Comparative study between duplex stainless steels and austentitic stainless steels 304L/316L

Ferritic-austenitic duplex stainless steels are part of a class of material having a two-phase microestructure, comprised of a ferritic matrix and austenitic islands, with the volumetric fractions approximately the same in these phases. This class of material is characterized by the presentation of an interesting combination of high mechanical properties and corrosion resistance and is therefore considered quite versatile. The duplex stainless steels are often used in the chemical, petrochemical, pulp & paper and food industries, as well as in steel foundaries and energy power plants. This paper shows a comparison between the physical, mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of duplex stainless steels and the traditional austenitic stainless steels 304L and 316L, largely used in the Brazilian industry. Results of laboratory tests and relevant data on practical experiments on these materials are also presented.