What to Look for When Buying a Stainless Steel?

Widely known for anti-corrosion resistance and possessing anti rust property, stainless is an accepted choice for cutlery and other food handling applications, both at home and for industrial usage. It does not easily corrode or rust when comes in contact with water. There is a range of finishes and grades of stainless steel available in the market. Be sure to pick the right one that will best suit your environment and use. The chemical makeup of the material makes it an ideal candidate for a lot of applications. It is resistant to corrosion and possesses excelling welding properties.

Stainless steel differs from carbon steel with respect to the amount of chromium present. It is also resistant to acids, although the amount of acid, the temperature and environment will play a major role.

Things to Consider When Buying Stainless Steel

stainless-steel
Stainless Steel
  • Corrosion: How much of corrosion is desirable for you? But remember different grades offer different range of corrosion resistivity.
  • Chromium: High amount of chromium in the steel means it offers better corrosion resistivity.
  • Affordability: Ferric stainless steel and martensitic are more affordable than austenitic stainless steel. This is because they have less nickel and less chromium sometimes than austenitic steel. But this could lead to lesser corrosion resistivity.
  • Strength: Higher strength can be obtained with martensitic stainless steels. They also have more nickel making it possess more ductility and toughness.
  • Purpose: What do you need the stainless steel for? Analyze the purpose in hand first. Then it helps you narrow down the options.

Applications of Stainless Steel

stainless-steel-balustrade
Stainless Steel Balustrade
  • Architecture: Predominantly used in architecture, stainless steel is the popular choice given its properties. Petronas twin tower, and Jin Mao building, two of the tallest structures have made use of stainless steel. Besides, its durability and welding properties make it an ideal candidate to include in architecture.
  • Sculptures: Some sculptures and monuments also make use of stainless steel.
  • Bridges and Airports: Bridges and airports have also included them in their construction.  Besides, architecture, stainless steel is also used in locomotives. 
  • Rail Cars: Rails cars are manufactured using stainless steel for some exceptional strength. It was a popular choice and the most sought after, although later its use in rail cars was declined.
  • Aircraft: The thermal stability that stainless steel possess has made it a desirable candidate in aircraft manufacturing.
  • Medicine: Surgical tools like the hip sockets and cranial plate are made of stainless exhibit good corrosion resistance and strength.
  • Culinary: They are also commonly used in the kitchen at homes and in hotels. Stainless steel spoons, plates etc. are the most commonly seen items. Cookware and bakeware may also make use of stainless steel to enhance durability. The added bonus is that, these stainless steel culinary items also allow induction cooking.

Health wise, stainless steel does not cause any kind of health problems although some may develop skin irritation because of the presence of nickel.  Otherwise, it is considered to be inert.

Stainless Steel Balustrade

Stainless steel seems to be the best option when choosing for balustrading system. Owing to the anti-corrosive property and attractive looks, stainless steel no doubt comes first. Living in a coastal area or any other area, would mean your balustrade material, stainless steel will be exposed to salt and wind, temperature fluctuation. Therefore it is necessary to protect and maintain so that the stainless steel will continually be able to shine and impart the new look like always. Salt and other particulars left behind will leave brown stain on the surface. Make sure to take care of this while you use.

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