Looking back at 2024, despite facing numerous challenges, the stainless steel industry persevered and forged ahead, achieving gratifying results. The booklet "Technical Guidelines for the Use of Modern Ferritic Stainless Steels," compiled by the China Iron and Steel Association's Stainless Steel Branch, CITIC Metal Co., Ltd., and Brazil's Mining and Metallurgical Company, was officially published. The national standard "Detection Method for Harmful Phases in Austenitic-Ferritic (Duplex) Stainless Steels" (GB/T 39077-2024), drafted by China National Petroleum Corporation Engineering Materials Research Institute Co., Ltd., the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huzhou Yongxing Special Stainless Steel Co., Ltd., Tianjin Steel Pipe Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and the Metallurgical Industry Information Standards Research Institute, was released. The list of experts from the China Iron and Steel Association's Stainless Steel Branch was released. The "Scientific and Technological Achievements in Research on the High-Temperature Performance of Domestic TP347H Furnace Tubes for High-Pressure Hydrogenation Units," jointly completed by Jiangsu Wujin and Sinopec Engineering Construction Co., Ltd., successfully passed expert review. The "Key Technologies and Applications for Efficient Smelting of Stainless Steel from Low-Grade Laterite Nickel Ore" project, led by Guangxi Beigang New Materials Co., Ltd., won first prize in the 2023 Guangxi Science and Technology Progress Award. AVIC Shangda High-Temperature Alloy Materials Co., Ltd. officially listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's ChiNext board. Yongxing Special Steel achieved a significant technological breakthrough in the continuous casting of high-aluminum, titanium, iron, and nickel-based alloy billets. Beigang New Materials Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Beibu Gulf Port Group, successfully obtained SCS Kingfisher certification for its stainless steel products from SCS Global Services, a globally renowned certification body.
After an online public vote, the results of the 2024 China Stainless Steel Industry Top Ten News Stories are as follows:
1. World's Widest, Highest Unit Weight Lanthanum-Containing Iron-Chromium-Aluminum Product Launched at TISCO
In January 2024, TISCO launched the world's first lanthanum-containing iron-chromium-aluminum plate, boasting the world's widest and heaviest coils. The product boasts world-leading control of key components and high-temperature performance. The successful development of this product further enhances the global competitiveness of TISCO's chromium-aluminum product line and supports the high-quality development of equipment manufacturing in related fields in my country.
Wide-width lanthanum-containing ferrochromium-aluminum sheet is used for deep-processing products. It features high yields, high production efficiency, and consistent performance. It is a key core material for the manufacturing of equipment and devices in related fields. Recognized as one of the most heat-resistant and longest-lasting ferrochromium-aluminum materials, it boasts broad market prospects in industrial furnaces, food processing machinery, automotive transportation, household appliances, environmental protection equipment, and other related fields. Through years of continuous technological research, the TISCO chromium-aluminum team has achieved a maximum width of 1,300 mm and a maximum unit weight of 18 tons for lanthanum-containing ferrochromium-aluminum sheet, enabling mass and continuous production. During the development of this product, TISCO, leveraging over a decade of technological expertise, has overcome over twenty key process and technical challenges and filed for sixteen invention patents. This provides a model for the next phase of high-end stainless steel product and technology development and accumulates experience in mechanistic research.
Currently, Japanese companies have developed large-scale production technology for iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrA) sheet and strip, primarily based on continuous casting slabs. The maximum width of the available FeCrA sheet is 950 mm. Most foreign companies still use die-casting technology, producing FeCrA strip with a width of no more than 500 mm and a coil weight of less than 5 tons.
2. Guangxi Beigang New Materials Polishes Its "Beigang Intelligent Manufacturing" Brand
In early 2024, Guangxi Beigang New Materials Co., Ltd.'s "Digital Operation Capabilities for Integrated Production, Supply, and Marketing" project was selected by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for its 2023 Demonstration Program for the Integrated Development of Next-Generation Information Technology and Manufacturing. This marks another achievement in the company's recent efforts to cultivate its "Intelligent Manufacturing, New Materials, Never Stain" brand image.
In recent years, the company has focused on the high-end transformation of the stainless steel industry, accelerating digital transformation and upgrading, increasing market research and technological innovation, and creating high-quality stainless steel products, achieving a series of scientific and technological achievements. Among these, 38 research findings, such as "A Method for Enriching Nickel from Laterite Nickel Ore to Prepare Ferronickel," have been commercialized, generating economic benefits of 80 million yuan. The testing center has received authoritative accreditation from CNAS (China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment); its products have passed certification under seven international standards, including RCS (Recycled Content Statement Standard), gaining recognition in the international market. Its stainless structural steel, hand-tearable steel, precision strip steel, and marine engineering steel fill gaps in Guangxi's key stainless steel technology fields.
3. TISCO Group, TISCO Steel Pipe, and the General Research Institute of Iron and Steel have successfully achieved localization of materials for key components of advanced ultra-supercritical power plant boilers.
TISCO Group, TISCO Steel Pipe, and the General Research Institute of Iron and Steel have collaborated to develop a high-Cr and Ni austenitic heat-resistant steel, C-HRA-5 (07Cr22Ni25W3Cu3Co2MoNbN, S31089, abbreviated as C5), based on Fe-22Cr-25Ni and adding elements such as W, Co, Cu, Nb, Mo, and N. The development of C5 marks a breakthrough in my country's foreign monopoly and the successful localization of materials for key components of advanced ultra-supercritical power plant boilers. In May 2024, this product passed the "Three New" material technical review organized by the State Administration for Market Regulation and will be used in Datang Group's Shandong Yuncheng 630°C National Power Demonstration Project. This marks the first domestic application of a new stainless steel heat-resistant tube material for ultra-supercritical power plant boilers with independent intellectual property rights. The C-HRA-5 sample tube achieved an endurance strength of 114.4 MPa at 700°C for 100,000 hours, surpassing the high-temperature endurance strength of Super304 and HR3C.
4. Qingtuo's Advanced High-Strength Stainless Steel Promotes Green Development in the Construction Sector
Qingtuo Group, drawing on the national standard GB/T 1951-2018, "Low-Alloy High-Strength Structural Steel," defines stainless steel with a pitting resistance equivalent (PREN) ≥ 18.0 and a plastic elongation strength (Rp0.2) ≥ 355 MPa as "advanced high-strength stainless steel." With its high strength, high corrosion resistance, and high cost-effectiveness, this product enables lightweight design in building structures and has been successfully applied in numerous national key projects. Advanced high-strength stainless steel was used in the Bougainvillea Welcome Tower, the landmark building of the Bougainvillea Germplasm Conservation and Application Base project in Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City, Sanya, Hainan. This innovative combination of stainless steel and aesthetic flexibility is evident. It was also used in the column curtain wall of Chongqing Dongzhan Station, showcasing the curvaceous beauty of stainless steel processing and promoting green development in the construction sector. It was also used in prefabricated core panel buildings, achieving a 30% lighter design compared to similar carbon steel prefabricated buildings, offering both economic and environmental benefits. This is the first application in a Southeast Asian country along the Belt and Road Initiative.
5. Taishan Steel Zibo Stainless Steel Application and Innovation Base Project—China's First Full-Building Customized Stainless Steel Green Building Project
In June 2024, the Taishan Steel Zibo Stainless Steel Application and Innovation Base Project was completed. This is China's first full-building customized stainless steel green building project, completed in seven months. The project covers a total construction area of 13,000 square meters, with a usable area of 11,000 square meters. Stainless steel was used throughout the project, from the framework to the exterior facade, ceiling, floor decking, door and window sheathing, gutters, downspouts, interior trim, stairs, handrails, elevators, and accessories. The project's roof features natural-color 430 stainless steel panels, offering excellent waterproofing, thermal insulation, and the ability to withstand a Category 15 typhoon. The facade is constructed from 0.7mm thick, cold-rolled 430 stainless steel sheets produced by Shandong Taishan Steel. The designer chose a line style with alternating appliance gray and TV gray accents, incorporating multi-ribbed insulation and Class A fireproofing, creating a stainless steel multi-ribbed insulation decorative integrated panel. The rear of the project utilizes 16mm stainless steel carved panels, which simplify installation and enhance thermal insulation. The gutters and downspouts are also constructed from stainless steel, with a design lifespan of 50-80 years, making it a benchmark for green building. The exterior facade is finished with three new green building materials: multi-ribbed insulation integrated panels, stainless steel metal carved integrated panels, and stainless steel roof composite panels. These products inherit the inherent advantages of stainless steel, including high strength, corrosion resistance, and a long lifecycle, while also incorporating cutting-edge green building concepts such as energy conservation, low carbon emissions, environmental protection, fire resistance, and thermal insulation. The successful completion of this project demonstrates the perfect integration of stainless steel and green building materials, injecting new vitality into the development of green building materials in Zhoucun District. Upon completion, the project will primarily be used for the research, development, and promotion of green stainless steel products, promoting green development and technological innovation in the stainless steel industry.
6. A project led by Qingtuo Group won the 2024 Metallurgical Science and Technology First Prize
On August 7, 2024, the list of winners of the 2024 China Iron and Steel Association and the Chinese Society for Metallurgy Metallurgical Science and Technology Awards was announced. The project, "New RKEF-AOD Dual-Mechanical Smelting Process for Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel and Development and Application of Nitrogen-Containing Highly Strengthened Products," led by Qingtuo Group Co., Ltd., won the only first prize in the stainless steel materials category this year, achieving a historic breakthrough.
The RKEF-AOD dual-mechanical smelting process invented by Qingtuo Group has been adopted by the domestic stainless steel industry and Indonesia, a country along the Belt and Road Initiative. This has helped Indonesia become the world's second-largest stainless steel producer starting in 2021, becoming a model demonstration project sponsored by my country's national initiative. The successful development, mass production, inclusion in national standards, and engineering applications of nitrogen-containing, highly strengthened stainless steel products have rewritten decades of global history in which nickel-saving austenitic stainless steels could not match the corrosion resistance of chromium-nickel stainless steels. This has overcome the decades-long international challenge of balancing corrosion resistance, strength, and cost, and the difficulty of using chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steel in load-bearing structures. Over 30 national, industry, and group standards have been formulated.
7. TISCO successfully mass-produced ultra-pure precision alloy 4J36 foil for mask plates.
The production and preparation of mask plate (FMM) foil has long been a niche area in China, with industry supply primarily controlled by countries like Japan and Germany, posing significant threats to the security of the supply chain. As a key material in the AMOLED industry, FMM is susceptible to folding and warping during production and use, subject to complex forces such as etching deformation and expansion stress, leading to product failure.
In August 2024, TISCO conducted comprehensive process technology research, resolving key challenges in dimensional accuracy and mechanical property control for Invar alloy foil. This resulted in a comprehensive suite of key technologies and the development of a reticle 4J36 foil product that fills an industry gap. The high-precision, low-roughness rolling process, along with the multi-step high-flatness control process involving multi-point bending and straightening combined with low-temperature, high-tension stress relief heat treatment, represents cutting-edge manufacturing in the steel industry and provides guidance for improving microstructure and performance control within the industry. 4J36 precision alloy foil for reticle production fills a gap in the domestic reticle precision foil industry, providing a critical foundation for the safe and healthy development of downstream industries.
8. TISCO Successfully Trials High-Weight, Wide-Width N06625 Nickel-Based Alloy Hot-Steam Coil
In November 2024, the Steckel Mill at TISCO Xinhai Company of TISCO Group successfully rolled off the N06625 nickel-based alloy hot-steam coil, weighing over 14 tons per unit. This innovative achievement marks the complete integration of TISCO's 625 nickel-based alloy from smelting to rolling. This is not only another major breakthrough for TISCO in the field of high-end metal materials, but also strengthens China's competitiveness in the global specialty alloys market.
N06625, a solid-solution-strengthened nickel-based alloy with excellent corrosion resistance, is widely used in various fields, including high-end equipment manufacturing and the petroleum and petrochemical industries. However, due to its characteristics such as easy solidification segregation, narrow hot working range, and high deformation resistance, the production of wide coils weighing over 10 tons per coil has been a global challenge. In recent years, TISCO has fully leveraged its world-leading stainless steel manufacturing technology and the synergy of advanced equipment across its various production bases to achieve significant innovations and breakthroughs in ultra-large billet preparation and rolling technologies, successfully trial-producing the world's largest wide-width N06625 nickel-based alloy hot-rolled coil.
This innovative move by TISCO makes it the only manufacturer in China and the third in the world capable of full-process mass production of wide-width coils of nickel-based alloy N06625. This will provide global customers with a more diverse, higher-quality, and more efficient product selection.
9. Ideal Auto and Qingtuo Group's jointly developed high-strength and toughness stainless steel successfully rolls off the production line
On December 12, 2024, Qingtuo Group and Ideal Auto and other industry chain partners jointly witnessed the launch ceremony of UFHS, a high-strength and toughness stainless steel for new energy vehicle fuel tanks. The two parties signed a strategic cooperation agreement and unveiled the New Energy Vehicle Stainless Steel Joint Innovation Center. The rollout of this material marks the official entry of the high-strength and toughness stainless steel jointly developed by Qingtuo Group and Ideal Auto into the new energy vehicle market.
UFHS, a high-strength and toughness stainless steel for high-pressure fuel tanks of new energy vehicles, is a high-strength, highly corrosion-resistant, and easily formable austenitic stainless steel. Compared to traditional stainless steel for high-pressure fuel tanks, it boasts a yield strength over 40% higher, enhanced puncture resistance, and safer application. This material will be used in Ideal vehicles. Building on its collaboration on fuel tank products, Qingtuo Group will continue to deepen its cooperation with Li Auto and other industry chain partners in the development of new stainless steel materials for new energy vehicles, jointly promoting the research, development, production, and application of new safe, high-strength, lightweight, and low-carbon stainless steel products.
10. TISCO Stainless Steel Used in the World's Largest Onshore LNG Membrane Storage Tank Project
In December 2024, the third phase of the Beijing Gas Tianjin Nangang LNG Emergency Reserve Project, located in the Nangang Industrial Zone in Tianjin, was completed and put into operation. This project marks the first time that membrane stainless steel technology has been used for large-scale onshore storage tanks. The containment systems of the six 220,000 cubic meter LNG membrane storage tanks are entirely constructed using specialized stainless steel materials produced by TISCO.
LNG, with its advantages of convenient storage, easy transportation, and low pollution, is recognized as the cleanest fossil energy source on Earth. LNG membrane storage tanks are a new type of tank technology whose inner tank containment system is entirely constructed of stainless steel membrane. Compared to traditional 9Ni tanks, they offer significant technical and economic advantages, including compact design, large effective tank capacity, and shortened construction cycles. As a renowned domestic stainless steel manufacturer, TISCO is currently the only qualified supplier of this material in China. This successful import substitution provides strong support for resolving the bottleneck problem of basic materials for LNG storage in my country and achieving the localization of membrane-type LNG tanks.
Looking back at 2024, despite facing numerous challenges, the stainless steel industry persevered and forged ahead, achieving gratifying results. The booklet "Technical Guidelines for the Use of Modern Ferritic Stainless Steels," compiled by the China Iron and Steel Association's Stainless Steel Branch, CITIC Metal Co., Ltd., and Brazil's Mining and Metallurgical Company, was officially published. The national standard "Detection Method for Harmful Phases in Austenitic-Ferritic (Duplex) Stainless Steels" (GB/T 39077-2024), drafted by China National Petroleum Corporation Engineering Materials Research Institute Co., Ltd., the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huzhou Yongxing Special Stainless Steel Co., Ltd., Tianjin Steel Pipe Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and the Metallurgical Industry Information Standards Research Institute, was released. The list of experts from the China Iron and Steel Association's Stainless Steel Branch was released. The "Scientific and Technological Achievements in Research on the High-Temperature Performance of Domestic TP347H Furnace Tubes for High-Pressure Hydrogenation Units," jointly completed by Jiangsu Wujin and Sinopec Engineering Construction Co., Ltd., successfully passed expert review. The "Key Technologies and Applications for Efficient Smelting of Stainless Steel from Low-Grade Laterite Nickel Ore" project, led by Guangxi Beigang New Materials Co., Ltd., won first prize in the 2023 Guangxi Science and Technology Progress Award. AVIC Shangda High-Temperature Alloy Materials Co., Ltd. officially listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange's ChiNext board. Yongxing Special Steel achieved a significant technological breakthrough in the continuous casting of high-aluminum, titanium, iron, and nickel-based alloy billets. Beigang New Materials Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Beibu Gulf Port Group, successfully obtained SCS Kingfisher certification for its stainless steel products from SCS Global Services, a globally renowned certification body.
After an online public vote, the results of the 2024 China Stainless Steel Industry Top Ten News Stories are as follows:
1. World's Widest, Highest Unit Weight Lanthanum-Containing Iron-Chromium-Aluminum Product Launched at TISCO
In January 2024, TISCO launched the world's first lanthanum-containing iron-chromium-aluminum plate, boasting the world's widest and heaviest coils. The product boasts world-leading control of key components and high-temperature performance. The successful development of this product further enhances the global competitiveness of TISCO's chromium-aluminum product line and supports the high-quality development of equipment manufacturing in related fields in my country.
Wide-width lanthanum-containing ferrochromium-aluminum sheet is used for deep-processing products. It features high yields, high production efficiency, and consistent performance. It is a key core material for the manufacturing of equipment and devices in related fields. Recognized as one of the most heat-resistant and longest-lasting ferrochromium-aluminum materials, it boasts broad market prospects in industrial furnaces, food processing machinery, automotive transportation, household appliances, environmental protection equipment, and other related fields. Through years of continuous technological research, the TISCO chromium-aluminum team has achieved a maximum width of 1,300 mm and a maximum unit weight of 18 tons for lanthanum-containing ferrochromium-aluminum sheet, enabling mass and continuous production. During the development of this product, TISCO, leveraging over a decade of technological expertise, has overcome over twenty key process and technical challenges and filed for sixteen invention patents. This provides a model for the next phase of high-end stainless steel product and technology development and accumulates experience in mechanistic research.
Currently, Japanese companies have developed large-scale production technology for iron-chromium-aluminum (FeCrA) sheet and strip, primarily based on continuous casting slabs. The maximum width of the available FeCrA sheet is 950 mm. Most foreign companies still use die-casting technology, producing FeCrA strip with a width of no more than 500 mm and a coil weight of less than 5 tons.
2. Guangxi Beigang New Materials Polishes Its "Beigang Intelligent Manufacturing" Brand
In early 2024, Guangxi Beigang New Materials Co., Ltd.'s "Digital Operation Capabilities for Integrated Production, Supply, and Marketing" project was selected by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for its 2023 Demonstration Program for the Integrated Development of Next-Generation Information Technology and Manufacturing. This marks another achievement in the company's recent efforts to cultivate its "Intelligent Manufacturing, New Materials, Never Stain" brand image.
In recent years, the company has focused on the high-end transformation of the stainless steel industry, accelerating digital transformation and upgrading, increasing market research and technological innovation, and creating high-quality stainless steel products, achieving a series of scientific and technological achievements. Among these, 38 research findings, such as "A Method for Enriching Nickel from Laterite Nickel Ore to Prepare Ferronickel," have been commercialized, generating economic benefits of 80 million yuan. The testing center has received authoritative accreditation from CNAS (China National Accreditation Service for Conformity Assessment); its products have passed certification under seven international standards, including RCS (Recycled Content Statement Standard), gaining recognition in the international market. Its stainless structural steel, hand-tearable steel, precision strip steel, and marine engineering steel fill gaps in Guangxi's key stainless steel technology fields.
3. TISCO Group, TISCO Steel Pipe, and the General Research Institute of Iron and Steel have successfully achieved localization of materials for key components of advanced ultra-supercritical power plant boilers.
TISCO Group, TISCO Steel Pipe, and the General Research Institute of Iron and Steel have collaborated to develop a high-Cr and Ni austenitic heat-resistant steel, C-HRA-5 (07Cr22Ni25W3Cu3Co2MoNbN, S31089, abbreviated as C5), based on Fe-22Cr-25Ni and adding elements such as W, Co, Cu, Nb, Mo, and N. The development of C5 marks a breakthrough in my country's foreign monopoly and the successful localization of materials for key components of advanced ultra-supercritical power plant boilers. In May 2024, this product passed the "Three New" material technical review organized by the State Administration for Market Regulation and will be used in Datang Group's Shandong Yuncheng 630°C National Power Demonstration Project. This marks the first domestic application of a new stainless steel heat-resistant tube material for ultra-supercritical power plant boilers with independent intellectual property rights. The C-HRA-5 sample tube achieved an endurance strength of 114.4 MPa at 700°C for 100,000 hours, surpassing the high-temperature endurance strength of Super304 and HR3C.
4. Qingtuo's Advanced High-Strength Stainless Steel Promotes Green Development in the Construction Sector
Qingtuo Group, drawing on the national standard GB/T 1951-2018, "Low-Alloy High-Strength Structural Steel," defines stainless steel with a pitting resistance equivalent (PREN) ≥ 18.0 and a plastic elongation strength (Rp0.2) ≥ 355 MPa as "advanced high-strength stainless steel." With its high strength, high corrosion resistance, and high cost-effectiveness, this product enables lightweight design in building structures and has been successfully applied in numerous national key projects. Advanced high-strength stainless steel was used in the Bougainvillea Welcome Tower, the landmark building of the Bougainvillea Germplasm Conservation and Application Base project in Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City, Sanya, Hainan. This innovative combination of stainless steel and aesthetic flexibility is evident. It was also used in the column curtain wall of Chongqing Dongzhan Station, showcasing the curvaceous beauty of stainless steel processing and promoting green development in the construction sector. It was also used in prefabricated core panel buildings, achieving a 30% lighter design compared to similar carbon steel prefabricated buildings, offering both economic and environmental benefits. This is the first application in a Southeast Asian country along the Belt and Road Initiative.
5. Taishan Steel Zibo Stainless Steel Application and Innovation Base Project—China's First Full-Building Customized Stainless Steel Green Building Project
In June 2024, the Taishan Steel Zibo Stainless Steel Application and Innovation Base Project was completed. This is China's first full-building customized stainless steel green building project, completed in seven months. The project covers a total construction area of 13,000 square meters, with a usable area of 11,000 square meters. Stainless steel was used throughout the project, from the framework to the exterior facade, ceiling, floor decking, door and window sheathing, gutters, downspouts, interior trim, stairs, handrails, elevators, and accessories. The project's roof features natural-color 430 stainless steel panels, offering excellent waterproofing, thermal insulation, and the ability to withstand a Category 15 typhoon. The facade is constructed from 0.7mm thick, cold-rolled 430 stainless steel sheets produced by Shandong Taishan Steel. The designer chose a line style with alternating appliance gray and TV gray accents, incorporating multi-ribbed insulation and Class A fireproofing, creating a stainless steel multi-ribbed insulation decorative integrated panel. The rear of the project utilizes 16mm stainless steel carved panels, which simplify installation and enhance thermal insulation. The gutters and downspouts are also constructed from stainless steel, with a design lifespan of 50-80 years, making it a benchmark for green building. The exterior facade is finished with three new green building materials: multi-ribbed insulation integrated panels, stainless steel metal carved integrated panels, and stainless steel roof composite panels. These products inherit the inherent advantages of stainless steel, including high strength, corrosion resistance, and a long lifecycle, while also incorporating cutting-edge green building concepts such as energy conservation, low carbon emissions, environmental protection, fire resistance, and thermal insulation. The successful completion of this project demonstrates the perfect integration of stainless steel and green building materials, injecting new vitality into the development of green building materials in Zhoucun District. Upon completion, the project will primarily be used for the research, development, and promotion of green stainless steel products, promoting green development and technological innovation in the stainless steel industry.
6. A project led by Qingtuo Group won the 2024 Metallurgical Science and Technology First Prize
On August 7, 2024, the list of winners of the 2024 China Iron and Steel Association and the Chinese Society for Metallurgy Metallurgical Science and Technology Awards was announced. The project, "New RKEF-AOD Dual-Mechanical Smelting Process for Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel and Development and Application of Nitrogen-Containing Highly Strengthened Products," led by Qingtuo Group Co., Ltd., won the only first prize in the stainless steel materials category this year, achieving a historic breakthrough.
The RKEF-AOD dual-mechanical smelting process invented by Qingtuo Group has been adopted by the domestic stainless steel industry and Indonesia, a country along the Belt and Road Initiative. This has helped Indonesia become the world's second-largest stainless steel producer starting in 2021, becoming a model demonstration project sponsored by my country's national initiative. The successful development, mass production, inclusion in national standards, and engineering applications of nitrogen-containing, highly strengthened stainless steel products have rewritten decades of global history in which nickel-saving austenitic stainless steels could not match the corrosion resistance of chromium-nickel stainless steels. This has overcome the decades-long international challenge of balancing corrosion resistance, strength, and cost, and the difficulty of using chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steel in load-bearing structures. Over 30 national, industry, and group standards have been formulated.
7. TISCO successfully mass-produced ultra-pure precision alloy 4J36 foil for mask plates.
The production and preparation of mask plate (FMM) foil has long been a niche area in China, with industry supply primarily controlled by countries like Japan and Germany, posing significant threats to the security of the supply chain. As a key material in the AMOLED industry, FMM is susceptible to folding and warping during production and use, subject to complex forces such as etching deformation and expansion stress, leading to product failure.
In August 2024, TISCO conducted comprehensive process technology research, resolving key challenges in dimensional accuracy and mechanical property control for Invar alloy foil. This resulted in a comprehensive suite of key technologies and the development of a reticle 4J36 foil product that fills an industry gap. The high-precision, low-roughness rolling process, along with the multi-step high-flatness control process involving multi-point bending and straightening combined with low-temperature, high-tension stress relief heat treatment, represents cutting-edge manufacturing in the steel industry and provides guidance for improving microstructure and performance control within the industry. 4J36 precision alloy foil for reticle production fills a gap in the domestic reticle precision foil industry, providing a critical foundation for the safe and healthy development of downstream industries.
8. TISCO Successfully Trials High-Weight, Wide-Width N06625 Nickel-Based Alloy Hot-Steam Coil
In November 2024, the Steckel Mill at TISCO Xinhai Company of TISCO Group successfully rolled off the N06625 nickel-based alloy hot-steam coil, weighing over 14 tons per unit. This innovative achievement marks the complete integration of TISCO's 625 nickel-based alloy from smelting to rolling. This is not only another major breakthrough for TISCO in the field of high-end metal materials, but also strengthens China's competitiveness in the global specialty alloys market.
N06625, a solid-solution-strengthened nickel-based alloy with excellent corrosion resistance, is widely used in various fields, including high-end equipment manufacturing and the petroleum and petrochemical industries. However, due to its characteristics such as easy solidification segregation, narrow hot working range, and high deformation resistance, the production of wide coils weighing over 10 tons per coil has been a global challenge. In recent years, TISCO has fully leveraged its world-leading stainless steel manufacturing technology and the synergy of advanced equipment across its various production bases to achieve significant innovations and breakthroughs in ultra-large billet preparation and rolling technologies, successfully trial-producing the world's largest wide-width N06625 nickel-based alloy hot-rolled coil.
This innovative move by TISCO makes it the only manufacturer in China and the third in the world capable of full-process mass production of wide-width coils of nickel-based alloy N06625. This will provide global customers with a more diverse, higher-quality, and more efficient product selection.
9. Ideal Auto and Qingtuo Group's jointly developed high-strength and toughness stainless steel successfully rolls off the production line
On December 12, 2024, Qingtuo Group and Ideal Auto and other industry chain partners jointly witnessed the launch ceremony of UFHS, a high-strength and toughness stainless steel for new energy vehicle fuel tanks. The two parties signed a strategic cooperation agreement and unveiled the New Energy Vehicle Stainless Steel Joint Innovation Center. The rollout of this material marks the official entry of the high-strength and toughness stainless steel jointly developed by Qingtuo Group and Ideal Auto into the new energy vehicle market.
UFHS, a high-strength and toughness stainless steel for high-pressure fuel tanks of new energy vehicles, is a high-strength, highly corrosion-resistant, and easily formable austenitic stainless steel. Compared to traditional stainless steel for high-pressure fuel tanks, it boasts a yield strength over 40% higher, enhanced puncture resistance, and safer application. This material will be used in Ideal vehicles. Building on its collaboration on fuel tank products, Qingtuo Group will continue to deepen its cooperation with Li Auto and other industry chain partners in the development of new stainless steel materials for new energy vehicles, jointly promoting the research, development, production, and application of new safe, high-strength, lightweight, and low-carbon stainless steel products.
10. TISCO Stainless Steel Used in the World's Largest Onshore LNG Membrane Storage Tank Project
In December 2024, the third phase of the Beijing Gas Tianjin Nangang LNG Emergency Reserve Project, located in the Nangang Industrial Zone in Tianjin, was completed and put into operation. This project marks the first time that membrane stainless steel technology has been used for large-scale onshore storage tanks. The containment systems of the six 220,000 cubic meter LNG membrane storage tanks are entirely constructed using specialized stainless steel materials produced by TISCO.
LNG, with its advantages of convenient storage, easy transportation, and low pollution, is recognized as the cleanest fossil energy source on Earth. LNG membrane storage tanks are a new type of tank technology whose inner tank containment system is entirely constructed of stainless steel membrane. Compared to traditional 9Ni tanks, they offer significant technical and economic advantages, including compact design, large effective tank capacity, and shortened construction cycles. As a renowned domestic stainless steel manufacturer, TISCO is currently the only qualified supplier of this material in China. This successful import substitution provides strong support for resolving the bottleneck problem of basic materials for LNG storage in my country and achieving the localization of membrane-type LNG tanks.
