Influence of heat treatment on the mechanical and the lubricant wear characteristics of stainless-steel grades against 5 wt% NaCl as industrial shielding materials

This article investigates the impact of the heat treatment, and lubricant wear measurements at 5 wt % NaCl solution, mechanical and radiation shielding properties of three grades of stainless steels: SS316, M303, and SS201. The obtained results showed that heat-treated martensitic stainless-steel grade has improved mechanical and tribological properties while heat-treated austenitic stainless-steel grades showed deteriorated wear resistance. The radiation shielding parameters of the studied grades are comparable. The effectiveness of heat treatment in the presence of NaCl solution is verified. •The impact of heat treatment on the mechanical /lubricant wear properties against 5% wt. NaCl of stainless steel grades for industrial or nuclear applications.•The heat treated martensitic stainless steel is recommended for its excellent wear resistance.•The lubricant wear test against 5 wt.% NaCl is a real tribological test shows the suitability of the selected material.