How does the performance of colored stainless steel decorative panels change at low temperatures?

I believe everyone is familiar with stainless steel. Its corrosion resistance is the key to its success in the material industry. In recent years, new stainless steel grades have been continuously developed to adapt to a wider range of applications, allowing users to choose the right grade for each application. Stainless steel is now commonly used in various high-temperature environments. So, the question arises: since stainless steel is being specifically developed to withstand high temperatures, is there a need to develop stainless steel that withstands low temperatures? How does low temperatures affect the performance of colored stainless steel decorative panels? How does the sheet material itself change?

Regarding applications such as refrigeration appliance housings at low temperatures, ferritic stainless steel has a body-centered cubic structure. When the material's properties weaken, sharp cracks can rapidly propagate, leading to brittle failure. Therefore, the 400 series does not offer particularly outstanding low-temperature resistance, while the 300 series austenitic stainless steels excel in this regard. Let me explain the performance characteristics of austenitic stainless steel in low-temperature environments. According to relevant test reports, at extremely low temperatures, the tensile strength and yield strength of austenitic stainless steel increase with decreasing temperature, with a significant improvement in tensile strength. At low temperatures, austenitic stainless steel undergoes significant plastic deformation before fracture, making it less prone to embrittlement.

Austenitic stainless steel also has low thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity. This means that as the temperature decreases, the thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity also decrease. This relatively low thermal conductivity reduces its heat transfer at low temperatures, effectively reducing heat loss within the material and thus protecting its performance at low temperatures.

The thermal expansion coefficient of metals causes cryogenic storage tanks to deform differently at different temperatures, increasing fatigue loads on the tanks. Therefore, a low thermal expansion coefficient is desirable for cryogenic tanks. For austenitic stainless steel, its thermal expansion coefficient increases with decreasing temperature. Therefore, when welding austenitic stainless steel, in addition to meeting mechanical property requirements, it is important to select welding consumables with a comparable thermal expansion coefficient. However, even in low-temperature environments, there are limits to how stainless steel can function normally. The more important elements in stainless steel are nickel and carbon. Generally, when the nickel content reaches 3.5%, it can be used at low temperatures of -100°C. If the nickel content reaches 9%, there is no problem using it in a low-temperature environment of -196°C. If the nickel content in the stainless steel material is high, the limit can reach -650°C, so 304 stainless steel is the most suitable material for frozen storage tanks.