What is stainless steel? Composition, classification and applications of stainless steel in everyday life

Stainless steel materials are becoming increasingly popular and gradually becoming one of the indispensable materials in production, construction as well as in our daily lives. So what is stainless steel and what outstanding advantages does stainless steel have compared to other metals such as iron, steel, cast iron, etc. that have received so much popularity? Let’s learn with Hoa Giang about the composition and applications of stainless steel in today’s life through the article information below!

What is stainless steel? Where does stainless steel come from?

Inox, also known as stainless steel, is an alloy of iron consisting of a mixture of many metals such as nickel, copper, iron, chromium, carbon, silicon, manganese,… This material is durable. high, less corrosive and not easy to fade. That’s why stainless steel is increasingly being manufactured by manufacturers to create many types of necessary items in everyday life.

In particular, the durability of stainless steel also depends on the amount of metal in the mixture such as Chromium, Carbon, etc. The higher the Chromium content, the better the stainless steel’s ability to resist oxidation.

Stainless steel was created by an English expert named Harry Brealey in 1913. During the research process, this expert added 12.8% Chromium content to stainless steel and reduced the Carbon content to increase the durability for stainless steel.

After Harry Brealey’s great research, a German steel company, Krupp, continued to improve to produce a more durable and more flexible stainless steel by adding the element Nickel to this alloy. And as a result, this company invented two codes 300 and 400 before World War II.

After the war ended, a British expert named W. H Hatfield continued his research, he drastically changed the ratio of Nickel and Chromium (8% Nickel and 18% Chromium) in their composition. . This is also the type of 304 stainless steel that we often talk about and is used in everyday life.

Components that make up stainless steel

Stainless steel is an alloy of Iron so it contains many other chemical elements. Each chemical element plays a different role in constituting the characteristics of the product. The following are some of the main elements involved in the composition table that makes up stainless steel, including:

1. Iron – Fe

Stainless steel is essentially an alloy of iron, so iron is considered the main element and also the first element that makes up stainless steel. Thanks to the properties of iron, stainless steel has good properties of good bearing capacity, ductility, and hardness that very few metals can replace.

1. Carbon – C

Carbon is also considered an important component of stainless steel. However, Carbon content is present in many groups and types of stainless steel and is often lower than other elements. The main effect of Carbon is to resist corrosion.

1. Crom – Cr

Chromium is an indispensable element in any type of stainless steel and is contained at least about 10.5% in Iron alloys. Chromium is a highly reactive element because it imparts the “inert” nature of this alloy. They work to prevent corrosion and rust for carbon steels that do not have an external protective plate.

1. Niken – Ni

The next structural component of stainless steel is Nickel. This is the main alloy of Austenitic stainless steel (Group 3XX). The main effect of Nickel is to make metals more flexible and durable. Besides, NIken is naturally non-magnetic, so it also contributes greatly to the characteristics of stainless steel, which is its very poor magnetic effect.

1. Manganese – Mn

Manganese is an indispensable element and replaces the element Nickel in this 2XX steel grade. Manganese helps stainless steel resist oxidation, and also increases the stability of the Austenitic stainless steel grade.

1. Molybdenum – Mo

Molybdenum is an additive added to stainless steel groups containing the elements Cr – Fe – Ni to prevent local corrosion, cracking and crevice corrosion. Not only that, this element is also resistant to chloride heat, so that is why 316 steel plate is said to be better than 304 steel when used in the sea. The higher the amount of Molybdenum, the greater the resistance to Chloride.

Popular stainless steel classifications on the market today

Currently on the market there are many types of stainless steel with different names, characteristics and applications such as 304, 210, 316, 410, 412, etc. But in general, stainless steel types are divided into 4 main groups: Austenitic , Ferritic, Austenitic-Ferritic (Duplex), and Martensitic.

• Austenitic stainless steel (SUS 301, 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 321, 310s,…): This is the most common stainless steel group with a composition of at least 16% Chromium, 7% Nickel and maximum 0.08% Carbon. Thanks to these components, it is highly resistant to corrosion and is not magnetized. This group has the characteristics of being soft, flexible, weldable, and malleable, suitable for the production of household appliances, containers, industrial pipes,…
• Ferritic stainless steel (SUS 409, 410, 430): Chromium content in this group ranges from 12% to 17%. This type of stainless steel has similar properties to mild steel but is more resistant to corrosion. This type of stainless steel is often used in the fields of architecture, household appliance production, washing machines, steam appliances,…
• Inox Duplex (LDX 201, SAF 253, 205, 204): This type of stainless steel is a combination of Austenitic and Ferritic lines. However, the composition of this group contains much less nickel than Austenitic stainless steel, so it has higher flexibility and good durability. They are often used in the shipbuilding industry, paper production, petrochemical plants,…
• Martensitic stainless steel: Martensitic is a type of stainless steel that contains 11% – 13% Chromium. This type of steel has relatively high hardness and durability. They are often used in the production of knife blades, turbine blades,…

 

Characteristics of stainless steel

Above we learned about the types of stainless steel available on the market today. Each type of stainless steel will have its own product characteristics. But in general, stainless steel is available

• High durability, good corrosion resistance
• Good ductility even at low temperatures
• Hardness and durability are superior to other metals
• Fast forging resistance, high hot durability
• Good anti-oxidation ability
• Small electrical conductivity
• No or little chance of being magnetized

Characteristics table of stainless steel types:

 

Alloy group	Magnetism	Corrosion resistant	Plasticity	Heat resistance
Austenite	Are not	High	Very high	Very high
Duplex	Have	Very high	Medium	Short
Ferritic	Have	Medium	Medium	High
Martensitic	Have	Medium	Short	Short
Chemical stability in phase secretion	Have	Medium	Medium	Short

 

Distinguish the most popular types of stainless steel

Currently, hundreds of types of stainless steel with different names and characteristics are produced on the market. However, there are 4 types of stainless steel most commonly used on the market: stainless steel 304, stainless steel 201, stainless steel 316 and stainless steel 410.

Stainless steel 304

Stainless steel 304 is most appreciated by manufacturers because it is the most durable, the best, the most flexible and the best resistance to oxidation among all types of stainless steel. This type of stainless steel contains up to 18% Chromium, 10% Nickel and a small portion of iron. Thanks to this ingredient table, 304 stainless steel never rusts when used. Stainless steel 304 is often used to produce medical equipment because of its excellent properties.

 

Stainless steel 201

Stainless steel 201 contains 18% Chromium, 3% Nickel, iron and other components so they have a shiny appearance. Stainless steel 201 is considered to have relatively good durability. This type of 201 stainless steel is used to produce widely used items in our daily lives such as pots, pans, kettles, thermos flasks,…

Stainless steel 316

Stainless steel 316 is a type of stainless steel with extremely high corrosion resistance, higher than 304 stainless steel, so it is often used a lot in the industrial construction industry, producing materials in the marine environment, tanks, and pipes for ships. transporting chemicals,…

 

Stainless steel 410

Stainless steel 410 is also one of the most popular types of stainless steel in our daily lives. They have high durability and hardness. In addition, 410 stainless steel also has good abrasion resistance and machining ability, so it is often used in mechanical parts and kitchen items such as floats used for induction cookers and knives. , chopsticks, spoon, stainless steel basket,…

Application of stainless steel in life

With the great advantages of stainless steel listed above, stainless steel has become one of the highly valuable materials, commonly used in each field of industry. Let’s learn with Hoa Giang about popular applications of stainless steel today.

Application of stainless steel in construction

Thanks to its high anti-corrosion properties, good durability and relative ductility, stainless steel is often used in many construction projects such as building walls, roofs, and architectural exteriors with very good durability during the process. use.

Application of stainless steel in industry

 

Stainless steel is used in the construction of high-speed trains because of its ability to provide structural strength and effective collision resistance. It also plays an important role in the petrochemical industry and aircraft manufacturing industry, with its durability, corrosion resistance, good chemical resistance and safety.

Application of stainless steel in food processing and preservation

Stainless steel plays an extremely important role in preserving food. Stainless steel not only helps prevent bacterial invasion and high disinfection, but also helps maintain good food color.

Application of stainless steel in everyday life

Stainless steel is widely used today in our daily lives. They are often used to produce items such as knives, scissors, cooking utensils and other household appliances.

Quality and reputable stainless steel purchasing unit

Currently on the market there are many types of poor quality stainless steel products, fake goods, and floating goods on the market, negatively affecting the quality of projects. If you are struggling to find a unit specializing in wholesale and retail supply of genuine and reputable stainless steel products, come to Hoa Giang now!

We are proud to be the number one unit in the market providing construction materials in general and genuine stainless steel in particular. Here, we own a team of designers, technicians, and highly skilled and experienced workers along with a system equipped with state-of-the-art machinery and modern technology, committed to 100% product quality. . Hoa Giang’s products have diverse designs, shapes, and sizes to fully meet customer needs. You can check the product directly before importing. If we detect fake or counterfeit goods, we will immediately refund.

Don’t hesitate any longer, contact Hoa Giang Production – Construction – ™ Company immediately for enthusiastic advice.

Contact information for Hoa Giang Production – Construction – Trading Company

• Address: No. 19 Bach Dang, Ward 2, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City
• Email: support@inoxhoagiang.com
• Hotline: 028.38485518
• Website: https://inoxhoagiang.com/

In the above article, we have shared some general basic information about what is stainless steel? as well as the components that make up stainless steel, the classification of stainless steel and the applications of stainless steel in our daily lives. To learn more about each type of stainless steel, please visit our news page to update the latest information. If you are in need of buying stainless steel, please contact Hoa Giang immediately for timely advice!