Martensite, bainite and austenite in stainless steel are three different types of organizational structures,
and their differences are mainly reflected in organizational structure, performance and use:
Organizational structure
Martensite: Martensite is an organizational structure formed by rapid cooling (quenching), usually with a transformation temperature of about 230℃~240℃, a supersaturated solid solution of carbon in iron, and common forms are needle-shaped or lath-shaped. It is easy to form a lamellar structure in high carbon steel, and is mostly lath-shaped in medium and low carbon steel.
Bainite: Bainite is an organizational structure formed at a medium cooling rate, with a transformation temperature of 550℃~350℃, composed of ferrite and carbide, with various forms (feather-shaped, needle-shaped or granular), between martensite and pearlite.
Austenite: Austenite is a high-temperature stable structure, with a stabilization heat treatment range of 850℃~930℃, a face-centered cubic lattice structure, a high chromium content (usually >18%), and about 8% nickel. The structure is uniform and has no lamellar features.
Performance characteristics
Martensite: High strength and hardness, but poor toughness. It needs to be quenched + tempered to improve the overall performance. It is suitable for high-strength parts (such as springs and knives).
Bainite: It has both strength and toughness, especially the lower bainite has excellent comprehensive performance, which is suitable for high-strength demand scenarios.
Austenite: Strong corrosion resistance (especially chloride corrosion resistance), high plasticity, often used in acid-resistant equipment, food processing equipment and more.
Typical applications
Martensite: steam turbine blades, surgical instruments, tableware.
Bainite: industrial parts (such as gears, bearings), high-strength structural parts.
Austenite: chemical equipment, medical equipment, food processing equipment.
Of course, in the early metal forging industry, the above-mentioned stainless steels are commonly used metals. If you have large-scale metal forging processing needs, you can choose to cooperate with Mulan Metal. Mulan Metal has 12 years of OEM forging processing experience and has helped customers in more than 30 countries complete forging processing business. We look forward to your cooperation consultation.
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