Heat-resistant materials

Stainless steel materials in the 300 series (304, 316) can be used only up to maximum temperatures of around 550 to 600°C, and if so, under certain conditions. At those temperatures, the AISI 321 or 316ti variants should be preferred and, even so, these materials will begin to discolor and deform at higher temperatures; some applications allow for these changes; others less, of course.

If the temperatures are even higher, we need to use specific heat-resistant materials that are considerably more expensive. We call ‘heat resistant’ materials that can withstand temperatures around the 1000°C mark. Information about heat-resistant stainless steel or other materials is very scattered and hard to find on the Internet, not mentioning the fact that false information is also circulating, which makes it so difficult to make the right choice.

For detailed technical information, I refer you to the Outokumpu website; click here. 

N.B.: Not all materials are equally commonly available. The 1.4841 grade = AISI 314 is common and there is relatively great demand for it. This grade can be used at a maximum temperature of 1125°C.

Since the price difference between regular stainless steel materials from the 300 series and the effective heat-resistant variants is quite big, the temptation to use regular materials as much as possible is obviously great.