Solution Annealing

Solution Annealing of stainless steel is a process which takes the carbides that have precipitated in the grain boundaries and dissolves then into the surrounding matrix. The austenitic stainless steel castings are typically solution annealed at temperatures more than 1040º C and rapidly cooled to prevent a repeat of carbide precipitation in the grain boundaries. Some alloys due to their low carbon content do not need a solution anneal due to carbide formation, but benefit from a solution anneal to achieve maximum corrosion resistance.