Romanian Stainless Steel
Romania is home to some of the most impressive stainless steel industry in Eastern Europe. It produces a variety of austenitic and martensitic grades, as well as ferritic (chrome-molybdenum) grades. Romania stands out among other European countries because it has set up a stainless steel industry which is one of the largest producers of stainless steel based on production level and exports. Because Romania’s stainless steel industry is one of the most important in the region, it naturally has a significant number of steel grades available.
The stainless steel grades used in Romania are designated by the steel industry in a particular country-specific system. In Romania, this system is based on the Euro-Norm (EN) steel classification system. This system furnishes a uniform method of performing steel lab analysis and identifying different types of steels. The EN steel grade system uses an alphanumeric code to specify the steel’s basic characteristics. The first letter in the code identifies the type of steel and the following four digits provide further information about the grade or specific alloy. Deciphering the code is simple and should allow the use to quickly identify the type of steel and its potential characteristics.
Common stainless steel grades used in Romania include 304, 316L, 2205, 17-4, and 904L. Depending on the required application, 304 and 316 are the most commonly used grades as they are generally corrosion-resistant, easy to work with, and inexpensive when compared to other grades. They also have a wide range of applications in most industries. They can be used to produce flat sheet items such as kitchen sinks and countertops, as well as formed items such as vessels, pipes, and pressure vessels.
2205 is another popular grade of stainless steel, particularly in Romania. It is a duplex grade meaning it is composed of both austenitic and ferritic microstructures, enabling a very high strength coupled with excellent corrosion-resistance. It is often used in applications demanding high strength and corrosion resistance, such as offshore platforms or chemical processing vessels where chloride concentrations and high temperatures are often found.
17-4 and 904L are superalloy grades used in Romania to provide exceptional strength, corrosion-resistance and oxidation-resistance. When compared to 304 and 316 grades, both 17-4 and 904L grades cost more. 17-4 specializes in high-temperature applications, whereas 904L is often used in chemical processing equipment and pipelines where its resistance to acidity is most beneficial. It is not uncommon to use these superalloys to produce flanges and valves, as well as fasteners and pressure vessels.
Overall, Romania is home to a variety of stainless steel grades and alloys. The European EN steel classification allows users to quickly identify specific grades of steel and their potential characteristics. Most stainless steel grades are corrosion-resistant and easy to work with, making them useful in a wide range of industries. Additionally, superalloy grades such as 17-4 and 904L are available and provide a higher strength coupled with excellent corrosion-resistance, especially in applications involving acidity. Regardless of the stainless steel grade, Romania is home to some of the most impressive stainless steel industry found in Eastern Europe.
