Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a generic term for a family of corrosion resistant alloy steels containing 10.5% or more chromium.

All stainless steels have a high resistance to corrosion. This resistance to attack is due to the naturally occurring chromium-rich oxide film formed on the surface of the steel. Although extremely thin, this invisible, inert film is tightly adherent to the metal and extremely protective in a wide range of corrosive media. The film is rapidly self repairing in the presence of oxygen, and damage by abrasion, cutting or machining is quickly repaired.

All stainless steels have a high resistance to corrosion. Low alloyed grades resist corrosion in atmospheric conditions; highly alloyed grades can resist corrosion in most acids, alkaline solutions, and chloride bearing environments, even at elevated temperatures and pressures.

Some grades will resist scaling and maintain high strength at very high temperatures, while others show exceptional toughness at cryogenic temperatures. 

The majority of stainless steels can be cut, welded, formed, machined and fabricated readily.

The cold work hardening properties of many stainless steels can be used in design to reduce material thicknesses and reduce weight and costs. Other stainless steels may be heat treated to make very high strength components. 

Stainless steel is available in many surface finishes. It is easily and simply maintained resulting in a high quality, pleasing appearance. 

The cleanability of stainless steel makes it the first choice in hospitals, kitchens, food and pharmaceutical processing facilities. 

Stainless steel is a durable, low maintenance material and is often the least expensive choice in a life cycle cost comparison. 

•Types of Stainless Steel

In addition to chromium, nickel, molybdenum, titanium, niobium and other elements may also be added to stainless steels in varying quantities to produce a range of stainless steel grades, each with different properties. 

There are a number of grades to choose from, but all stainless steels can be divided into five basic categories:

These are named according to the microstructure inherent in each steel group (a function of the primary alloying elements). Austenitic and ferritic grades account for approximately 95% of stainless steel applications

When nickel is added to stainless steel in sufficient amounts the crystal structure changes to \\\"austenite\\\". The basic composition of austenitic stainless steels is 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Austenitic grades are the most commonly used stainless steels accounting for more than 70% of production (type 304 is the most commonly specified grade by far).

These are plain chromium stainless steels with varying chromium content between 12 and 18%, but with low carbon content.

These are stainless steels containing relatively high chromium (between 18 and 28%) and moderate amounts of nickel (between 4.5 and 8%). The nickel content is insufficient to generate a fully austenitic structure and the resulting combination of ferritic and austenitic structures is called duplex. Most duplex steels contain molybdenum in a range of 2.5 - 4%.

Stainless steel Pipes, as an alloy is finding its increasing usage in fields where hitherto materials such as mild steel, ferrous metals, ceramic & plastics were used. However because of unique metallurgical properties of stainless steel such as corrosion resistance, strength to weight ratio and minimum maintenance cost etc, the usage of stainless steel piping for as a viable alternative is also gaining rapid acceptance. As a result, stainless steel now a days has come to be used in umpteen number of sectors as Oil & Refinery, Petro Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Dairy, Desalination & Chemical sectors.

That is why we would like to invite you to come over to have a look at our great booth at Stand No. 13704, Hall No. 13. You can join us there for a drink and a friendly chat with the Great Steel and Metals team. It is the perfect opportunity to get to know each other better and learn more about what we have to offer you.