| Ti (titanium), N (niobium) |
improve weldability |
| C (carbon) |
increases hardness, tensile strength, brittleness, from 0.3% upwards steel is curable, reduces corrosion resisting qualities and weldability |
| Cr (Chromium) |
most important component of stainless steels, increases corrosion resisting qualities and wear resistance |
| Ni (nickel) |
increases toughness, from 8% corrosion resistance upwards, austenite creator |
| Cu (copper) |
raises toughness |
| Mn (manganese) |
increases tensile strength, austenite creator |
| Mo (molybdenum) |
increases corrosion resisting qualities, worsens duplex steel toughness "lowers temperature stability" sigma phase |
| N (nitrogen) |
increases tensile strength and corrosion resisting qualities |
| Si (silicon) |
improves scaling resistance and at higher levels the corrosion resisting qualities, e.g. against highly concentrated nitric acid |
| P (phosphorus), (sulfur) |
improves machining properties, worsens weldability and corrosion resisting qualities |
