Depending on your project’s structural and environmental requirements, a certain alloy may be a more suitable choice than another. Alloy choice is driven by factors such as stress, weather, heat, or even price. Stainless Structurals offers steel profiles in various allows so that designers can select the best alloy for the job.
Carbon Steel
Don’t let the name fool you! Stainless Structurals offers laser fused, carbon steel profiles with the same sharp corners as our stainless profiles. If you are concerned with strength requirements and do not need a corrosion-resistant steel, an A36 or Gr. 50 application may be the most cost effective choice. Our carbon steel profiles such as hollow structural steel and tees are popular in architectural applications such as glass curtain walls, canopies and more. Laser fused carbon structural shapes are offered in 19-20’ R/L standard lengths and can be offered in custom lengths up to 600”.
Austenitic Grades
The workhorse of the industry, austenitic grades include some of the most common and versatile grades of stainless steel. The two most popular are 304/L and 316/L which are low carbon variations and exhibit excellent corrosion resistance, formability, and weldability. Stainless Structurals stocks these two grades in many industry-standard sizes, but those are not the only austenitic grades on offer. If your project requires a certain alloy, Stainless Structurals offers the following austenitic grades: 304/L, 304/H, 316/L, 316LN, 316Ti, 317/L, 321, 347, 254 SMO, 904/L and AL6XN. These grades are popular in food processing, architectural, construction, wastewater, marine and chemical processing applications.
Heat Resistant Grades
Some austenitic grades are also highly heat-resistant. This is due to a higher chromium and lower nickel content which contributes to not only heat resistance, but also high corrosion and oxidation resistance. Additionally, these heat-resistant grades have decent fabrication and weldability characteristics. Stainless Structurals offers the following heat-resistant laser fused profiles: 309, 310S, 314 and 330. These laser welded alloys are popular in heat exchanger, boiler, aircraft and auto parts, refinery and chemical processing applications.
Ferritic Grades
Ferritic grade stainless steel is stabilized by titanium and chromium. This chemical makeup provides corrosion and oxidation resistances which exceed that of carbon steel. The main attributes of ferritic steel are medium strength, decent formability and weldability, but it does not have a uniform surface unlike other laser welded grades on offer. Due to these unique aesthetics, ferritic steel is generally used for projects where the surface finish or look is not a crucial determining factor in grade section. Laser fused ferritic grades include 409 and 410S. Common 409 and 410S applications are found in automotive exhaust systems, power generators, furnaces, heat exchangers and agricultural equipment.
Duplex Grades
Duplex stainless steel has a higher concentration of chromium, molybdenum and nitrogen which provides both a very high corrosion resistance and well and a higher yield strength than that of a typical austenitic grade stainless such as a 304/L. Duplex grades shine in applications which are concerned with pitting or stress corrosion cracking due to harsh structural and environmental conditions. Laser welded duplex grades on offer include 2101, 2304, 2205 and 2507. Duplex laser fused material is typically used in harsher food and chemical processing projects as well as oil and gas, marine and deep sea, and government applications.
Here to Meet your Project Needs
Regardless of the job, Stainless Structurals offers various alloys for your particular needs. Our production technologies such as laser welding and hot extrusion give us the flexibility to offer the largest alloy selection in the industry. Please contact our team today so that we may begin producing the highest-quality materials for your needs.
