Our Materials
From alloy and carbon steels to stainless, chrome, and nickel alloys - discover the right material for your toughest challenges. Dive deep into grades, properties, and applications.
Metals For Every Application
We supply a comprehensive range of steel and alloy products, each engineered for specific performance in demanding environments. Explore the categories below to learn more about their unique characteristics and available grades.
Alloy Steel
A steel alloy is created when other metals are added to the basic combination of iron and carbon, improving its properties. Looking for higher strength, corrosion resistance or better response to heat treatment? There's an alloy for that. When the percentage of alloy material is below the level indicated by specialized terms such as 'chrome' or 'stainless,' the product is simply called 'alloy steel.'
Key Characteristics
- Enhanced strength through alloying elements
- Improved heat treatment response
- Better wear resistance
- Controlled molybdenum, vanadium, or nickel content
Applications
- Drilling equipment
- Tubing and casing
- Mechanical components
- High-strength fasteners
Carbon Steel
By definition, all steel is a mixture of iron and carbon. Steel to which no alloy elements have been added is called 'carbon steel.' It's been at least 4,000 years since people discovered that adding a controlled amount of carbon to iron created a new kind of metal — one that was strong, held a sharp edge and could bend without breaking. At Continental, we live and breathe specialized metallurgical chemistries. But at the end of the day, we think good old steel is still pretty exciting.
Key Characteristics
- Fundamental iron-carbon combination
- No specialized alloy additions
- Cost-effective material
- Good weldability
Applications
- General mechanical tubing
- OCTG applications (J55, K55, N80)
- Structural components
- Standard fasteners
Stainless Steel
Stainless steel is alloy steel to which at least 10.5% chromium has been added, making the material stain-resistant. When corrosion resistance is a priority, you need stainless steel. Continental will analyze your working environment and supply the best and most cost-effective stainless alloy for the conditions. The combination of chromium, nickel and other elements can be tailored to any unique situation.
Key Characteristics
- Minimum 10.5% chromium content
- Excellent corrosion resistance
- Passivation layer provides protection
- Variable nickel content options
Applications
- Corrosive downhole environments
- Saltwater applications
- Chloride-containing atmospheres
- Food and beverage equipment
Chrome Steel
These metals are used in mildly corrosive environments containing chlorides, carbon dioxide and low hydrogen sulphate concentrations. Chromium is a hard metal that adds corrosion resistance when alloyed with steel. Alone, it polishes to a mirror-like shine — that's why it's often used as decorative plating, where it's called 'chrome.' For oil and gas industry steel products, Continental adds varying quantities of chromium to molten steel to create the best and most cost-effective alloy solutions.
Key Characteristics
- Higher chromium content than alloy steels
- Improved corrosion resistance
- Cost-effective alternative to stainless
- Better resistance in CO2 and mild chloride environments
Applications
- CO2 environments
- Mildly saline conditions
- Low hydrogen sulphate exposure
- Oil and gas wellbores
Nickel Alloy
Nickel alloys are extremely corrosion-resistant, even at very high strength levels. When customers ask for the ultimate in toughness and corrosion resistance, Continental answers with nickel alloys. Complex down-hole tools and lining or cladding for pipes, storage vessels, well-heads and assemblies are typical nickel applications. Nickel is weldable, and plays nicely with steel.
Key Characteristics
- Extreme corrosion resistance
- Superior toughness at high strength
- High-temperature capability
- Excellent weldability
Applications
- Extreme corrosive environments
- High-pressure, high-temperature wells
- Highly sour service (H2S)
- Deep subsea equipment
OCTG
Oil country tubular goods can be either seamless (hot-pierced) or seam-welded. The seamed, electric-resistance-welded material costs less than seamless, and is available in almost every American Petroleum Institute grade. The ERW process uses both heat and pressure to create a true forged weld. Some end users, however, feel the weld represents a liability — and for critical applications such as offshore extraction, seamless is preferred. See API Specification 5CT for Casing and Tubing for a complete description of sizes, grades and performance properties of OCTG.
Key Characteristics
- Subject to extreme stress in oil and gas environments
- Available in seamless hot-pierced or seam-welded forms
- ERW options provide a lower-cost forged weld solution
- Seamless preferred for critical offshore applications
Applications
- Well casing
- Production tubing
- Drilling and completion operations
- Offshore extraction
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