Water power components require BÖHLER steels with high fatigue, corrosion, and erosion resistance. Key quality features include ultra-clean materials, full traceability, controlled heat treatment, and rigorous testing for reliable, long-lasting performance.
Water power applications such as turbines, runners, shafts, and valve systems operate under continuous mechanical loading in wet, often abrasive, and corrosive environments. Material requirements are therefore focused on high fatigue strength, excellent corrosion and erosion resistance, and long-term dimensional stability. Components must withstand cyclic stresses, cavitation effects, and wear caused by suspended particles, while maintaining reliable performance over extended service intervals.
BÖHLER high-performance steels and alloys are specifically engineered for these demanding hydropower conditions. Stainless steels, martensitic and precipitation-hardened grades, as well as specially alloyed steels provide optimized combinations of strength, toughness, and resistance to corrosion and cavitation damage. Advanced melting technologies ensure superior cleanliness and homogeneous microstructures, which are essential for high fatigue resistance and extended component life. Key quality features include precise chemical composition control, certified traceability, and validated heat treatment processes. Comprehensive non-destructive testing, mechanical verification, and surface inspection ensure consistent quality. BÖHLER materials help maximize efficiency, reliability, and durability of critical water power components.
BÖHLER N400 is a stainless soft martensitic Cr steel with 4% nickel with molybdenum addition and medium corrosion resistance in media with only a low chloride content. To achieve the best possible corrosion resistance with BÖHLER N400, it is essential to polish the surfaces concerned. Good mechanical properties in the quenched and tempered condition. This makes this material very suitable for use in turbine and power plant construction. Very good low-temperature properties. Recommended temperature of use: – 60 to 350°C. Use for valves, pumps, compressors, centrifuges, hydroelectric machines, turbines, reactor technology, shipbuilding, chemicals. Special heat treatment to max. 23 HRC is required for sour gas enviroment in petroleum engineering.
Read MoreBÖHLER N404 is a stainless, soft martensitic Cr steel with 5% nickel and molybdenum addition with higher corrosion resistance than that of stainless steels of type 1.4313. The molybdenum addition also permits limited use in the maritime sector. BÖHLER N404 is particularly insensitive to intergranular corrosion and very resistant to fatigue and stress corrosion cracking and offers good mechanical properties in the quenched and tempered condition. This makes this material very suitable for use in the oil and gas sector, e.g. for fittings, pumps, compressors, centrifuges, hydropower machinery, reactor technology, shipbuilding, chemicals, petroleum technology, aviation and refrigeration technology. Very good low-temperature properties. Recommended application temperature from – 60 to 350°C. Special heat treatment to max. 23 HRC is required for sour gas stress in petroleum technology. In order to achieve the best possible corrosion resistance, the relevant surfaces must be polished.
Read MoreComponents featuring elevated high-temperature strength for use in thermal engines and power plants, such as turbine blades, turbine discs, screws, bolts, pins and shafts.
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