In addition to chromium – a basic element of all stainless steel – austenitic stainless steels also contain high levels of nickel, an element that significantly improves its resistance to corrosion, as well as the possible addition of other elements such as molybdenum, titanium, and niobium, present in some versions. The austenitic structure of these steels does not allow the execution of quenching and tempering treatments, but cold drawing deformations allow very high mechanical characteristics to be obtained, especially on small diameters. At the solubilized state they are completely non-magnetic, while in the drawn state they acquire a slight ferromagnetism. The versions with the addition of copper, instead, have a decidedly improved cold deformability, making them suitable for example for use in formed screws and in general for cold forming. The steels of the Plus series undergo special processing during casting and an analytical balancing that provides them with an excellent machinability in the tool in relation to this category of materials. The addition of sulfur, finally, allows an easy machinability of the material and makes it suitable for the production of turned parts with challenging machining; in contrast, the resistance to corrosion is slightly decreased.
