Stainless Steel
Stainless steel: grades, applications, properties, and surface treatment
What is stainless steel?
Stainless steel is a common name for different types of corrosion-resistant steel (but not exclusively) and has a certain degree of purity. Also called inox, stainless steel is therefore one of the high-purity steels and can be found alloyed or unalloyed. The different kinds of stainless steels are classified by grades (AISI 304, 316, 430, etc.).
Nowadays, due to its outstanding properties, optical effects and good to very good corrosion and chemical resistance, stainless steel is used more and more often for multiple applications:
- Architecture
- Yacht- and shipbuilding
- Elevators and escalators
- Automotive industry
- Home appliances
- Electrical industry
- Medical technology
- Food and catering industry
- Manufacturing of silos and containers
- Machinery
- Plant and mechanical engineering
- Aerospace
- Pharmaceutical and chemical industries
Even when performing the most demanding metal art projects, the choice is often made in favor of stainless steel sheet fabrication.
We at mirrorINOX will give you more information about stainless steel, its grades, applications, properties and uses.
What is the difference between stainless steel and steel?
In order to produce stainless steel out of a conventional steel, which can be optimized with carbon components, the first one must be alloyed. This can be achieved during steel production by adding "refiners" such as:
- Nickel
- Cobalt
- Molybdenum
- Manganese
- Tungsten
- Vanadium
- Chromium
- Titanium
What are the characteristics of stainless steel/inox?
The properties of stainless steel
The additives above define the so-called stainless steel grades. The differences in production and composition of these grades give the final inox material a multitude of properties such as:
- High resistance to corrosion
- Attractive and high-quality appearance
- A pleasant haptic of surface
- Robustness
- Particularly good processing and welding characteristics
- Very low maintenance and cleaning costs
Stainless steel grades and their benefits
You can see some further characteristics of different grades of stainless steel in the table below:
Steelgrade | EN Number | Name | Corrosion | Mechanical | Forgeability | Weldability | Machinability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AISI 304 | 1.4301 | X5CrNi-18-10 | good | medium | good | very good | medium |
AISI 305 | 1.4303 | X4CrNi-18-12 | good | medium | very good | very good | low |
AISI 304L | 1.4306* | X2CrNi-19-11 | good | medium | very good | very good | low |
AISI 304L | 1.4307* | X2CrNi-18-9 | good | medium | good | very good | medium |
AISI 301 | 1.4310 | X10CrNi-18-8 | good | medium | good | very good | medium |
AISI 316 | 1.4401 | X5CrNiMo17-12-2 | very good | medium | good | medium | medium |
AISI 316L | 1.4435* | X2CrNiMo18-14-3 | very good | medium | medium | very good | medium |
AISI 316Ti | 1.4571 | X6NiMoTi17-12-2 | very good | medium | good | very good | low |
*LowCarbon (carbon contents between 0,05 % and 0,3 %) | |||||||
Stainless steel synonyms and acronyms
Stainless steel is also known as:
- Corrosion-resistant steel
- Noncorrosive stainless steel
- INOX
- Nirosta
- Nonrusting stainless steel
- Rust-free stainless steel
- or by the acronyms V2A and V4A in German speaking countries
As a company, which is highly specialized in the metal surface processing of the highest quality, mirrorINOX has extensive knowledge of stainless steel, its grades, and applications.
We almost exclusively use austenitic rust-free stainless steel sheets and plates of the material grade AISI 304 and increasingly also the high-quality material grades AISI 316, AISI 316L, AISI 316Ti and 2205, which have a high or extremely high corrosion resistance.
The German synonyms for the above-mentioned material grades are:
- 1.4301 ("V2A") for AISI 304
- 1.4404, 1.4435, 1.4571 ("V4A") for AISI 316, AISI 316L, AISI 316Ti
- 1.4462 ("Duplex") for AISI 2205
mirrorINOX – Stainless steel of the finest quality for all industries and applications
As a logical consequence resulting from a vast experience and working in the field of metal surface treatment for many years, we decided to build a new starting point to define new frontiers and founded mirrorINOX in 2016.
Thanks to our expertise in stainless steel grades and applications, we are your perfect partner for superior surface processing according to your ideas and wishes. For us, stainless steel is not just a material, but a mission.
In our factory in Cleebronn, Germany, we combine the highest standards of industrial and state-of-the-art production with the utmost care and process inox sheets, other stainless steel products and non-ferrous metals at the request of our customers. Whether works of art, machinery, architectural and construction projects or other many types of products, we are able to create the ideal surface for you.
The industries that we serve are as diverse as our products themselves, working for customers in the field of:
- Automotive
- Mechanical engineering
- Architecture
- Art projects
- and much more
Naturally, we do care as much for medium and small inquiries as for large projects and will find individual solutions to your requests, thanks to custom inox and plates in multiple sizes and thicknesses, including very thin sheets such as:
mirrorINOX's expert status in handling stainless steel and other metals is clearly reflected in our wide range of finishing services.
On request, we can:
- Blast
- Mirror-polish
- Grit-polish
- and design metal sheets
Even with the PVD/TiN coating or with our own second to none, very unique nano-coating called nanoINOX® AFP/ ETC, we will always meet and exceed your demands of the best possible quality.
Convince yourself and have a closer look into our surface treatment product range.
