Stainless Steel in Modern Society: From Production Process To Fields of Application

‌Stainless steel has become an indispensable material in modern life, and its status has become increasingly prominent across the globe, especially in the fields of construction, home decoration, food processing, medical equipment, etc.. 

The wide application of stainless steel benefits from its unique physical and chemical properties. It has excellent corrosion resistance, heat resistance, weldability, strength and toughness. These characteristics enable stainless steel to maintain stable performance in various harsh environments to meet the needs of various applications. For example, the corrosion resistance of stainless steel makes it ideal for making food processing equipment and medical equipment because it can resist the erosion of chemicals and ensure the hygiene and safety of products. In addition, the heat resistance of stainless steel also makes it a preferred material in high-temperature environments, such as key equipment in the petroleum, chemical and power industries.

Stainless Steel: Detailed Production Process

Stainless steel production process is a complex and rigorous process that requires strict control of the parameters and quality of each process to ensure the quality and performance of the final product. With the progress of science and technology, the stainless steel production process is also constantly improving and innovating to meet the needs of the market.

Raw Material Preparation: The raw materials of stainless steel mainly include metallurgical raw materials such as pig iron and steel, as well as alloy elements such as chromium and nickel. Pig iron and steel are produced from iron ore through iron-making, steel-making and other processes. Alloying elements such as chromium and nickel are obtained through metallurgy, chemical metallurgy and other processes. Before production, these raw materials need to be prepared for screening, impurity removal, matching and so on.

Smelting: Put the raw materials into the furnace for melting, through high temperature to melt and mix evenly. In the melting process, it is necessary to control the furnace temperature, add the appropriate flux and alloying elements to obtain the required chemical composition and physical characteristics.

Molten Steel Purification: Remove impurities and unnecessary elements in liquid steel, and improve the quality of stainless steel through liquid steel deoxidation treatment, desulfurization treatment, dephosphorization treatment and other processes. 

Casting: The commonly used casting methods in stainless steel production are continuous casting and centrifugal casting. Continuous casting is the direct injection of molten stainless steel into the molding mold to form continuous casting billets. Centrifugal casting is to inject molten stainless steel into the mold with higher speed, and the liquid steel is evenly distributed in the inner wall of the mold through centrifugal force, and the casting blank is formed.

Heat Treatment: Heat treatment can change the structure and properties of stainless steel. Common heat treatment methods are annealing and quenching. Annealing can make the structure of stainless steel become uniform, eliminate stress and grain boundaries. Quenching is the rapid cooling of the stainless steel after solid solution, so that it forms a martensitic structure and improves the hardness and strength.

Pickling: Pickling treatment is to wash the steel plate with strong acid to remove oxides, rust and other impurities on the surface, so that the surface can reach a certain quality standard for the next step of processing.

Cold Rolling: Stainless steel materials are further processed through cold rolling machinery to obtain higher strength and more precise dimensions.

Surface Treatment: Stainless steel surface treatment mainly includes polishing and coating to improve the surface quality of the material and improve corrosion resistance. In the surface treatment process, different polishing processes and coating processes need to be used to meet the requirements of stainless steel surfaces for different purposes.

Processing and Assembly: According to different application requirements, stainless steel materials are subjected to mechanical processing, cutting, welding, assembly and other processes to make the required finished products.

Quality Inspection and Packaging: Stainless steel products need to be inspected after production to ensure that they meet national standards and customer requirements. After inspection, qualified stainless steel products will be packaged and labeled for transportation and sale.

Common Application Fields of Stainless Steel

Stainless steel products are widely used in life because they are corrosion-resistant, beautiful, and easy to clean, and can satisfy people's pursuit of quality and health. The application range of stainless steel products is very wide, covering all aspects of clothing, food, housing and transportation. Below are some of the most common application fields of stainless steel.

Construction: Stainless steel has important applications in the field of construction. First of all, stainless steel as a building material can be used to make doors and windows, walls, roofs and so on. Its corrosion resistance enables stainless steel to adapt to the needs of different environments, while its bright appearance can enhance the aesthetics of buildings. In addition, stainless steel can also be used to make interior decorations, such as stair railings, suspended ceilings, etc., adding a modern and stylish atmosphere to the building.

Food Industry: Stainless steel is widely used in the food industry. Having good hygiene performance, stainless steel material does not produce harmful substances, and is easy to clean, and can meet the hygiene requirements of food processing. Stainless steel equipment commonly used in the food industry are stainless steel tanks, stainless steel pipes and so on. In addition, stainless steel can also be used to make kitchen utensils, such as pots, knives and so on.

Chemical Industry: Stainless steel is also widely used in the chemical industry. Because of its excellent corrosion resistance, stainless steel is often used to make chemical equipment, such as reactors, storage tanks, pipelines, etc.. Stainless steel materials can resist the erosion of various acid, alkali and other corrosive media to ensure the safety of chemical production.

Medical Equipment: Stainless steel also has important applications in the field of medical devices. The corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance of stainless steel can meet the requirements of health and durability of medical devices. Common stainless steel medical instruments are surgical instruments, syringes, needles and so on. In addition, stainless steel can also be used to make artificial joints, implants and other medical devices to help patients recover.

Aerospace: Stainless steel also has important applications in the aerospace field. Stainless steel has high strength and corrosion resistance, which can meet the material requirements of aerospace spacecraft. Stainless steel is often used to make aircraft structural parts, engine components, gas turbines and so on. The application of stainless steel can improve the performance and reliability of aerospace spacecraft and ensure the safety and development of aerospace industry.

Energy Industry: Stainless steel is also widely used in the field of energy. Stainless steel material has the characteristics of high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, which can meet the requirements of energy equipment. Stainless steel is often used in the production of nuclear power equipment, thermal power equipment, solar equipment and so on. The application of stainless steel can improve the performance and service life of energy equipment and promote the development of the energy industry.

Summary

To sum up, stainless steel plays an increasingly important role in modern society with its unique properties and wide range of applications. Its status continues to increase and it has become one of the key materials to promote economic development and scientific as well as technological progress. The development of the stainless steel industry also reflects the development trend of the global economy. As a major steel country, China occupies an important position in the global stainless steel market. The development of China's stainless steel industry not only meets domestic demand, but also moves into the international market, making indispensable  contributions to the global stainless steel supply chain.