While there are thousands of different types of stainless steel alloy that can be produced, most alloys will fall into one of the following three categories.
Austenitic stainless steel
There are two main characteristics of this type of stainless steel. First, there is a lot of chromium included during the production of austenitic stainless steel. Items produced with this material are more corrosion-resistant. Second, these items tend to be non-magnetic, although they can become magnetic with a cold forming process. These are the most common types of stainless steel alloys.Ferritic Stainless Steel
This type of stainless steel is the second most common type of alloy and is also magnetic. Items produced with this alloy can be hardened through cold forming and also tend to be less expensive than other types due to the lower nickel content.Martensitic Stainless Steel
This material is the least common type of stainless steel alloy. Martensitic stainless steel is used in applications where high tensile strength is needed or a lot of impact resistance. In many cases, this material is also combined with a protective polymer coating to improve corrosion-resistance