The effects of heat treatment and controlled cooling rates on the microstructure of 17% Cr ferrite-martensite dual phase stainless steel sheets were investigated. The austenitic-ferritic zone was set to obtain 15–25% of martensite.

The tensile properties and inhomogeneous deformation were used to obtain different plastic strain ratios r and tensile strain exponents n. On the other hand we studied the Erichsen cupping test to correlate them for drawing applications.

At a higher range of intercritical annealing temperature we found ductility and other mechanical properties diminished. This situations became greater as the homogenisation time was increased.

Finally, we found oxide whiskers on these steels surfaces. In the literature a relation between the catalytic converters and the growth is attributed to a vapour-phase reactions. However, this film had in our research shown a big problem because there are three oxide layers and the whisker mantle is into the two others.