General Characteristics
N'GENIUS 326LM4N™ alloys are advanced, high-performance materials that retain all the benefits of super-austenitic stainless steels and certain Nickel alloys in terms of ductility, sub-zero and cryogenic temperature toughness and excellent weldability but with significantly higher strength properties and vastly improved resistance to general and localised corrosion.
The Alloy Types and Variants of N'GENIUS 326LM4N™ provide end users and engineers with a wide choice of materials for extreme and corrosive environments.
N'GENIUS 326LM4N™ alloys also demonstrate excellent general and localised corrosion resistance in higher ambient temperature seawater applications, making them particularly suitable for both traditional and emerging onshore and offshore technologies.
Market Positioning
N'GENIUS 326L35M4N™ alloys should be considered as competitive options to super-austenitic stainless steels, such as S31254 or N08926, where applicable.
N'GENIUS 326L57M4N™ alloys should be considered as competitive options to super-austenitic stainless steels, such as S32053 or S32050, or certain Nickel alloys for corrosion resistance applications, such as N06625 or N06852, where applicable.
Alloy Types and Variants
N'GENIUS 326LM4N™ includes a number of Alloy Types and Variants, offering flexibility and choice for engineers. These include:
- N'GENIUS ICONIC 326L35M4N™
- N'GENIUS ICONIC 326L57M4N™
- N'GENIUS INFINITY 326L35M4N™
- N'GENIUS INFINITY 326L57M4N™
The chemical compositions of the ICONIC variants are formulated to achieve distinct minimum specified levels of PREN to suit specific service conditions and process applications.
Whilst the chemical compositions of the INFINITY variants, which can be manufactured to contain additional alloying elements including Copper, Tungsten etc, are formulated to achieve distinct minimum specified levels of PRENW to further improve the overall corrosion performance in an even wider range of service conditions and process environments.
Performance Benefits
The performance benefits of N'GENIUS 326LM4N™ include:
- Unique combination of mechanical and corrosion resistance properties
- Higher mechanical strength properties compared to conventional austenitic stainless steels
- Higher allowable design stresses enable improved safety to be built into system design
- Reduced wall thicknesses can lead to weight savings, reduced transport costs and reduced fabrication time, which in turn results in less CO2 emissions and an overall reduction in construction and project costs
- Excellent ductility due to a more stable single-phase austenitic microstructure
- Excellent toughness at sub-zero temperatures associated with upset service conditions and at cryogenic temperatures
- Non-magnetic condition
- Improved Minimum Pitting Resistance Equivalent Values (PREN or PRENW)
- Superior resistance to Localised Corrosion (Pitting Corrosion, Crevice Corrosion, Intergranular Corrosion and Microbially Induced Corrosion) in a wide range of service conditions and process environments
- Superior resistance to General Corrosion in various environments
- Superior resistance to Hydrogen Embrittlement due to a more stable single-phase austenitic microstructure
- Improved resistance to Chloride and Sulphide Stress Corrosion Cracking in a wide range of service conditions and process environments including those containing Chlorides, CO2 and H2S
- Improved Sustainability
* Typical Mechanical Properties
* Mechanical properties shown above are for wrought products in the solution heat treated condition and may vary subject to alloy composition, product form and product route. For illustrative purposes only.
| Alloy Type |
Tensile Strength
(min) |
Yield Strength
(min) |
Elongation
(min) |
PREN / PRENW
(min) |
|
Ksi |
MPa |
Ksi |
MPa |
% |
|
| N'GENIUS ICONIC 326L35M4N™ |
105 |
730 |
60 |
415 |
40 |
≥43 |
| 109 |
750 |
62 |
430 |
40 |
≥45 |
| N'GENIUS INFINITY 326L35M4N™ |
105 |
730 |
60 |
415 |
40 |
≥45 |
| 109 |
750 |
62 |
430 |
40 |
≥47 |
| N08926 |
94 |
650 |
43 |
295 |
35 |
≥41 |
| S31254 |
95 |
655 |
45 |
310 |
35 |
≥42 |
| N'GENIUS ICONIC 326L57M4N™ |
105 |
730 |
60 |
415 |
40 |
≥48 |
| 109 |
750 |
62 |
430 |
40 |
≥50 |
| N'GENIUS INFINITY 326L57M4N™ |
105 |
730 |
60 |
415 |
40 |
≥50.5 |
| 109 |
750 |
62 |
430 |
40 |
≥51.5 |
| S32053 |
93 |
640 |
43 |
295 |
40 |
≥41 |
| S32050 |
98 |
675 |
48 |
330 |
40 |
≥45 |
| N06625 |
100 |
690 |
40 |
276 |
30 |
≥49 |
| N06852 |
85 |
586 |
35 |
241 |
30 |
≥47 |
Advantages
The unique combination of mechanical and corrosion resistance properties of N'GENIUS 326LM4N™ provides end users and engineers with a range of advantages:
- Potential to significantly reduce wall thicknesses of products and systems, leading to weight reduction and lower fabrication, construction and transportation costs and an overall reduction in project costs
- Significantly lower levels of high-cost Nickel and Molybdenum compared to certain super-austenitic stainless steels and certain Nickel alloys
- Oil and Gas pipelines and flowlines for subsea applications can be installed by any method of installation S-lay, J-Lay, Reel-Lay and Bundles
- Potential for significant reduction in topside weight of piping systems, modules and engineering equipment for Platforms, FPSOs and FLNG vessels
- Can be specified for various service conditions and utilised in produced water environments containing various levels of Chlorides, CO2 and H2S
- Can be specified and utilised for seawater, brackish water and fire water systems even with higher ambient temperatures
- Can be specified and utilised for hull plates and various other product forms for submarine hulls, other vessels and other military applications
- Can be specified and utilised for Ice class vessels, Polar class vessels and Icebreaker vessels
- Can be specified for various service conditions and utilised in a wide range of process environments for various industries
- Can be specified and manufactured in Line Pipe grades for onshore and subsea pipelines and flowlines
Industries
- Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage
- Chemical Process
- Construction
- Defence
- Desalination
- Environmental and Pollution Control
- Food and Beverage
- Fertiliser
- General Engineering
- Oil and Gas
- Marine
- Mining and Minerals
- Naval
- Petrochemical
- Pulp and Paper
- Pharmaceutical
- Refineries
- Renewable Energy (Wave, Offshore Solar, Tidal and Offshore Wind)
- Water and Waste-Water Treatment
Applications
N'GENIUS 326LM4N™ can be manufactured in cast and wrought product forms for all primary products, secondary products, engineering products and fabricated products.
Typical applications include pipelines, flowlines and piping systems (pipes, fittings, flanges), fasteners, modules, catenary risers, structural splash zone risers, manifolds and headers, pumps, valves, agitators, cyclone evaporators, mixers, electrolysers, filtration systems, desalination plants, shell and tube heat exchangers, storage tanks and vessels, and dynamic seawater defence systems, providing a total system material.