Non-magnetic stainless steels open new opportunities for Swiss Steel Group

Swiss Steel Group is strengthening its position in the market for non-magnetic stainless steels, leveraging decades of metallurgical expertise to serve highly demanding applications in marine, offshore, chemical, food processing and medical industries.

The group's Canadian subsidiary, Finkl Steel – Sorel, is currently working on a project aimed at qualifying high-performance stainless steel materials for marine applications in Canada. The initiative combines Swiss Steel Group’s metallurgical know-how with the integrated manufacturing capabilities available at the Sorel facility.

Focus on marine and defense applications

The project centers on grade 1.3964 stainless steel, a corrosion-resistant chromium-nickel-molybdenum alloy stabilized with niobium. The material is characterized by its fully austenitic microstructure, resulting in extremely low magnetic permeability, a key requirement for naval and other sensitive marine applications.

In addition to its non-magnetic properties, the steel offers excellent resistance to seawater corrosion, intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking. It is also designed to withstand extreme operating conditions, including Arctic temperatures and high-pressure deep-sea environments.

With tensile strength ranging from 700 to 950 MPa and a minimum yield strength of 365 MPa, the material combines high strength with good ductility and weldability.

The qualification program targets compliance with stringent international standards and specifications, including requirements defined by the German Institute for Defense Materials and Manufacturing Technology (WIWeB), classification society DNV, and German naval shipbuilding regulations.

Broad portfolio of non-magnetic stainless steels

Within Swiss Steel Group, Deutsche Edelstahlwerke has extensive experience in the production of corrosion-resistant stainless steels with demanding magnetic property requirements.

In addition to grade 1.3964, the company manufactures a range of fully austenitic stainless steel grades for specialized applications. These include grade 1.4435 for the chemical, food and pharmaceutical industries, grade 1.4441 (UNS S31673) for medical implants, and grades 1.3891 and 1.3892 (UNS K94610), which are widely used in offshore drilling and energy applications.

Supporting advanced industrial requirements

According to Swiss Steel Group, growing demand for highly specialized materials is driving the need for advanced stainless steel solutions that combine corrosion resistance, mechanical performance and specific magnetic properties.

By combining metallurgical expertise across its production network with specialized manufacturing capabilities, the group aims to support increasingly complex industrial applications where conventional stainless steels no longer meet performance requirements.

Source and Photo: Swiss Steel Group