Raykam_Logo_Allcaps_Small
  • PRODUCTS
    • STAINLESS STEEL
      • COILS
      • SHEETS
      • PLATES
      • SEAMLESS PIPES
      • WELDED PIPES
      • ROUND BARS
      • HEX BARS
      • PIPE FITTINGS
      • FLANGES
      • VALVES
      • ANGLES
      • CIRCLES
      • FASTENERS
      • SHIMS
    • ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
    • NICKEL ALLOYS
      • FLANGES
      • SEAMLESS PIPE
      • PIPE FITTINGS
    • TITANIUM ALLOYS
    • HIGH SPEED STEEL
    • CARBON STEEL
    • COPPER ALLOYS
    • MILD STEEL
    • TOOL STEEL
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • CAREERS
  • BLOG
  • RESOURCES
    • CALCULATORS
      • STEEL HARDNESS CONVERSION CALCULATOR
      • KSI TO MPA CONVERTER
      • SHEET METAL BEND ALLOWANCE CALCULATOR
  • CERTIFICATIONS
  • CONTACT
✕
            No results See all results
            GET QUOTE
            Raykam_Logo_Allcaps_Small
            • PRODUCTS
              • STAINLESS STEEL
                • COILS
                • SHEETS
                • PLATES
                • SEAMLESS PIPES
                • WELDED PIPES
                • ROUND BARS
                • HEX BARS
                • PIPE FITTINGS
                • FLANGES
                • VALVES
                • ANGLES
                • CIRCLES
                • FASTENERS
                • SHIMS
              • ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
              • NICKEL ALLOYS
                • FLANGES
                • SEAMLESS PIPE
                • PIPE FITTINGS
              • TITANIUM ALLOYS
              • HIGH SPEED STEEL
              • CARBON STEEL
              • COPPER ALLOYS
              • MILD STEEL
              • TOOL STEEL
            ✕
            • HOME
            • ABOUT
            • CAREERS
            • BLOG
            • RESOURCES
              • CALCULATORS
                • STEEL HARDNESS CONVERSION CALCULATOR
                • KSI TO MPA CONVERTER
                • SHEET METAL BEND ALLOWANCE CALCULATOR
            • CERTIFICATIONS
            • CONTACT

            What Makes Stainless Steel ‘Stainless’?

            What Makes Stainless Steel 'Stainless'

            WHAT MAKES STAINLESS STEEL 'STAINLESS'?

            Overview Of This Article

            1. WHAT MAKES STAINLESS STEEL 'STAINLESS'?
            2. Introduction to Stainless Steel
            3. Introduction to Rust And Corrosion
            4. Introduction to Passivation
              1. The Stainless Factor Of Stainless Steel
            5. Stainless Steel: The Conclusion
            6. THANK YOU
            7. DON'T MISS ON LATEST ARTICLES!
            8. MORE RELATED ARTICLES

            Introduction to Stainless Steel

            Stainless Steel is not just an alloy of iron, carbon and chromium, but also includes manganese and in certain classes, nickel and molybdenum, titanium, niobium as well. Despite its nefarious reputation, the layer that corrosion forms isn’t necessarily harmful. When aluminum corrodes, the resulting layer of aluminum oxide protects it from being further exposed to oxygen molecules and therefore prevents further corrosion! The same is true of chromium.

            Stainless steel contains as much as 10% chromium, which reacts with the oxygen in the steel’s environment to form a hard, thin layer that protects the steel from corrosion by preventing the oxygen from seeping in any deeper and reacting with the iron in it. Although stainless steel is not as strong as other forms of steel, it is so resistant to rust that it can be easily used as a utensil or as a kitchen sink – objects that are perpetually in contact with water. It is also the chromium that gives these objects their characteristic polish or shine, making them constitutionally and in appearance, stainless!

            Stainless Steel

            Introduction to Rust And Corrosion

            The corrosion of iron causes a reddish-brown, rugged layer to form, which we call rust. Corrosion is simply the oxidation of a metal; when it reacts with oxygen, layers of metal oxides and hydroxides begin to form. Now, because oxygen is abundant in our environment, in air and water, a metal readily undergoes corrosion when exposed to them. When iron does this, we call the resulting iron-oxide layer “rust” and the process “rusting”.

            The corrosion of iron is an electrochemical reaction, so the first layers of rust are only atoms thin, but prolonged exposure causes the layer to thicken and become increasingly conspicuous, such as the outgrowth on a wrench or on an old, abandoned car. Rust causes the iron to lose its strength and durability, so that eventually, a corroded wrench becomes no more useful than a paperweight. The global, annual losses due to rust are estimated to be in trillions of dollars, so not finding a way to deter it would have been foolish.

            Rust

            Introduction to Passivation

            There is some dispute over whether the corrosion resistance of stainless steel can be enhanced by the process of passivation. Essentially, passivation is the removal of free iron from the surface of the steel. This is performed by immersing the steel in an oxidant, such as nitric acid or citric acid solution. Since the top layer of iron is removed, passivation diminishes surface discoloration.

            While passivation does not affect the thickness or effectiveness of the passive layer, it is useful in producing a clean surface for further treatment, such as plating or painting. On the other hand, if the oxidant is incompletely removed from the steel, as sometimes happens in pieces with tight joints or corners, then crevice corrosion may result. Most research indicates that diminishing surface particle corrosion does not reduce susceptibility to pitting corrosion.

            Passivation

            The Stainless Factor Of Stainless Steel

            In technical terms, Stainless is explained as resistance to rust and corrosion over a period of time and under certain circumstances such as application and exposed enviornment. The alloying element Chromium is the primary factor to make the steel stainless: resistant to rusting. Even though Chromium is the primary factor responsible to 'Stainless' factor of the steel, the metal is often alloyed with other supporting elements like Nickel, Molybdenum and Manganese during manufacturing to enhance the properties of the steel. The elements are also added to ensure better performance of the steel under specific environment and circumstances.

            The steel can be manipulated to increase toughness, ductility, formability, weldability, endurance, strength, hardness, heat-resistance and so many more factors. Each such enhanced stainless steel is categorised as grades for better organisation of the ever growing list. The categories of Stainless Steel grades are: Austenite, Ferrite, Martensite, Precipitation Hardening and Duplex. These materials can also have different finishes, which also affect the 'stainless' factor and life cycle of the material.

            Popular grades of austenitic stainless steel include 301, 301LN, 303, 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 317L, 310S, 321 and 347 grades.

            Common grades of ferritic stainless steel include 409, 409M, 430, 436, 441, 445, 439, and 444 grades.

            Common duplex alloys include are 2202, 2205, 2304 and 2507 grades.

            Some common martensitic stainless steel grades are 410, 410S and 420

            Some common Precipitation Hardening grades are 15-5PH, 17-4PH and 17-7PH.

            Stainless Steel: The Conclusion

            With a wide variety of Stainless Steel Grades available to choose from, it becomes easier to find the perfect grade for each application as per their rust resistance properties under specific environment. Whether it be Automotive Exhaust or Automotive Grill, or Entrance of the Airport, there is a stainless steel grade to suit it all. The correct Stainless Steel Grade improves the product life cycle and lowers maintainance cost on ground level.

            THANK YOU

            We are glad that we could share this information with you in the most simplified way possible. We at Raykam believe in knowledge should be free and available to all. Tweet or Message Us to let us know what you would like to read about in our next article!

            SHARE THIS

            SIGN UP NOW!

            DON'T MISS THE NEW POSTS AND ARTICLES FROM RAYKAM!

            DON'T MISS ON LATEST ARTICLES!

            SIGN UP NOW!



              MORE RELATED ARTICLES

              February 26, 2024
              Tensile Strength Testing In Metals

              Metal Durability: Understanding Tensile Strength And Material Limits

              June 9, 2024
              Industrial Valves For Oil And Gas

              Optimizing Industrial Valves Selection for Performance and Cost-Efficiency

              February 24, 2024
              Introduction To Ral Colors

              Introduction to RAL Colors

              March 6, 2023
              Corrosion Resistance Of Metals To Aggressive Fluids

              Corrosion Resistance Of Metals To Aggressive Fluids

              May 5, 2022
              How Is Stainless Steel Made

              How Stainless Steel Is Made

              November 29, 2022
              Stainless Steel Welded Pipe Manufacturing Process

              Stainless Steel Welded Pipe Manufacturing Process

              November 29, 2022
              Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe Manufacturing Process

              Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe Manufacturing Process

              July 4, 2022
              What Makes Stainless Steel 'Stainless'

              What Makes Stainless Steel ‘Stainless’?

              Raykam 500px

              FOLLOW US ON

              INDUSTRY INSIGHTS!
              CONTACT INFO
              Head Office

              1, Floor-1 Plot-72,
              Pote Building,
              Cawasji Patel Tank Rd,
              Girgaon, Mumbai,
              Maharashtra, India - 400004

              Phone

              +91-9820422205
              +91-9987201205

              E-mail

              [email protected]

              IMPORTANT LINKS

              Home
              About
              Products
              Certifications
              Blog
              Contact Us
              Privacy Policy
              Site Map

              CALCULATORS

              Steel Hardness Conversion
              Sheet Metal Bend Allowance
              KSI to MPa Converter

              PRODUCTS FOR YOU

              Stainless Steel
              Nickel Alloys
              Titanium Alloys
              Aluminium Alloys
              Carbon Steel
              Copper Alloys
              High Speed Steel
              Mild Steel
              Tool Steel

              COUNTRIES WE EXPORT TO

              United State of America (USA)
              Canada
              Turkey
              Brazil
              Saudi Arabia
              Mexico

              • Consent
              • Details
              • About Cookies

              We value your privacy. This website uses cookies to enhance your browsing experience and provide essential features. Please choose which types of cookies you allow us to use. You can change these settings at any time.

              Necessary

              These cookies are required for basic site functionality and security. They enable core features like page navigation and remembering your cookie preferences. Without these cookies, the website cannot function properly. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.

              Analytics & Performance

              These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous data. We use this information to improve our website's performance and user experience. No personally identifiable information is collected. Legal basis: GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) - Consent

              Marketing

              These cookies are used to deliver personalized advertisements that are relevant to your interests. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an ad and measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. They remember that you have visited our website and share this information with our advertising partners. Legal basis: GDPR Art. 6(1)(a) - Consent

              Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help websites provide a better user experience. They're used for:

              • Remembering your cookie preferences
              • Understanding how you use our website
              • Enabling essential website functions
              • Providing relevant content

              Your Rights

              You have the right to:

              • Accept or decline optional cookies
              • Change your cookie preferences at any time
              • Request information about stored cookies
              • Withdraw your consent

              For questions about our cookie policy or to modify your consent, please contact us. When contacting us, please include your Consent ID and the date of consent for faster processing. For more information about how we process your personal data, please read our Privacy Policy.

              Deny Customize Allow selected Allow all
              ✕
              ✕