Applications of Stainless Steel in Automobile Industry

Abstract

Mounting energy crisis, stringent emission law and strict safety rules have guided car manufacturers to improve strength/weight ratio of the vehicle, thereby promoting several applications of stainless steels in the car body. Moreover, use of stainless steels also improves aesthetics and minimizes life cycle cost. In automobiles, presently 45-50% of stainless steels are used in exhaust systems. To improve efficiency, complex designs are being used and performance criteria of the material are getting tougher. New techniques such as tube hydroforming are also being explored using austenitic stainless steel for the complicated designs utilizing the benefits of high ductility of these grades. Since corrosion resistance remains fundamental requirement for these applications, selection of grades and stabilizing elements are critical for such applications and depend primarily on operating conditions. Different grades and effect of their composition on elevated temperature strength, creep strength, endurance limit and corrosion resistance are presented. Stainless steels are also being used in other applications such as fuel tank, bumper, chassis for buses and trucks. With the development of new varieties of austenitic, ferritic and martensitic stainless steels, automotive industry is intensively exploring their potential.