Stainless Steel

Stainless steel refers to a type of steel which is defined by the addition of chromium, and some other alloying elements such as nickel. It is sometimes called inox steel as it is designed to protect against oxidisation and so is ‘inoxidable.’ When exposed to oxygen, iron oxidises, making it rust, however chromium can be exposed to oxygen without undergoing this process. Stainless steel is therefore given a protective layer of chromium to create a barrier between environmental oxygen and the metal’s iron content. This allows it to resist corrosion or rust and makes it ‘stainless.’

Types of Stainless Steel

Different chromium levels of stainless steel will give it different properties, with a lower chromium content generally producing a cheaper but less durable steel. There are various types of stainless steel, which include:

Austenitic, the most widely used type of stainless steel, with low yield strength but strong corrosion and heat resistance, commonly used in housewares, industrial piping and vessels, construction, and architectural facades – this is the largest family of stainless steel and makes up about two thirds of all stainless steel production

Ferritic, a form of steel generally with no nickel, often possessing better corrosion, heat, and cracking resistance than more common types, and frequently used in washing machines, boilers and indoor architecture

Martensitic, which tends to be magnetic and less corrosion-resistant than other stainless steels due to its low chromium content – these matels are very hard and strong and are used to make knives and turbine blades

Duplex, a composite of austenitic and ferritic steels, making it both strong and flexible, with twice the yield strength of austenitic stainless steel, used in the paper, pulp, shipbuilding, and petrochemical industries

Precipitation, with the corrosion resistance of austenitic metals, but can be hardened to higher strengths, and so can be made to be extremely strong when other elements like aluminium, copper and niobium are added

Advantages

• Corrosion resistant properties
• High and low temperature resistant
• Exists in a large variety of types
• Strong and highly durable
• Low maintenance and easily cleaned
• Long lasting, with a relatively low cost over the course of its lifecycle
• Can be given a particular finish if attractive cosmetic appearance is desired, and does not tarnish easily

• Environmentally friendly and recyclable

Stainless Steel Sheet Description

Stainless Steel Material Properties

Chemical Properties