Stainless steel is divided into 5 main categories. These are Austenitic, martensitic, ferritic, duplex and precipitation hardening.

200 Series Austenitic - Alloys: 201, 202, 203, 204 & 205 is a chromium-nickel-manganese alloy with high strength in the annealed. This series is non-magnetic, not heat treatable and has excellent formability for sever forming applications. It is used in structural applications and for the manufacture of washing machine tubs.

300 Series Austenitic - Alloys: 301, 302, 303, 304, 305, 308, 309, 310, 314, 316, 317, 321, 330, 347, 384 is chromium-nickel alloy and its strength is developed by cold working. The series is non-magnetic, not heat treatable and has good formability. By adding molybdenum, the corrosion resistance is increased. It is used in food equipment, chemical equipment and architectural applications.

400 Series Ferritic - Alloys: 405, 409, 429, 430, 434, 436, 442, 446 is straight chromium alloy, magnetic but it is not heat treatable. This series is mainly used for automotive trim and cooking utensils.

400 Series Martensitic - Alloys: 403, 410, 414, 416, 420, 422, 431, 440 is straight chromium alloy, magnetic and can be hardened by heat treatment. It is used for fasteners, pump shafts and turbine blades.

Precipitation Hardening - Alloys: 13-8, 15-5, 15-7, 17-4, 17-7 is chromium-nickel, martensitic or austenitic. Develop strength by precipitation hardening reaction due to heat treatment. It is mainly used for valves, gears and petro-chemical equipment.

Duplex - Alloys: 329, 2205, 2304, 2507, 3RE60 is chromium-nickel-molybdenum. This series is more resistant to stress corrosion cracking than austenitic and it is also tougher than fully ferritic alloys. It is mainly used in pipelines or pressure shafting.