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STAINLESS STEEL
Courtesy of Specialty Steel of North America
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This Benefit Added On: June 18, 2001
General Information
The many unique values provide by stainless steel make it a powerful candidate in materials selection. Engineers, specifiers and designers often underestimate or overlook these values because of what is viewed as the higher initial cost of stainless steel. However, over the total life of a project, stainless is often the best value option.
What is Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is essentially a low carbon steel which contains chromium at 10 % or more by weight. It is the addition of chromium that gives the steel it unqiue stainless, corrosion resisting properties.
The chromium content of the steel allows the formation of a rough, adherent, invisible, corrosion-resisting chromium oxide film on the steel surface. If damaged mechanincally or chemically , this film is self-healing, providing that oxygen, even in very small amounts, is present. The corrosion resistance and other useful properties of the steel ar enhanced by increased chromium and the addtion of other elements such as molybedum, nickel and nitrogen.
There are more than 60 graded of stainless steel. However, the entire group can be divided into five classes. Each is identified by the alloying elements which effect their micorstructure and for which each is named.
Benefits of Stainless Steel
Corrosion resistance
Lower alloyed grades resist corrosion in atmospheric and pure water environments, while high-alloyed grades can resist corrosion in most acids,alkaline solutions, and chlorine bearing environments, properties ehich are utilized in process platns.
Fire and heat resistance
Special high chromium and nickel-alloyed grades resist scaling and retain strength at high temperatures.
Hygiene
The easy cleaning ability of stainless makes it the first choice for strict hygiene conditions, such as hospital, kithcens,abattoirs and other food processign plants.
Aesthetic appearance
The bright, easily maintained surface of stainless steel provides a modern and attractive appearance.
Strength-to-weight advantage
The work-hardening property of austentic grades, that results in a significant strengthing of the material from cold-working alone, and the high stregth duplex grades, allow reduced materila thickness over conventional graded, therefore cost savings.
Ease of fabrication
Modern steel-making techniques mean that stainless can be cut, welded, formed,machined, and fabricated as readily as traditional steels.
Impact resistance
The austenitic microsturcure fo the 300 series provides high toughness, form elevated temperatures to far below freezing, making these steel particularly suites to cryogenic applications.
Long term value
When the total life cycle costs are considered, stainless is often the least expensive material option.
Cycle of Stainless Steel
To ensure a high quality of life, the material that we use as consumers and manufacturers should meeet not only technical performance standards, but have a Long Service Life, be Usable in a Great Number of Applications, and be Environmentally Friendly. Once their servide is complete, they should be 100 % Recyclable, thereby completing the life cycle to be used again.
Stainless Steel is such a material.
The longevity of stainless is the result of the alloying composiotion and therefore, it has a natural corrsion resistance. Nothing is applied to the surface that could add aditional material to the environment. It does not need additional systems to protect the base metal, the metal itself will last.
Stainless steel needs less maintenance and its hygienic qualities means that we do not have to use harch cleaners to get a clean surface. There is little or nothing to dump into the drain that could have an environmental impact.
Stainless steel products complete their service life. There is less concern about disposal since this material is 100% recyclable. In fact over 50% of new stainless steel comes from old remelted stainless steel scrap, thereby completing the full life cycle.
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