Many of us often hear about merchants using nitrogen during the processing of stainless steel pipes and other stainless steel products, particularly in the welding process. Many may not know why nitrogen is used during the welding of stainless steel pipes. Let's educate you on this topic.

In stainless steel tubes, nitrogen's role is primarily manifested in three aspects: the matrix structure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance. Nitrogen is an element that forms and stabilizes the austenite phase, making its phase transition larger. It can replace nickel in stainless steel tubes, reducing the ferrite content in the steel, making the austenite more stable. Even under cold working conditions, it can prevent the precipitation of harmful metal phases, thereby avoiding martensitic transformation.

The influence of nitrogen on the mechanical properties of stainless steel mainly includes: nitrogen can enhance the strength of stainless steel pipes without reducing their plasticity; it can improve the creep, fatigue, wear resistance, and yield strength of stainless steel pipes; nitrogen is an element that improves corrosion resistance, forming NH4+ within pores to eliminate the generated H+, suppress pH levels, thereby inhibiting pitting corrosion and the rate of metal dissolution within pores, and improving the local corrosion resistance.