Stainless Clad Steels:An Evaluation

Abstract

This work examines and evaluates stainless clad sheet steel. The history of clad materials is examined to put a following section on marketing in perspective. A section on marketing sees clad steels in competition with conventional stainless steel and coated mild steels, Following this a specification for clad steel is evolved. Present technology of clad materials is examined and the various ways of making stainless clad steels are discussed .From these a favourable route is selected and evaluated from a technical and economic point of view. The inadequacies of the route are set out to account for the lack of such materials on the market. Following this a specification for a clad steel production route is derived. Using the specification a new route is devised and a description of a laboratory pilot plant given. Results obtained from the pilot plant are given together with a description of the economics of production, these being compared with the conventional route, Back up work on bonding and compaction is also described. The route being established as viable, production is anticipated with its attendant problems. Properties are evaluated in advance of production using conventionally produced materials. Both manufacturing and user propertiesare studied. Based on an examination of the properties and the economics the future prospects for stainless clad steel sheet materials are discussed and some indication of the ‘politics' involved is given. Extensive appendices describe the procedures used for material evaluation, the economic model used for costing, a theoretical derivation of the 'R' value and the experimental materials used together with analyses of all materials.