An Investigation into the Development of Prospective Indian Austenitic Stainless Steels

Abstract

The development of substitute stainless steels in which all or the bulk of nickel in the standard austenitic stainless grades is replaced by manganese became it live issue in many steel -producing countries during world War 11 due to restricted or nonavailability of nickel . The research and development work carried out during the war period yielded a series of commercially useful alloy steels, which are enumerated. The paper goes on to refer to an investigation in progress in the National Metallurgical Laboratory into the development of substitute austenitic stainless steels based on the use of manganese, nitrogen , copper, chromium and rare earth additions.The results of experi-mental heats made are presented in terms of working prop-erties , metallographic studies, corrosion resistance under different media, interoranular brittleness and physical tests, etc. Tentative views are expressed on the merits of these austenitic stainless compositions under Indian conditions , which will be reviewed after further work which is being pursued in the National 'Metall-urgical Laboratory along lines stated.