Earle M. Jorgensen Company

Audley J Farmer

Rockne J Andreini

Svetlana Yaguchi

Robert B Moffett

Thomas R Carney

The present invention relates to a fully austenitic, nonmagnetic stainless steel which maintains the carbon concentration of the final steel near the solubility limit for carbon in the steel and adds columbium in an amount sufficient to stabilize the steel by columbium's preferential scavenging of carbon over chromium. This preferential scavenging substantially eliminates chromium carbide formation at grain boundaries in the solid solution of the final stainless steel product. A highly preferred stainless steel consists essentially of, by weight:

Stainless steel

A method of making a nonmagnetic, austenitic, manganese-chromium-nickel-nitrogen stainless steel uses intermediate addition of ferroalloys and novel mixtures of oxygen and nitrogen to maintain the temperature of the melt below about 3150.degree. F. (1732.degree. C.). The method improves on the economics of making specialty steels by reducing the cost of raw materials and refractories.

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Kent, WA, United States of America

Audley J Farmer