Facts About Stainless Steel You Probably Didn’t Know

When you consider something, you usually think about the price not the durability of the material. This is the reason why some of your applications fail. If you have an application that involves moving parts, you consider Stainless Plated Fender Washer Vender.

Washers are flat and round items with holes in the middle. It is mostly used to fasten the joints. Aside from fastening, washers are capable to insulate, seal, improve appearance, provide spacing, align parts and more importantly, it can distribute the loads. With this, you need different washers for specific applications. Choosing the right washer material can optimize your machine operation.

Choosing the right material means ensuring that it can withstand most environmental conditions. Washers are manufactured in different metallic and nonmetallic materials. You can choose between steel (carbon steel, spring steel, and stainless steel), metals (aluminum, brass, bronze, and copper), plastic (polyethylene), and specialty materials (fabric, rubber, and leather).

You have to know that the steel is the most common type of material used in the production of washers. Of the different types of stainless steel, many prefer stainless steel. Stainless steel is the alloy of iron and about 10.5% of chromium. Here are other facts about stainless steel you probably didn’t know:

An increased amount of chromium offers more resistance to corrosion

You just know that stainless steel has more resistance to corrosion but you do not know what is behind it. It was mentioned that stainless steel is the alloy of iron and about 10.5% of chromium. Chromium is important because it produces a layer of oxide on the surface. This layer prevents the corrosion of the surface. An increased amount of chromium will effectively increase the resistance of the steel to corrosion.

Stainless steel can also contain amounts of Manganese, Silicon, and Carbon. Other metals can be added to enhance the formability and boost the resistance of the metal against corrosion.

There are five types of stainless steel

Stainless steel is divided into five types – ferritic, austenitic, martensitic, duplex and precipitation hardening. Ferritic refers to steels that are based on chromium and small amounts of carbon. Austenitic steels are the most common; it is derived from nickel, manganese, and nitrogen. Martensitic are steels that are based on chromium but the amount of carbon is higher. Duplex is a combination of ferritic and austenitic. Precipitation hardening can boost strength by adding copper, aluminum, and niobium to steel.

Stainless steel is easily fabricated

Stainless steel is common because it can be cut, welded and formed easily. With this, it is the least expensive choice.

Austenitic steels are used at low-temperature applications

As mentioned earlier, austenitic steels are derived from nickel, manganese, and nitrogen. It can be used for low-temperature applications because it lacks transition from ductile (able to deform without losing toughness) to brittle (hard but it can break or shatter easily) fracture.