Residual Stress

Alloying Elements

Manganese
Increases strength and hardness; forms a carbide; increases hardenability; lowers the
transformation temperature range. When in sufficient quantity produces an austenitic
steel; always present in a steel to some extent because it is used as a deoxidiser
Silicon
Strengthens ferrite and raises the transformation temperature temperatures; has a
strong graphitising tendency. Always present to some extent, because it is used with
manganese as a deoxidiser
Chromium
Increases strength and hardness; forms hard and stable carbides. It raises the
transformation temperature significantly when its content exceeds 12%. Increases
hardenability; amounts in excess of 12%, render steel stainless. Good creep strength at
high temperature.
Nickel
Strengthens steel; lowers its transformation temperature range; increases hardenability,
and improves resistance to fatigue. Strong graphite forming tendency; stabilizes
austenite when in sufficient quantity. Creates fine grains and gives good toughness.
Nickel And Chromium
Used together for austenitic stainless steels; each element counteracts disadvantages of
the other.
Tungsten
Forms hard and stable carbides; raises the transformation temperature range, and
tempering temperatures. Hardened tungsten steels resist tempering up to 6000C
Molybdenum
Strong carbide forming element, and also improves high temperature creep resistance;
reduces temper-brittleness in Ni-Cr steels. Improves corrosion resistance and temper
brittleness.
Vanadium
Strong carbide forming element; has a scavenging action and produces clean, inclusion
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Residual Stress

free steels. Can cause re-heat cracking when added to chrome molly steels.
Titanium
Strong carbide forming element. Not used on its own, but added as a carbide stabiliser
to some austenitic stainless steels.
Phosphorus
Increases strength and hardnability, reduces ductility and toughness. Increases
machineability and corrosion resistance
Sulphur
Reduces toughness and strength and also weldabilty.
Sulphur inclusions, which are normally present, are taken into solution near the fusion
temperature of the weld. On cooling sulphides and remaining sulphur precipitate out
and tend to segregate to the grain boundaries as liquid films, thus weakening them
considerably. Such steel is referred to as burned. Manganese breaks up these films
into globules of maganese sulphide; maganese to sulphur ratio > 20:1, higher carbon
and/or high heat input during welding > 30:1, to reduce extent of burning.

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Page last updated 02 June 2002

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