4 Popular Untruths About Steel You Mightn’t Already Know

Stainless steel is used in many forms ranging from the buildings that we reside in to the utensils that we eat with, to the phone or tablet that we use every day; it’s everywhere we look. While it’s an impressive material, there are a number of untruths or myths surrounding steel that you mightn’t already know. With this in mind let’s examine a few of them further.

All stainless steel is the same

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Stainless steels are a family of alloys each with very different properties. What’s good for one product, mightn’t necessarily be good for another. While they’re all considered perfect for their aesthetic look and resistance to corrosion, for other needs such as heat/water resistance, durability, strength, and magnetism it’s best to look to individual grades of steel in order to find the right match.

Stainless steel doesn’t rust

Okay so strictly speaking stainless steel is designed not to rust and in fact some people will tell you that it can’t, but here’s the thing… sometimes stainless steel can come under attack from aggressive elements and the corrosion that’s produced resembles rust. However unlike corrosive metals such as carbon steel, the rust that forms is a thin layer that doesn’t penetrate through the metal. A a result stainless steel like all metals will corrode eventually in harsh environments, but it may take some time. In some instances this can be up to 9000 times slower than carbon steel. This is why people often state that stainless steel doesn’t rust.

Stainless steel is expensive

When compared to carbon steel which is made up of limited alloys, then the cost per tonne is likely to be more. This is the short-term view. However if you were to look at the long-term view and consider the overall performance of stainless steel, then stainless steel is a seriously cost effective option and the cheapest way to do the job. Carbon steel usually has to be painted or powder coated for increased protection and even if this cost is still lower, it looses that advantage on the day that it needs to be repainted. In essence taken over the whole life of a job, the cost per day in cold hard cash will be cheaper.

18/8 stainless steel is a lower grade than 18/10 steel

While you might think that the former is of a lower grade than the latter, you’d be wrong. Commonly steel contains around 18% -20% chromium and 8% -10% nickel. While non-English speaking European countries such as Germany, Belgium, France, and Italy refer to it as 18/10, many of the English speaking countries such as Australia, America, and the UK refer to it as 18/8. They are in fact one in the same.

If you appreciate the virtues of stainless steel and are looking for a steel fabricator to help you with your project then look no further than Metro Steel. At our Deception Bay headquarters we help a multitude of architects, engineers, and other individuals with their metal projects. Whether it’s precise machinery, one off construction materials, or bespoke decorative pieces, you can count on us. Contact our friendly team on 07 3204 1000 for a free, no-obligation quote and let us turn your project ideas into a reality.