WHAT IS STAINLESS STEEL USED FOR?
There’s no denying that stainless steel is an essential part of our everyday lives, with over 150 grades available. Stainless steel is commonly used across several key industries, including:
Food & Drink
Medical
Construction
Transport
Energy
Let’s take a look at those in a bit more detail:
Food and drink
Stainless steel is commonly used for cutlery, cookware and other kitchen accessories. More ductile grades of steel are used for cookers, saucepans and any other items that can be molded into shape; whereas steel with less ductile grades are used to create knife blades. One of the other common stainless steel uses are larger pieces of kitchen equipment, such as fridges, freezers and dishwashers.
Stainless steel is also used for the storage and production of food, as it doesn’t have any impact on the flavour; plus the fact that it’s corrosion resistant and easily cleanable, means it can kill bacteria to keep the environment hygienic.
Medical
As stainless steel is so resistant to corrosion and can be easily sterilised, one of its most common uses is for medical uses, due to its high hygienic standards. Operating tables, MRI scanners and other surgical instruments are all made out of stainless steel; as are replacement joints such as hip joints, and they also help to fix broken bones as they make plates and steel pins.
Construction
Its resistance to corrosion makes stainless steel a popular choice in many industries; and the fact that it’s strong and flexible makes it sought-after in construction.
The exterior cladding of large buildings are usually made out of stainless steel, but it’s also used in interiors too – from countertops in kitchens, to handrails on staircases and much more.
With a growing trend towards more sustainable buildings, stainless steel has never been more popular. Not only is it low-maintenance with an attractive finish, but on average, stainless steel is made up of up to 90% of recycled metal. Plus, its typically polished finish helps to reduce energy consumption, as it attracts natural light.
Some of the world’s most prominent architecture is made out of stainless steel, including Singapore’s Helix Bridge, and London’s Waterloo Eurostar terminal.
Transport
Ford was the first automotive company to start using stainless steel in their concept cars, back in the 1930s. Today, this is much more widespread, and is most commonly used in car grills and exhaust systems. However, with a growing trend towards more sustainable vehicles, stainless steel is being used in structural components too.
But it’s not just cars that are constructed out of stainless steel: so are refuse vehicles, shipping containers and road tankers. Due to its anti-corrosive nature, it’s also effective for the transportation of food products, chemicals and other liquids.
Energy
Toxic substances, and high levels of heat are commonplace in the oil and gas industry; and certain grades of stainless steel have been developed to enable them to be used in this environment.
For stainless steel that is corrosion resistant in an even wider range of temperatures, it is used during the production of components such as valves, pipes and storage tanks.
Another important stainless steel use is on off-shore oil rigs, as it can deal with highly corrosive crude oil, and sea water.
