Austenitic v Martensitic Stainless Steel

Austenitic and martensitic refer to the microstructure of the metal resulting from the nature of the manufacturing process.

Austenitic stainless steels have a relatively modest strength, but good impact properties, are easier to form and weld, are non-magnetic and have a range of good to excellent corrosion resistance.

Martensitic stainless steels tend to have very high strengths, lower impact properties, are more difficult to form and weld, are magnetic and have a lower level of corrosion resistance. Their lower alloy content means that they can be lower cost, depending upon the condition supplied in.