Information Sheet 820 "Guidance for Material Selection of Stainless Steels"

Title page of the ISER publication: Fact Sheet 820 "Guidance on Material Selection for Stainless Steels"

Title graphic of the ISER publication

Diagram "Strength versus Formability": 83 non-stainless steels are compared here

Spider web diagram for the material 1.4404: The properties corrosion resistance, formability, strength, weldability, thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity are evaluated on a grading system from 1 (low) to 5 (high).

The selection of a suitable stainless steel grade for an application requires careful examination of many physical and mechanical properties.

To support and primarily facilitate this selection process, the information sheet 820 "Guidance for Material Selection of Stainless Steels" was developed in 2022, in which 38 stainless steels were compared in terms of corrosion resistance, strength, formability, weldability, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion using "spider diagrams".

New in the second edition

In the new, second edition of this publication, the number has more than doubled to 83 stainless steels. Among others, martensitic as well as high-temperature and heat-resistant stainless steels have been newly added. In addition to the spider diagrams, the diagrams "Strength versus Corrosion Resistance", "Formability versus Corrosion Resistance", and "Strength versus Formability" have been expanded accordingly.

An additional important innovation of the 2024 edition is the explanations regarding material selection and durability according to Eurocode 3 (EC 3, DIN EN 1993-1-4 Appendix A).

The standard includes a guide for selecting stainless steels for load-bearing components in steel construction, which helps in choosing an appropriate stainless steel in terms of corrosion resistance. This ensures durability over many decades without additional corrosion protection measures or regular inspections. This guide can also be generally used for components not covered by EC 3 as a helpful orientation for selecting stainless steels concerning corrosion exposure. It should be noted that for components outside the scope of the standard, other grades are also possible and common.

The information sheet is complemented by another new section that compiles helpful information on various factors influencing corrosion resistance. This aims to prevent common mistakes when handling stainless steels and to preserve the durability and enjoyment of stainless steel.
The guidance document is available as an ISER publication, Information Sheet 820, in PDF format for free download (1.2 MB) at:

https://www.edelstahl-rostfrei.de/publikationen/iser-publikationen/merkblatt-820-orientierungshilfe-zur-werkstoffauswahl-nichtrostender-staehle-1

36 pages, DIN A4, 83 spider diagrams, 8 illustrations, 7 tables