applications that involve the use of stainless steel are also introduced. A brief introduction to the various classes of stainless steels, their precipitate phases and the status quo of their production around the globe is given first. The advances in a variety of subject areas that have been made recently will then be presented. These recent advances include (1) new findings on the various precipitate phases (the new J phase, new orientation relationships, new phase diagram for the Fe–Cr system, etc.); (2) new suggestions for the prevention/mitigation of the different problems and new methods for their detection/measurement and (3) new techniques for surface/bulk property enhancement (such as laser shot peening, grain boundary engineering and grain refinement). Recent developments in topics like phase prediction, stacking fault energy, superplasticity, metadynamic recrystallisation and the calculation of mechanical properties are introduced, too. In the end of this article, several new applications that involve the use of stainless steels are presented. Some of these are the use of austenitic stainless steels for signature authentication (magnetic recording), the utilisation of the cryogenic magnetic transition of the sigma phase for hot spot detection (the Sigmaplugs), the new Pt-enhanced radiopaque stainless steel (PERSS) coronary stents and stainless steel stents that may be used for magnetic drug targeting. Besides recent developments in conventional stainless steels, those in the high-nitrogen, low-Ni (or Ni-free) varieties are also introduced. These recent developments include new methods for attaining very high nitrogen contents, new guidelines for alloy design, the merits/demerits associated with high nitrogen contents, etc.

Recent developments in stainless steels

https://research.birmingham.ac.uk/portal/files/45381603/Liu_et_al_Dislocation_network_in_additive_Materials_Today_2017.pdf

Dislocation network in additive manufactured steel breaks strength–ductility trade-off

Revisiting fundamental welding concepts to improve additive manufacturing: From theory to practice

Study on microstructure and mechanical properties of 304 stainless steel joints by TIG, laser and laser-TIG hybrid welding

Effect of heat input on the microstructure and mechanical properties of gas tungsten arc welded AISI 304 stainless steel joints

The excellent combination of strength and corrosion resistance in duplex stainless steels (DSS) is due to their strict composition control and microstructural balance. The ferrite–austenite ratio is often upset in DSS weld metals owing to the rapid cooling rates associated with welding. To achieve the desired ferrite–austenite balance and hence properties, either the weld metal composition and/or the heat input is controlled. In the current work, a low heat input process viz., EBW and another commonly employed process, gas tungsten-arc welding have been employed for welding of DSS with and without nickel enhancement. Results show that (i) chemical composition has got a greater influence on the ferrite–austenite ratio than the cooling rate, (ii) and even EBW which is considered an immature process in welding of DSS, can be employed provided means of filler addition could be devised.

Effect of weld metal chemistry and heat input on the structure and properties of duplex stainless steel welds

Effect of nickel and nitrogen addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of power beam processed duplex stainless steel (UNS 31803) weld metals

Modified 9Cr-1Mo steel finds increasing application in power plant construction because of its excellent high-temperature properties While it has been shown to be weldable and resistant to all types of cracking in the weld metal and heat-affected zone (HAZ), the achievement of optimum weld metal properties has often caused concern The design of appropriate welding consumables is important in this regard In the present work, plates of modified 9Cr-1Mo steel were welded with three different filler materials: standard 9Cr-1Mo steel, modified 9Cr-1Mo, and nickel-base alloy Inconel 182 Post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) was carried out at 730 and 760 °C for periods of 2 and 6 h The joints were characterized in detail by metallography Hardness, tensile properties, and Charpy toughness were evaluated Among the three filler materials used, although Inconel 182 resulted in high weld metal toughness, the strength properties were too low Between modified and standard 9Cr-1Mo, the former led to superior hardness and strength in all conditions However, with modified 9Cr-1Mo, fusion zone toughness was low and an acceptable value could be obtained only after PWHT for 6 h at 760 °C The relatively poor toughness was correlated to the occurrence of local regions of untransformed ferrite in the microstructure

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Weld Fusion Zones in Modified 9Cr-1Mo Steel

Modified 9Cr-1Mo steel, designated as P91, is widely used in the construction of power plants and other sectors involving temperatures higher than 500 °C. Although the creep strength is the prime consideration for elevated temperature applications, notch toughness is also important, especially for welded components, as it is essential to meet the pressure test and other requirements at room temperature. P91 steel weld fusion zone toughness depends on factors such as welding process, chemical composition, and flux composition. Niobium and vanadium are the main alloying elements that significantly influence the toughness as well as creep strength. In the current work, weld metals were produced with varying amounts of niobium and vanadium by dissimilar joints involving P9 and P91 base metals as well as filler materials. Microstructural studies and Charpy V-notch impact testing were carried out on welds to understand the factors influencing toughness. Based on the results, it can be concluded that by reducing vanadium and niobium weld metal toughness can be improved.

S. Sundaresan

Papers

Effect of weld metal chemistry and heat input on the structure and properties of duplex stainless steel welds

Effect of nickel and nitrogen addition on the microstructure and mechanical properties of power beam processed duplex stainless steel (UNS 31803) weld metals

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Weld Fusion Zones in Modified 9Cr-1Mo Steel

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 9Cr-1Mo Steel Weld Fusion Zones as a Function of Weld Metal Composition

Optimization of compound layer thickness for wear resistance of nitrocarburized H11 steels