Stainless steel

Stainless steel and Its Grades

Where the metals like iron and carbonated steel are easily rusted and corroded when exposed to air or water and are inclined to easily stained, stainless steel is the metal with a composition of minimum11.5% chromium and 50% iron that never rust or corrode because of the chromium found in its composition, not 100% resistant to stains but still stainless steel offers a good barrier against stains. Used in cutlery, hardware, surgical instruments, industrial equipments, in building material, stainless steel is most regarded metal used by manufactured, this credit goes to its relative inexpensiveness, less maintenance and resistance to corrosion and staining. The alloy is pulverized into coils, sheets, bars, wire and tubing, then further these varieties are molded into different unique things or objects used in our daily life on household and commercial level.

More than 150 types of stainless steel have been commercialized up to this very day, different metals are used to enhance the qualities of stainless steel; mingled with nickel or manganese the iron in stainless steel stabilizes and make the steel less magnetic and fragile, with a slight difference that manganese is of less cost as compared to nickel, but both mixture share the same features with the stainless steel. Carbon is added in steel to make the stainless steel product more strong and durable at higher temperatures. Crystalline structure of the stainless steel also aid to categorized this metal, e.g. austenitic stainless steel preserve austenitic structure of the metal at all temperatures and exhibit a conflict to corrosion whereas Ferritic stainless steel are not offer very much austenitic grades but are corrosion resistant of the best level.

The surface of the stainless steel is without any pores or cracks, therefore bacteria, dirt and other such contaminates never get adulteration in this alloy; secondly the corrosion resistant nature of the alloy make it an ideal for the cutlery products, last but not the least unique feature of the stainless steel is that if properly maintained, the stainless steel products can work over 100 years of its making. Stainless steel is also used to design various jewelry articles such as bracelets, finger rings, ear rings and necklace; for unlike the silver that is typically blackened after using for a couple of time, stainless steel never loses its glory and remain as shining as the time you purchased the ornament manufactured by using stainless steel.

The austenitic stainless steel is used to make cooking utensils such as knives; it is also a likely choice among the companies dealing in food products for its durability against the corrosion. In cookware, to manufacture stoves and ovens, stainless steel is a host, yet aluminum or copper surfaces are used at the bottom for heat diffusion. Some types or grades are altered specially by the manufacturers to have a good and efficient stainless steel made product, e.g. the knife blades are made up of a more durable type of stainless steel. For a strong sort of knife blade, a highly carbon content with molybdenum and vanadium is used.

Finishing of stainless steel is done by applying different techniques such as coarse abrasive finish applied mechanically, brushed finish, stain finish and many more. In this finishing process stainless steel gets finishing by the rollers, after that its characteristics are brought to a changed with the process of oxidation or passivation and lastly a final touch of the finish turn the stainless steel into the required exterior.