Stainless steel development

Stainless steel development

In 1912, Hermos in the United States also made stainless steel. At the same time, German metallurgical experts Schutrauss and Maurer also discovered that adding chromium and nickel to smelting could make steel that would not rust. Their discoveries were almost on the same starting line as those of Brearley in the UK. However, they did not ask why for the strange phenomena they observed. Instead, they stopped before entering the scientific door to continue research, and thus they were not the same as the first time. The honorary crown of discovering stainless steel and developing and utilizing it to obtain huge economic benefits passed by. Later, scientists discovered that the reason why stainless steel is so resistant to corrosion is that when it is exposed to the air, the chromium element on its surface forms a dense layer of chromium trioxide. This oxide film is so thin that So it will not affect the smoothness and metallic luster of the metal surface. This oxide film will not continue to react with water and air. When the surface is scratched, a new oxide film will quickly form. Although aluminum alloy is lighter than steel and is also corrosion-resistant, the oxide film on the surface is indeed gray and not as bright as stainless steel. Aluminum, on the other hand, is softer, while chromium is the hardest metal, with a Mohs hardness of 9, so it doesn't wear easily. Although stainless steel costs more, it is still widely used.

Since all stainless steels are determined by their elemental content, not all stainless steels can resist corrosion from various media: generally speaking, stainless steel can only resist atmospheric exposure corrosion (temperature, humidity, sunshine, rainfall and Corrosion from atmospheric pollutants, etc.), and over time, the surface will become discolored and even rusty. However, these flaws cannot erase the brilliance of stainless steel's performance, nor can it shake its position of being widely used. Stainless steel is known as stainless steel and is a major scientific discovery that changed the course of human civilization in the 20th century.