Duplex Stainless Steel Plate

Brown McFarlane holds stock of Duplex stainless steel plate in specification 31803 (1.4462) and 32205. In order to get more specific information on this steel grade click here.

Duplex stainless steel was developed as a product which could improve upon some of the technical weaknesses of the standard austenitic and ferritic stainless steels that are available in the market. Both have low strength, ferritic steels have poor low temperature toughness, and austenitic steels have a very low resistance to stress corrosion cracking. Duplex stainless has a microstructure which is split roughly 50:50 between austenite and ferrite and balancing of these phases provides the following benefits:

• Higher strength which is around twice that of Type 304 austenitic stainless steel. This leads to reduced plate thicknesses being used in fabrications reducing the weight which is of particular significance in items such as pressure vessels, storage tanks, and structural applications such as bridges.
• Good weldability in thick plates.
• Good low temperature toughness.
• Resistance to stress corrosion cracking of importance in many applications including hot water tanks, process plant, brewing tanks, and desalination plant.

It is worth noting that Duplex stainless steels are still being developed and improved by steel makers.

Another key feature of Duplex stainless is its enhanced corrosion resistance. There is no single measure of corrosion resistance but the Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number (PRE_N) is widely used as a means of comparing the relative corrosion resistance of different steel grades. The PRE_N is obtained by applying a mathematical formula to the chemical composition of a steel so that PRE_N = %Cr + (3.3 x %Mo) + (16 x %N). Using this formula 31803 Duplex stainless has a PRE_N of 35 which when compared with the PRE_N of Type 304 and Type 316 (18 and 24 respectively) demonstrates its superior corrosion resistance.

In short, due to its higher strength, longer component life cycle, and lower alloy composition, Duplex stainless can be a very cost effective solution to an engineering problem.

Contact Brown McFarlane’s specialist stainless steel team for all sales and technical enquiries. We also hold stocks of Super Duplex stainless to 32750, 1.4410, 32760 and 1.4501. Click here for more details.

 

Brown McFarlane and Duplex Stainless Steel Plate

Brown McFarlane holds a comprehensive stock of Duplex stainless steel plate manufactured by Western European steel makers. All plates in stock are certified in accordance with NORSOK MDS D45 and to material grades 31803, 32205, and 1.4462. Plates are stocked as large format (up to 12,000 mm long and 3,000 mm wide) which is designed to minimise fabrication costs for our customers by reducing the amount of welding required. The large format also gives us the opportunity to make the best possible use of each plate when “nesting” the shapes required by our customers. Given the specialised nature of this type of steel it is no great surprise that the majority of our sales are made in cut and processed form.

For more details of our stock range in 31803, 32205, and 1.4462 plates click here