Differentiate the public misunderstanding of stainless steel products
As the name suggests, stainless steel is a variety of steel that can prevent corrosion. However, the general public has many misunderstandings about stainless steel, and even distort the facts. In this regard, I will give a simple explanation of the aspects that are easily misunderstood and not well understood by the public.
1. There are too many specifications and varieties of stainless steel, is it a sign of industry chaos? This is wrong. There are many varieties and specifications of stainless steel because different stainless steel varieties are suitable for different downstream products. There are many and complicated varieties of stainless steel, but it is a very professional performance in the field of stainless steel.
2. Is 304/2B stainless steel the best stainless steel? There is no such thing as the best stainless steel, and the most suitable stainless steel varieties should be selected according to downstream needs. For example, 304 stainless steel has better mechanical properties and is generally more suitable for simple mechanical processing, while 310S stainless steel is often used in high-temperature corrosion environments such as boilers because of its stronger high temperature and corrosion resistance. Simply put, the right one is the best.
3. Is the main reason why stainless steel is anti-corrosion because it contains electrolytic nickel? This understanding is not accurate, and electrolytic nickel does have an anti-corrosion effect. However, in austenitic stainless steel, electrolytic nickel is only used to build austenite crystals to improve the mechanical properties of the stainless steel, not corrosion resistance. Therefore, it is not stainless steel that contains electrolytic nickel. The 400 series stainless steel does not contain electrolytic nickel, but it also has anti-corrosion properties. Due to the corrosion resistance of stainless steel, it mainly comes from ferrochrome. Regular stainless steel with ferrochrome content above 12% can have preliminary anti-corrosion performance.
4, Are the elements of stainless steel only iron, nickel, ferrochrome, and carbon? According to different requirements for downstream use of stainless steel, the metal content of stainless steel is in addition to the above four essentials. Some also contain copper (optimized mechanical properties, antibacterial properties), molybdenum (high-temperature resistance), cobalt (high-temperature resistance), and other elements. The difference in the content of related elements will also affect the strength of the related properties.
5. Can stainless steel be ordinary welded? Generally speaking, only austenitic stainless steel can be used for simple welding and cutting, while martensitic stainless steel cannot be used for ordinary welding and cutting.
6. Does the surface of all stainless steel have a silver-white luster? Not all stainless steel surfaces are silver-white luster, and some stainless steels are not pickled and polished, and their surface is similar to ordinary steel in color.