Over the past decade, the 400 series stainless steel sector has witnessed remarkable strides. Production volumes surged from 3.2 million tons in 2012 to 5.6 million tons by 2022, marking an impressive uptick of over 75%. Concurrently, capacities in cold rolling enterprises specializing in 400 series stainless steel continue their upward trajectory, propelling the sector into a new era of development.
Against this backdrop, on April 11-12, the Seventh China 400 Series Stainless Steel Conference, organized by the China Iron and Steel Industry Association Stainless Steel Branch, convened 12 distinguished experts from the stainless steel realm along with industry stakeholders. Their gathering served as a forum to disseminate cutting-edge research, present current applications, scrutinize prevailing challenges, and unanimously concur on a pivotal point: amidst the backdrop of the “dual-carbon” imperative, 400 series stainless steel stands poised as a green, low-carbon marvel with expansive application prospects and a vast market terrain.
Leveraging its low-nickel and nickel-reduction advantages, the 400 series stainless steel sector exhibits tremendous growth potential. By curtailing production costs for enterprises and lowering consumer expenditures, this variant fosters reduced reliance on foreign nickel sources while maintaining price stability. With increasingly mature production technologies, it has seamlessly infiltrated various sectors within China, supplanting the erstwhile dominance of 300 series stainless steel across household appliances, kitchenware, sanitary fixtures, hardware, building adornments, elevators, and heat exchange systems. Notably, its unique performance attributes align seamlessly with construction trends, offering vast opportunities in building envelope systems. For instance, with a linear expansion coefficient 60% lower than its austenitic counterpart, 400 series stainless steel minimizes stress and deformation in roofing systems, rendering it particularly suitable for lengthy roof spans or welded configurations.
Presently, the elevator industry stands at the cusp of a transformative era, with an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 units expected to be in circulation over the next three years. Stainless steel usage in elevators is estimated to reach 300,000 tons during this period, with intensified competition among elevator brands necessitating a shift towards cost-effective solutions, driving demand towards the 400 series stainless steel segment.
Optimism regarding the application of 400 series stainless steel extends across various domains. Ren Juanhong, Senior Engineer at JISCO, underscores the potential for ferritic stainless steel in water pipe applications, offering a solution to China’s nickel scarcity challenge. Similarly, Caio Pisano, Technical Marketing Manager at CBMM, highlights the burgeoning opportunities in utilizing niobium-enhanced ultra-pure ferritic stainless steel in hydrogen storage, battery enclosures, and fuel cell applications. Meanwhile, Simon Burger, Global Materials Manager at Faurecia, underscores the potential for ferritic stainless steel to supplant austenitic variants in automotive exhaust systems, albeit acknowledging the need for alloy enhancements to address minor drawbacks in formability.
However, to fully capitalize on these opportunities, intensified research and development efforts are imperative. Innovations aimed at broadening the application spectrum of ultra-pure ferritic stainless steel, enhancing production processes, and championing green, low-carbon methodologies are paramount. Key areas of focus include advancing high-chromium ferritic stainless steel for challenging environments like heat transfer systems, water and gas pipelines, and coastal power station condensers.
Moreover, there’s a pressing need to develop low-cost, high-strength ferritic stainless steel for applications in construction, highway infrastructure, mining, automotive structures, thereby displacing traditional carbon steel products and fostering new market segments. Additionally, emphasis on green, low-carbon production processes, including metallurgical advancements, energy-efficient practices, and eco-friendly pickling techniques, is crucial to ensure sustainable stainless steel production practices for the future. Lastly, refining process technologies such as hot rolling surface quality control and wrinkle reduction methods will further elevate the standing of the 400 series stainless steel sector in the global market landscape.