STAINLESS STEEL OVERVIEW: TUTORIAL

Stainless Steel: An introduction to a versatile, aesthetically pleasing and "full life cycle" material.

What is Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is a family of iron based alloys that must contain at least 10.5% CHROMIUM (Cr). The presence of chromium creates an invisible surface film that resists oxidation and makes the material "passive" or corrosion resistant (i.e. "stainless"). This family can be simply and logically grouped into four (4) branches. Each of these branches has specific properties and a basic grade or "type." In addition, further alloy modifications can be made to "tailored" the chemical composition to meet the needs of different corrosion conditions, temperature ranges, strength requirements, or to improve weldability, machinability, work hardening and formability.

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