Better Durability and Wear Resistance than 304 Stainless Steel

KVA STAINLESS™ processed martensitic stainless steels (MS2™) offers several benefits over traditional "lightweighting alloys" in terms of product longevity and durability:

• Unsurpassed fatigue performance
  The ultra high strength of MS2™ translates to an increased endurance limit: approximately 690 MPa (100 ksi).  Independent laboratory tests have shown type 410 martensitic stainless steel to have higher fatigue performance, in the long life region, than 22MnB5 Boron-treated steel.
• Increased hardness and wear resistance
  Martensitic stainless steels were developed to provide hard, wear-resistant surfaces for surgical instruments, cutlery and ball bearings.  KVA STAINLESS™ processed MS2™ takes full advantage of the material's tendency to form a tough, metal matrix composite with finely dispersed, hard chromium carbide particles in a martensitic microstructure. Through thickness hardnesses in excess of 40 HRC are easily achievable with even the simplest martensitic stainless steel alloy, type 410. As compared to wear resistant coatings, which can chip, wear or flake off, KVA STAINLESS™ processed martensitic stainless steel components provide tough, shock and wear resistance down to the core.
• Tougher, less brittle welds
  Welds made with KVA STAINLESS™ weld processing technology are inherently less brittle and less crack sensitive than conventionally welded martensitic stainless steel.  KVA STAINLESS™ MS2™ welding methods increase ductility (3-5+ times) and improve toughness resulting in more durable products.

Note A: The endurance limit is defined as the stress below which failure never occurs, even for an infinitely large number of loading cycles. Steels, stainless steels and titanium alloys all have a defined stress level for which failure will never occur, which is roughly 50% (or less) of the ultimate tensile strength. However, aluminum alloys do not exhibit a well-defined endurance limit. As such, aluminum structures must be designed for finite life, even at drastically reduced loadings.