Stainless Steel for Aviation

Stainless steel made it debut in the year 1912 by accident. Harry Brearley was testing ways to eliminate rust accumulations in gun barrels. By chance, he noticed a piece of steel which was discarded from an earlier experiment was not rusting. He discovered that when the steel was treated with chrome, the steel became much more resistant. The result of his discovery was a chrome alloy steel. August 20th 1912 stainless steel was produced for the first time. Stainless steel has become an intricate part of our daily lives. Automobiles, medical equipment, food casing, and electronic devices are among the variety of ways we use stainless steel. The aviation industry has been among one of the largest purchasers of stainless steel for many decades. As the industry rapidly expands through technological advances, stainless steel has always been a common choice in aircraft materials.

Why Stainless Steel?

The aviation industry chooses metals based on few properties. These include hardness, strength, density, malleability, ductility, elasticity, brittleness, conductivity, and thermal expansion. According to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration, stainless steel can be used for almost any part of an aircraft. Common applications include springs, castings, tie rods, control cables, structural, and machined parts.

Stainless steels can be classified according to their crystalline structure which make them ideal of aviation use. These include:

• Austenitic – Its composition of carbon, chromium, and nickel gives it the ability to maintain its structure at various temperatures. Superaustenitic stainless steels contain greater percentages of chromium and nickel which makes the steel more resistance to stress-corrosion cracking.
• Ferritic – Stainless steel that is less durable than austenitic stainless steel, but is highly corrosion resistant.
• Martensitic – Containing 11.5 -18% chromium and large quantities of carbon, this stainless steel sample is very strong and tough. It can also be hardened by heat treatment.

Stainless steel is also a common choice because it can be handled easily in its processing. This is according to a report by Fredric Flader. In addition to being reliable, stainless steel is both austenitic and nonmagnetic, meaning it will not interfere with navigation equipment in an airplane’s cockpit. It’s corrosion resistance makes it perfect for airlines to feature painted artwork on the aircraft exterior.

At Avion Alloys, we understand the importances of stainless steel to the aviation industry. This is why we supply our customers with only top-grade materials that surpass industry standards. If you would like to receive a free quote for any of our stainless steel products, contact us online or give us a call at (866) 610-1660.