Specialties, Stainless Steel & Carbon Steel Drains
Stainless Steel Overview - The Ultimate Material
There is scarcely a material in existence that has found its way to so many applications as stainless steel. Developed in the early part of the 20th century, stainless steel is an exceptional choice for today’s sanitary applications and corrosive environments.

 Stainless steel is the generic name for a number of different steels used primarily because of their corrosion resistance. All stainless steels share a minimum percentage of 10.5% chromium. Chromium is always the deciding factor, although other elements, particularly nickel and molybdenum, are added to improve corrosion resistance.

The success of the material is based on the fact that it has one unique advantage. 

The chromium in the stainless steel has a great affinity for oxygen, and will form a film of chromium oxide on the surface of the steel at a molecular level.

This layer is described as:
• Passive (does not react or influence other materials, that is, it will not rust),
• Tenacious (clings to the layer of steel and is not transferred elsewhere), and
• Self-renewing (if damaged, more chromium from the steel will be exposed to the air and form more chromium oxide, i.e., self-healing).

In many cases stainless steel is the most cost efficient solution because of enhanced life cycle costs. Stainless steel has a significantly longer service life and requires less maintenance than other materials. Moreover, stainless steel is fully recyclable and has a high scrap value on de-commissioning.

 

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