There is a growing demand for increased corrosion resistance in many
applications. Austenitic stainless steels meet the corrosion resistance required
in a host of environments.
But the use of austenitic stainless steels is
limited due to the low hardness, low wear resistance and the risk of galling.
Since these steels can not be hardened by conventional heat treatment processes
without reducing/losing the corrosion resistance, their application range was
restricted.
