Stainless steel is an alloy that is highly resistant to corrosion in an aggressive environment or atmosphere. Its main feature from a chemical point of view is its high content (above 10.5%) of chromium, which gives the following characteristics of steel:
- increased strength;
- easy cold forming;
- good weldability.
The absence of corrosion is ensured by the formation of a thin layer of oxides on the surface of the product, which protects the inner layers of the material from contact with the external environment.
Varieties of stainless steels
Today, the world industry produces about 250 alloys with high corrosion resistance. In addition to chromium, nickel, titanium, molybdenum, cobalt, niobium and other chemical elements are used as alloying additives. This provides a wide range of technical characteristics, allowing the use of stainless steel sheet in St. Petersburg for various purposes.
All steels can be divided into three groups depending on their chemical composition:
- corrosion-resistant (used for the manufacture of parts and products operating in easy conditions);
- heat-resistant (alloys that must maintain corrosion resistance in an aggressive environment or high temperatures, which is important for chemical industry enterprises);
- heat-resistant (alloys that additionally have good strength at elevated temperatures).
Scope of Corrosion Resistant Steels
Today, stainless steel sheet SPB, mesh, pipes and other types of rolled products are widely used for the production of the following types of products:
- equipment for the food industry;
- filtration of hot melts (here a welded stainless steel mesh is very effective);
- medicine;
- cutting tool;
- springs;
- valves;
- turbine blades and so on.
Disadvantages of stainless steel
The main disadvantage of a welded stainless steel mesh or other product made of similar alloys is associated with their high cost. The reason is the presence of expensive alloying components (titanium, nickel, molybdenum), so it is important to observe the following rules:
- correctly determine the alloy, taking into account the peculiarities of the product's operation (temperature, presence of aggressive media, loads);
- correctly select the original workpiece to reduce the amount of machining;
- use modern tools and optimal processing technologies to ensure proper accuracy and reduce the number of scrap.
