Precipitation hardened stainless steels offer:
- Excellent resistance to stress corrosion and cracking in substances containing chloride (e.g. seawater)
- High resistance to sulfuric acid and nitric acids
Precipitation/age-hardened stainless steels are commonly used where high strength and improved corrosion resistance are required. For example:
- Highly stressed machined castings in the aircraft and food processing industries
- Pumps
- Valves
- Stressed components in the marine, chemical, textile and paper industries