Austenitic-ferritic stainless steels

Austenitic‑ferritic stainless steels are often referred to as duplex steels. Their microstructure consists of roughly half austenite and half ferrite. As a result, they combine properties of both material groups. They achieve higher yield strengths than conventional austenitic stainless steels. At the same time, they offer very good resistance to stress corrosion cracking, especially in chloride‑containing media. Their general corrosion resistance usually lies between austenitic standard grades and highly alloyed super‑austenitic steels. 

Austenitic‑ferritic stainless steels are magnetic, readily weldable, but require controlled heat input to preserve the duplex microstructure. Typical applications include chemical and petrochemical plants, seawater and offshore technology, as well as highly stressed components in the process industry.