Interview with Philippe Richard ISSF Ferritic Project Leader (ArcelorMittal Stainless Europe)

What are you currently particularly happy with?

It’s a great satisfaction to me to have produced some development tools that really meet market needs. For two years now, I’ve been leading several international teams of stainless steel experts. Together, we strongly believe that ferritic stainless can and should be much more widely used. My approach to the ferritic project was to be very pragmatic and close to the market. Our brochure “The Ferritic Solution”, which saw the light of day last May, is a good example. In this publication, we have balanced marketing dynamism and technical/scientific aspects.

What is the aim of the brochure?

We faced a major handicap in communicating about this category of stainless steel. Ferritics has had a bad reputation, so we had to correct this ill-founded prejudice and knock on the head the false idea that ferritics is cheap, poor-quality stainless steel. In conceiving the brochure, we wanted to underline the technical strengths of ferritics and stress their stable cost. Our aim was to help users of austenitics who are struggling due to the soaring cost of nickel, by pointing out that there’s an excellent alternative to austenitics. We also wanted to attract the interest of users of other materials.

Has this brochure affected the choice for ferritics?

Customers have greatly appreciated the comprehensive information in “The Ferritic Solution”. I think they now understand better the advantages ferritics can provide. Most of them are currently in a phase of intensive testing of ferritics for their applications. It’s too early to obtain an overview of reactions and testimonials on how the brochure has influenced the market. It has certainly had an impact on customers’ habits, though. This brochure is a best-seller! It’s been translated into ten languages and, to date, almost 15,000 copies of the English-language edition have gone out to the market. Another good sign is that “The Ferritic Solution” is Number One of ISSF’s Top Ten PDF download documents, since September 2007.

What are your next steps?

A promotional video has followed. It has the specific purpose of supporting the “Ferritic Solution” brochure. We’re also working to develop ferritics in five specific market applications, for which we’re preparing dedicated booklets, planned for September 2008. With this project, co-financed by the International Chromium Development Association, ISSF has demonstrated its capacity to share experience and meet market requirements, by providing top-class information to develop the use of stainless steels. That is the goal, after all, of ISSF’s Market Development Committee. I believe that in this case it has been reached. Long may ISSF continue in this way, with other grades and families of stainless steels!