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Stainless steel uses

Stainless steel uses vary tremedously due to the metals versatility, relative low cost, ease of fabrication, aesthetic appeal and recyclability. Although you wouldn’t know it, stainless steel has a huge impact on everyday life and is used in a wide variety of industries. The list of applications for stainless steel is almost limitless, some of the main areas of use are:

Applications for stainless steel

Catering

Due to its ability to resist corrosion and ease to maintain, stainless steel is very commonly used in both domestic and commercial catering environments. In your home kitchen, you might find stainless steel used to make your sink, your oven, cutlery or canopy whereas commercially, is also used as worktops, splashbacks and boilers. Different grades of stainless are used for different applications depending on their need for corrosion resistance. 304, for example, is commonly used for cutlery and food preperation areas because of its need to be corrosion resistant whereas 430 might be used for your cooker hood and areas that do not come into direct contact with food.

Street furniture

Because of the hard wearing and aesthetic appeal of stainless steel, it is commonly used as street furniture as posts and handrails or as signage. Typically, 304 is used for these however, in more severe environments, such as close to the sea, grade 316 may be more suitable. Here you can see the differences between 304 and 316.

Hygiene Equipment

In public restrooms, the need for a hard wearing, corrosion resistant material is crucial. As different grades of stainless steel have different cost and corrosion properties, this metal is well suited for making products such as hand dryers, soap dispensers and toilet roll holders.

Automotive

Although aluminium and steel play a huge part in the automotive industry, stainless steel still accounts for a large percentage of metal used. It is used on many vehicles in exhausts systems and sill plates and more prominently to manufacture road tankers and waste and recycling vehicles.

General Industry

Because it is relatively easy to weld, has good structural properties and low maintenance, pressure vessels are commonly manufactured from stainless steel and with the added advantage of corrosion resistance, it is also used heavily in the food manufacturing and brewing industry.

Power Generation Plants

Most power generation plants require corrosive resistant and durable metals. Because of its corrosive resistant properties, stainless steel is extensively used in various types of power generation plants.

In the nuclear power industry, stainless steel particularly with low cobalt content is often used in radiation containment and power generation.

Turbines used in gas, steam and water plants are also made from stainless steel. It is preferred in these applications because of its corrosion and heat resisting qualities.

Pulp and Paper Industries

Pulp and paper industries prefer to use stainless steel in their applications to avoid iron contamination of their products and also to prevent corrosion of the equipment.

Chemical, Oil and Gas Processing Industries

From stainless steel tanks, pipes, valves and tanks, stainless steel features heavily in what is considered as one of the most stainless steel-demanding industries.

Stainless steel road tankers can be seen up and down the motorways carrying various products.

thyssenkrupp Materials supply a large amount of material into all of the above areas as well as supplying metal to manufacture MRI scanners, door furniture and the architectural industry. With a large range of stock both in UK and in Europe and with processing capabilities to supply bespoke sizes saving you time, fabrication costs and scrap, we are ideally suited to help with your stainless steel requirements.