For austenitic stainless steels (304, 316/316L etc), is there a limit of cold work in NACE MR0175?
Is there a limit for cold work in austenitic stainless steels?
The Question
This page features a question regarding the presence of a limit for what is deemed as cold work in austenitic stainless steels, as several paragraphs in both NACE MR0175 and ISO 15156 state that materials are acceptable if they are free of cold work intended to enhance mechanical properties.
The Answer
The answer provided states that NACE MR0175/ISO 15156-3 does not prohibit all cold work of the austenitic stainless steels. Instead, it only prohibits cold work that is intended to enhance mechanical properties, and the specification does not provide any limit for the percentage of cold work.
This question pertains to NACE MR0175/ISO 15156-3 A.3 and A.4, and the reference cited is ISO 15156 Maintenance Panel Inquiry #2003-28 Q1.