How is Stainless Steel Made?
Stainless steel is produced in an electric arc furnace where carbon electrodes contact recycled stainless scrap and various alloys of chromium (and nickel, molybdenum etc. depending on the stainless type). A current is passed through the electrode and the temperature increases to a point where the scrap and alloys melt. The molten material from the electric furnace is then transferred into an AOD (Argon Oxygen Decarbonisation) vessel, where the carbon levels are reduced (remember stainless has a much lower carbon level than mild steel) and the final alloy additions are made to make the exact chemistry. Exhibit 1 shows the process from melting and casting either into ingots or continually cast into a slab or billet form. Then the material is hot rolled or forged into its final form. Some material receives cold rolling to further reduce the thickness as in sheets or drawn into smaller diameters as in rods and wire. Most stainless steels receive a final annealing (a heat treatment that so
Stainless steel has been touted for its ubiquitous practical uses, making appearances in the architectural, automotive, kitchen, home, and industrial applications of manufacturing. Stainless steel contains a high resistance to corrosion resulting from a range of atmospheric conditions and extreme changes in pH, making it low maintenance. Its ability to withstand high magnitudes of temperature in both directions, high pressure, and still be malleable and ductile makes stainless steel the ideal material for fashioning lasting, highly used products. Even after its useful life, stainless steel is easy to recycle and fetches a high scrap value. Stainless steel attributes its unique properties to chromium metal. By nature, stainless steel is a low carbon steel that includes at least ten percent chromium metal by weight in its composition. This is what is responsible for its stainless property. The chromium oxide forms a film non-detectable to the naked eye on the surface of the steel, which
