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| Brief
Overview of Stainless Steel... |
Stainless
steel is a remarkable versatile material with many applications.
Stainless
Steel is the term used for grades of steel that contain more
than 10% chromium, with or without other alloying elements.
Stainless steel resists corrosion, maintains its strength at
high temperatures, and is easily maintained. For these reasons,
it is used widely in items such as automotive and food processing
products, as well as medical and health equipment. Stainless
steel are primarily used when corrosion or oxidation are a problem.
The function they perform cannot be duplicated by other materials
for their cost. “Stainless Steels”, are those ferrous
alloys that contain a minimum of 12% chromium for corrosion
resistance. Several important sub-categories of stainless steels
have been developed. EroSteel uses Type 316-"L" Grade
Surgical Stainless Steel in manufacturing our complete product
line. |
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| Why
pay more for Stainless Steel?... |
Long
Term Value:
When total life cycle costs are considered, stainless steel
is often the least expensive material option. You can get similar
cock and ball toys on the web for less than we sell them. What
you can't get is the quality we are offering. Translation: Buy
one stainless unit for about 25% more than the cost of a chrome
plated brass unit, and have it for years... or buy a cheaper
chrome plated one, then buy it again, and again, and again.
Benefits: Corrosion resistance; Fire and Heat Resistance; Hygiene;
Aesthetic Appearance; Impact Resistance; Long Term Value; and
Safety. |
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| Stainless
Steel Austenitic Grades... |
Austenitic
grades are those alloys which are commonly in use for stainless
applications.
The austenitic grades are not magnetic. The most common austenitic
alloys are iron-chromium-nickel steels and widely known as the
300 series. The austenitic stainless steels, because of their
high chromium and nickel content, are the most corrosion resistant
of the stainless group providing unusually fine mechanical properties.
They cannot be hardened by heat treatment, but can be hardened
significantly by cold-working. |
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| "L"
Grades... |
The
“L” grades are used to provide extra corrosion resistance
after welding.
The letter “L” after a stainless steel type indicates
low carbon. The carbon is kept to .03% or under to avoid carbide
precipitation. Carbon in steel when heated to temperatures in
what is called the critical range (800 degrees F to 1600 degrees
F) precipitates out, combines with the chromium and gathers
on the grain boundaries. This deprives the steel of the chromium
in solution and promotes corrosion adjacent to the grain boundaries.
By controlling the amount of carbon, this is minimized. For
weldability, the “L” grades are used. You may ask
why all stainless steels are not produced as “L” grades.
There are a couple of reasons. First, the “L” grades
are more expensive. In addition, carbon, at high temperatures
imparts great physical strength. |
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| Type
'316'... |
Type
'316' contains 16% to 18% chromium and 11% to 14% nickel.
It also has molybdenum added to the nickel and chrome of the
304. The molybdenum is used to control pit type attack. Type
'316' is used in chemical processing, the pulp and paper industry,
for food and beverage processing and dispensing and in the more
corrosive environments. Type '316' is austenitic (chromium-nickel
stainless class) stainless steel containing 2%-3% molybdenum
(whereas 304 has none). The inclusion of molybdenum gives '316'
greater resistance to various forms of deterioration. So, while
stainless steel is probably more expensive to buy in the beginning
-- because it lasts a long time, it is usually cheaper in the
long run because there is little or no maintenance. The grade
of stainless steel we use resists corrosion in atmospheric and
pure water environments, and resists corrosion in most acids,
alkaline solutions, and chlorine-bearing environments. Stainless
steel is 100% RECYCLABLE. |
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