A Complete Guide to Stainless Steel

Grade, composition, molecular structure, production and properties of Maple Stainless steel How is stainless steel made? Stainless steel can be cast or forged. The main difference is how it forms the final product. Cast stainless steel is made by pouring liquid metal into a molded container with a specific shape. Forged stainless steel is first produced in steel mills, where continuous casting machines turn stainless steel into ingots, billets, billets or slabs. These raw materials must undergo further processing before they can be formed. They are reheated and reworked using rolling or hammering techniques. Forged stainless steel products are more common than cast stainless steel products.

Cast stainless steel products are usually manufactured and finished in foundries or under the supervision of foundries.

If they are a small part of a larger product, the castings may go to other factories for assembly. Forged stainless steel starts production at one steel plant, but becomes the final product at another. Stainless steel is characterized by excellent corrosion resistance that protects steel from air and moisture, making it an ideal material for a variety of industrial applications, including pipes and storage tanks. What is stainless steel made of? Like all steels, stainless steel is originally a mixture of iron and carbon. What makes this family of alloys different is that stainless steel also contains at least 10.5% chromium. This element gives stainless steel its antioxidant properties. When stainless steel is exposed to the atmosphere, chromium combines with oxygen to form a thin and stable passivation layer of chromium oxide (Cr2O3). The passivation layer protects the steel inside from oxidation and will recover quickly if the surface is scratched. This passivation layer is different from electroplating. Some metals are coated with zinc, chromium or nickel for surface protection. In these cases, once the scratch has penetrated the coating, the benefits of the coating are lost. The chromium inside the stainless steel provides more than just surface protection. When it is exposed to air, it forms a passive film. Therefore, even if the stainless steel is deeply scratched, the passivation layer will heal itself. Maple Stainless Steel grade Indicates the grade of a certain stainless steel. The most common grades are:

·Ferritic stainless: 430, 444, 409

·Austenitic stainless: 304, 302, 303, 310, 316, 317, 321, 347

·Martensitic stainless: 420, 431, 440, 416

·Duplex stainless: 2304, 2205

Sometimes, engineers choose between alloys in the same family, as in the two popular commercial grades of austenitic stainless steel, 304 vs. 316. However, this isn’t always the case. Automotive exhaust systems often choose between 304 and 409. Barbeque grills might be found made of 304 or 430.