Did you know that stainless steel is a relatively new metal found accidentally by Harry Brearley, a metallurgist from England in the early 1900s, while experimenting with different alloys to help prevent gun and cannon barrels from rusting? It was this timeframe when stainless steel became widely used as industrial steel.
Stainless steel is a group of ferrous (containing iron) steel alloys that contains a minimum of 10.5 percentage chromium, resists corrosion, and maintains its strength at high temperatures. Did you know you can use CRES (Corrosion Resistant), S/S, and stainless when referring to stainless steels? S/S is most commonly used today. Stainless steel can be chrome-plated, electro polished, painted, etched, embossed, and stained just to mention a few of the more common treatments for stainless steel. Did you know there are more than 60 types of stainless steel in use today? Of these 60 types 15 different stainless steels make up 70 percent of the stainless steel used in production today. The most commonly used series are 300 and 400 series. Car and motorcycle parts, kitchen utensils, nuts and bolts, food and chemical equipment, decorative sidings and trims, aerospace parts, hospital surgical instruments, farm equipment, and works of art are some of the many uses for these series of stainless. Of these commonly used series the 300 series is used more than any other series of stainless. The 300 series can be easily bent, machined, forged, and stamped into different forms. Types 303 and 304 are easily machined and can be welded. Type 316 offers the best prevention against corrosion in harsh environments. Some of the 400 series, unlike the 300 series, can be hardened by heat-treating, giving them greater strength and heat resistance. The automobile industry uses types 408 and 409 stainless steel to make exhaust pipes where heat resistance is critical. The 400 series, unlike the 300 series, offers less corrosion resistance and is magnetic. To recap stainless steel is corrosion, fire, and heat resistant. It has great hygienic benefits for hospitals and kitchens. It is easily maintained and provides a modern and attractive appearance. Stainless steel is easy to fabricate and it has a long life without adding to its base metal. The most positive aspect of stainless steel is that it's 100 percent recyclable. In fact, over 50percent of new stainless steel comes from recycled stainless steel scrap.
