through the roof! Monday, August 22, 2005 A JAPANESE steel maker...

through the roof!


Monday, August 22, 2005

A JAPANESE steel maker has fired a fresh warning shot across the bows of the nickel-mining industry by promoting a new nickel-free stainless steel.



JFE Steel, the biggest steel mill in Japan, said its new corrosion resistant steel (JFE443CT) uses 21% chrome and 0.3% titanium and is designed for use in kitchen equipment, freight containers, building materials and car parts.

The launch by JFE of its nickel-free stainless follows the release four months ago of a similar nickel-free stainless steel using 16% chrome by Nippon Steel.

A spokesman for JFE told Platts Commodity News that because it's product is free of both nickel and molybdenum, it costs 20% less to produce, and that the product could replace stainless steel grade 304 which uses 18% chrome and 8% nickel, and 436 grade stainless which used 18% nickel, 1.2% molybdenum and 0.2% titanium.

Test marketing of the new nickel-free stainless has started in Japan with samples sent to JFE clients. Depending on their reaction, JFE plans to mass-produce steel sheets of 1 millimetre and less, with steel plate added later.

JFE plans to raise production rates to a similar level as conventional stainless within two years.