What Advantages Does Corrax Offer in WAAM Over Other Carbon Steels?

Superior Corrosion Resistance and Chemical Stability

Corrax (CX) offers exceptional corrosion resistance compared to carbon steels, making it ideal for WAAM applications in aggressive environments. As a precipitation-hardening martensitic stainless steel, Corrax naturally forms a protective chromium oxide layer that prevents oxidation and corrosion during both the WAAM process and subsequent service. This eliminates the rust susceptibility inherent to carbon steels, particularly valuable for components in chemical processing, marine applications, and tooling where moisture or corrosive media would degrade carbon steel components. The material maintains this corrosion resistance even after achieving high hardness through aging treatments.

Exceptional Strength-to-Weight Ratio After Aging

Corrax achieves remarkable mechanical properties through precipitation hardening that far surpass conventional carbon steels. After optimized aging treatment, Corrax reaches 48-52 HRC with tensile strengths exceeding 1500 MPa, while maintaining better toughness than through-hardened carbon steels at equivalent hardness levels. This enables thinner, lighter-weight designs without sacrificing structural integrity. The consistent hardening response throughout WAAM-deposited sections ensures uniform mechanical properties, unlike carbon steels where section thickness significantly affects hardenability and final properties.

Reduced Cracking Susceptibility and Improved Weldability

Corrax demonstrates superior weldability in WAAM processes compared to many high-strength carbon steels. The low carbon content (typically <0.03%) eliminates martensite embrittlement and reduces hydrogen-induced cracking susceptibility. The precipitation hardening mechanism occurs during post-deposition aging rather than rapid cooling, avoiding the quench cracking risks associated with high-carbon steel heat treatment. This makes Corrax particularly suitable for large, complex WAAM structures where carbon steels would require extensive preheating, controlled interpass temperatures, and complex post-weld heat treatment to prevent cracking.

Minimal Distortion and Superior Dimensional Stability

The thermal expansion characteristics and transformation behavior of Corrax provide significant advantages for WAAM manufacturing. Unlike carbon steels that undergo austenite-to-martensite transformation with substantial volume change during cooling, Corrax experiences minimal dimensional changes during its precipitation hardening process. This results in dramatically reduced residual stresses and distortion compared to carbon steels, enabling production of larger, more dimensionally stable components with less need for corrective machining. The material's stability is particularly beneficial for precision tooling and mold applications where dimensional accuracy is critical.

Enhanced Performance in Elevated Temperature Applications

Corrax maintains its mechanical properties at elevated temperatures far better than conventional carbon steels. While carbon steels rapidly lose strength above 300°C, Corrax retains significant strength up to approximately 450°C, making it suitable for hot-work tooling, injection molds, and components operating in warm environments. The material's resistance to tempering and oxidation at moderate temperatures ensures long-term performance stability, unlike carbon steels that would require protective coatings or frequent replacement in similar applications.