What is stainless steel?
A. Stainless steel is defined as a series of steel alloys which include at least 10% chromium. Stainless steel is available in dozens of grades the most common of which is #304. This non-magnetic grade is composed of 18% chromium and 8% nickel and exhibits good general purpose corrosion resistance. It is found in hospitals, food processing plants, chemical plants, and swimming pool areas. The next commonly used grade is #316. This is also a non-magnetic grade that offers superior corrosion and heat resistance qualities. It is used with success in highly corrosive and humid environments and is composed of 16% chromium, 10% nickel, and 3% molybdenum. The #430 is another commonly used grade. It is magnetic and used for fire rated doors, doors over 8 feet tall and for doors where appearance is of primary concern.
“Stainless” is a term coined early in the development of these steels for cutlery applications. It was adopted as a generic name for these steels and now covers a wide range of steel types and grades for corrosion or oxidation resistant applications. Stainless steels are iron alloys with a minimum of 10.5% chromium. Other alloying elements are added to enhance their structure and properties such as formability, strength and cryogenic toughness. These include metals such as: • Nickel • Molybdenum • Titanium • Copper Non-metal additions are also made, the main ones being: • Carbon • Nitrogen The main requirement for stainless steels is that they should be corrosion resistant for a specified application or environment. The selection of a particular “type” and “grade” of stainless steel must initially meet the corrosion resistance requirements. Additional mechanical or physical properties may also need to be considered to achieve the overall service performance requirements.
Stainless steel is an iron-containing alloy made from some of the basic elements found on earth: iron ore, chromium, silicon, nickel, carbon, nitrogen, and manganese. The properties of the final metal change depending on varying amounts of these elements. There are more than 57 stainless steels recognized as standard alloys on the market. Klean Kanteens are constructed from high-quality, food grade 304 stainless steel, which has a low nickel content. Stainless steel has excellent resistance to stain or rust due to its chromium content making it the material of choice among the food processing, dairy and brewing industries. Stainless steel is easy to clean, durable, inert and sanitary.
*Stainless Steel is a common name for metal alloys that consist of 10.5% or more Chromium (Cr) and more than 50% Iron (Fe). Although it is called “stainless”, a better term for it is “highly stain resistant”. A somewhat dark metal, it looks bright because it reflects light. *What gives stainless steel its properties? The chromium content in stainless steel alloys is what generally prevents corrosion. Pure iron, the primary element of stainless steel, is extracted from its natural state as iron ore, it is unstable by itself, and naturally wants to corrode (rust). The chromium helps to procrastinate nature’s attempts to combine the pure iron with oxygen and water to form rust. The chromium works by reacting with oxygen to form a tough, adherent, invisible, passive layer of chromium oxide film on the steel surface. If damaged mechanically or chemically, this film is self healing as long as it has enough oxygen. Because oxygen is necessary for the reaction, liquids and other foodstuffs sto
