CARBON OR NITROGEN ALLOYED QUENCHED AND TEMPERED STAINLESS-STEELS A COMPARATIVE-STUDY

Some conventional stainless quenched and tempered steel grades were mo dified by substituting nitrogen for carbon and by variing the contents of chromium, molybdenum and nickel. Results of a comparative study of carbon and nitrogen steels are presented in a wide range of tempering temperatures. In nickelmartensitic steels nickel can be partially sub stituted by nitrogen without harming the properties. Due to their fine r microstructure nitrogen steels with 15-17 %Cr, 2 %Ni and 0.2 %N, at the same strength level, offer higher toughness and better corrosion r esistance than the respective conventional steel X20 CrNi 17 2.