A model has been developed to design austenitic stainless steels containing 25 to 28% chromium, 22% nickel, 6% manganese, 4 to 8% molybdenum, and about 0.80% nitrogen. The newly developed steels have been produced by rapic solidification powder metallurgy (P/M) with subsequent consolidation by hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The resulting chemical compositions meet the criteria of the alloy design model, predicting ai fully austenitic microstructure, a yield strength of about 620 MPa, a minimum Pitting Resistance equivalence (PRE) number of 50 a sigma solvus temperature of less than 1232°C, a nitrogen equilibrium partial pressure at 1600°C of about 500 kPa, and an alloy cost factor of 0.6 or less relative to UNS N10276. The results of experimental investigations of these materials compared to the predictions of the design model are presented, in addition to evaluations of other HIP P/M processed austenitic and superaustenitic stainless steels, and nickel base corrosion resistant alloys.
Keywords: austenitic stainless steel, nitrogen alloying, powder metallurgy (P/M), hot isostatic pressing (HIP), pitting corrosion, crevice corrosion, intergranular corrosion, mechanical properties, chromium nitride, sigma.