For most types of steel, the desirable properties and yield strength lessen significantly as the steel is exposed to high temperatures. heat resistant steels are resistant to temperatures over 500°C, maintaining their strength and other properties. Here we will outline the basics of heat resistant steels and their key applications.
How is Heat Resistant Steel Made?
Heat resistant steel is strengthened using alloys, heat treatment, solid solution, and precipitation. Chromium is present in all types of heat resistant steel, offering oxidation resistance, high-temperature strength, and carburization resistance. Chromium makes heat resistant steel ferritic.
Nickel is sometimes added to heat resistant steel to enhance ductility, temperature strength, and carburizing and nitriding resistance. Nickel makes the atomic structure of steel austenitic. Carbon can also be added to steel as a strengthening element, dissolving in alloy and enhancing solution strength.
Heat Resistant Steel for the Oil and Gas Industry
Steel is a critical material in the oil and gas industry, used in every part of the industry from the marketplace to transportation, to construction. The demands put on heat resistant steel in these industries are extremely high, meaning they must go under stringent testing and come from reputable steel mills that are high quality.
Some of the applications in the oil and gas industry can lead to structural or thermal stresses, crack growth, fatigue, and corrosion which must be frequently inspected and maintained. Applications in the oil and gas industry require extremely high temperatures which can make standard steel brittle.
Why Furnaces Use Heat Resistant Steel
Industrial furnaces are used for smelting at high temperatures, tempering, drying, and heat treatment. Industrial furnaces can sometimes require temperatures of up to 3000°C, meaning standard steel would be adversely impacted by the high temperatures required.
In furnace applications, the exposure to heat will be intermittent rather than prolonged. Heat resistant steel can tolerate frequent exposure to high temperatures in short stretches as well as over long periods.
Chrome Moly Heat Resistant Steel
Chrome Moly is a widely used heat resistant steel that is used in petrochemical, oil, and gas industries. The mixture of chromium for corrosion resistance and molybdenum for increased tensile strength means it is well suited to environments that require extremely high temperatures.
Chrome Moly also has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, making it easier and more cost-effective to install and manage than many other heat resistant materials.
Masteel supplies chrome-moly steel for a huge selection of industries, available in various thicknesses and widths, and they provide in-house profiling and cutting services. Masteel’s materials are fully traceable, coming from reputable sources. To find out more about the benefits of heat resistant steel, get in touch for more details.