Determining Condition of Age-Hardenable Alloys

There is a lot of confusion about the condition that age-hardenable materials, such as 17-4 or 718 are in. Are they annealed, solution annealed, or aged; and how can you tell?

Age-hardenable materials are heat treated to a particular sequence:

Ferrite Content in Austenitic Stainless Steels

Ferrite Content in Austenitic Stainless Steels The basic 300 series stainless steels like 304/304L and 316/316L have an austenitic microstructure and are non-magnetic. In the annealed condition, they are essentially free of ferrite, which is magnetic. Cast products of these alloys typically have some ferrite present. These alloys also form some ferrite when they are […]

Hydrogen Sulfide – NACE MR0175/ISO 15156 & NACE MR0103

Hydrogen Sulfide -MR0175/ISO 15156 & MR0103 NACE International has developed two significant standards relative to the use of materials in hydrogen sulfide-bearing environments. MR0175/ISO 15156, Petroleum and Natural Gas Industries – Materials for use in H2S-containing Environments in Oil and Gas Production; and MR0103, Materials Resistant to Sulfide Stress Cracking in Corrosive Petroleum Refining Environments. […]

Confused About Annealing and Heat Treating Terminology?

Confused About Annealing and Heat Treating Terminology? In the broadest sense, annealing is the process of heating an alloy to an elevated temperature to promote homogenous chemistry, equiaxed microstructure, and uniform mechanical properties to produce what is essentially stress-free, or “soft” material. In the stainless steel, nickel, and titanium alloy industries, the terms anneal, solution […]