Chromium-Nickel Austenitic Stainless Steel Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi 3O3) and 18Ni9Se Cold Working Hardening
1. Introduction
The alloy Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi3O3) is a chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steel which has been widely used as a highly corrosion-resistant material due to its excellent properties such as high ductility, excellent mechanical strength, stress corrosion cracking resistance and good weldability. This alloy is non-magnetic and make it suitable for components in the food and bio-medical industries. 18Ni9Se is a new stainless steel known as Nitronic 50. It has a higher yield strength and hardness than most austenitic stainless steels. It has excellent properties such as strength at high temperatures, good corrosion resistance in acidic environments, resistance to stress corrosion cracking, good pitting resistance and excellent weldability.
2. Cold Working Hardening
Cold working is one of the main processes to enhance the mechanical properties of materials. It results in increased strength and increased yield strength, but loses ductility and toughness. There are several ways to cold work a stainless steel including rolling, drawing, forging and bending. Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi 3O3) and 18Ni9Se stainless steels are well suited to cold working and can be heat treated to further increase their mechanical properties. Cold working of Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi 3O3) and 18Ni9Se stainless steels results in a decrease in hardness and an increase in ductile fracture. Both alloys are more susceptible to cold working hardening than other stainless steels and a small amount of hardening can reduce the ductility of the material. Cold working of stainless steels can also cause residual stress and distortion due to the differences in yield strength between cold and warm worked materials.
3. Impact on Mechanical Properties
Cold working of Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi 3O3) and 18Ni9Se can improve their tensile properties by increasing their work hardening rate. This leads to improved tensile strength, yield strength and elongation values. The impact on other mechanical properties is not well known. However, it is expected that the impact on fatigue resistance and corrosion resistance of these alloys is not significant as it does not involve rapid changes in crystal structure.
4. Heat Treatment
Heat treatment is a necessary step to make the most of cold working. It can greatly improve the fracture properties of these stainless steels and make them more resistant to corrosion, increasing the useful life of parts made from them. Heat treatment of Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi 3O3) and 18Ni9Se is usually performed at 800 to 1100 °C and can result in improved strength, hardness and corrosion resistance.
5. Conclusion
Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi 3O3) and 18Ni9Se are popular stainless steels due to their excellent properties. These alloys are susceptible to cold working hardening and can achieve improved mechanical properties as a result. Heat treatment is also an important step to further improve their fatigue and corrosion resistances. Overall, Y1Cr18Ni9 (AISi 3O3) and 18Ni9Se are excellent materials for cold working and can be used for a variety of applications where improved strength and corrosion resistance is desired.