Stainless Steel
What is Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is a multi-dimensional material with strong visual impact, high strength, durability, and long life without a high cost to the environment. Stainless steel is available in a brushed or polished finish - contact us for samples.
There are over 50 stainless steel grades. We use grade 304 (unless otherwise specified) austenitic stainless steel that consists of both chromium (15 to 30%) and nickel (6 to 20%). The designation for this type of stainless steel is the 300 series, or sometimes called 18-8 because it contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel, of which 304 and 316 are the major grades.
The 300 series:
oHas excellent corrosion resistance
oIs non-magnetic
oCan be polished to a bright mirror finish
oHas 2x the strength of steel
It is the presence of chromium that creates the invisible surface layer that prevents the rusting of the iron base by forming a complex chrome oxide layer that will not let oxygen attack the surface.
The Ultimate Renewable Resource
Stainless steel is 100% recyclable and all available stainless steel scrap is collected for recycling both from within processing plants and fabricators and from customers after a useful life in the marketplace. Stainless steel does not require a surface coating that can deteriorate and possibly pollute the environment.
Recycling
All stainless steel products are 100% recyclable and have value even after a very long life as capital goods or consumer products. In fact, between 50% - 60% of stainless comes from old recycled stainless steel scrap. Products like fast food equipment, automotive exhaust systems, kitchen sinks, boat shafting, aircraft parts, building roofs, etc., can all be fully recycled after a useful life. The long life of stainless steel products contributes to resource minimization since new resources are not needed as often to replace corroded or failed products. Stainless steel is collected by metal scrap dealers all around the world and sent back to steel mills for use in producing new stainless steel, thereby completing the full life cycle. The new stainless steel that is produced is of the same quality as the original and is not downgraded. Stainless steel is not consumed it remains part of a sustainable closed-loop system.
