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There are many different stainless steel grades.
"Have You got the Right Stainless for the Job?"

Many people are unaware of the different stainless steel grades and chemical properties of stainless steels and therefore fall into the trap of simply just buying something made of stainless and believing that it will do the job.

Although in many cases the consumer is none the wiser and the steel they bought does the job, on the flipside their are many consumers that have bought stainless (or anything else for that matter) that has not fulfilled the intended purpose and therefore "hurt the hip pocket" because of a second purchase having to be made.

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                      (below) and example of the wrong grade

Of stainless used too close to the sea,

Which Has caused tea staining.                                                                                                                                 

                                      We are here to make things as clear as                                                                                                                          

possible when it comes to stainless steel grades,

chemical properties, stainless steel uses and

any other general information so you can then

make a more informed decision and not spend

any more than you should have to.

To start with I will discuss the chemical properties of stainless steel and how this may effect you, and I will go over the most common stainless steel grades and their quality's as well as common uses.

The three main or most common stainless steel grades are 304, 316, and 430.
Lets start with 304, 304 stainless steel is a general purpose stainless and is commonly used for benches, splashbacks, and rangehoods, this is the most commonly used stainless. This grade is not quite as resistant to corrosion as type 316, 304 left in the elements can be damaged by corrosion and therefore should be used for semi sheltered or completely sheltered areas.

Next in line is 316, 316 is excellent in the department of corrosion resistance and is most commonly referred to as marine or surgical stainless steel due to obvious reasons it is for that reason that it is used also for such things as body jewellery and cutlery.

This brings me to 430 grade stainless, 430 is not as resistant to corrosion as the previous types I have written about but this grade unlike the others it is easily formable and is a ferrous metal (ferrous metals have the presence of iron) which means a magnet will stick to it, this grade of stainless is most commonly used for fridges (so the magnets will stick) and it is used for decorative trims.

We have covered by far the three most common stainless steels used today, if you would like and further information check out Chemical Properties of Stainless Steel and General Information.

Or for the more tech savvy person, you can download our PDF for stainless steel density's and how to calculate weight using the volume.