Nothing works in this world without steel. It is by far the most important technical material and, with an annual production volume of approx. 1.8 billion tonnes, surpasses other metallic materials many times over.
“Every stainless steel is a specialty steel but not every specialty steel is a stainless steel.” So how is stainless steel defined? The answer: specialty steel is the collective term for unalloyed and alloyed steel grades with a particularly high degree of purity. This means: they have an extremely low content of harmful elements such as phosphorus, sulphur, arsenic or tin. The decisive factor for differentiating between the various specialty steels is their chemical composition. The limit values to be considered are standardised at European level (DIN EN 10 020). Sub-areas of specialty steels are: – Rust, acid and heat resistant steel (stainless steel) – Engineering steel – Tool steel We observe all specialty steels. The clear focus of our member companies and thus of our work is the group of stainless steels, which all have a minimum chromium content of 10.5%. Within the stainless grades, a distinction is made between ferrites, martensites, austenites and duplexes according to their material structure. Important application areas of stainless steels are (without claim to completeness): Architecture, automotive, chemistry, household appliances, gastronomy, food, mechanical engineering, medical technology, environmental technology.