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Types of stainless steel

There are several different types of stainless steel commonly used in industrial settings and in the manufacture of products such as steel banding. The vast majority of people may never have to concern themselves with the most durable types, but there are some industries and applications where something more than the most common type of stainless steel will be appropriate.

When you're trying to determine which type of steel you need for a particular application, you start by determining what types of exposures you'll be dealing with.

General Purpose Use

For the vast majority of users, Type 201 stainless steel will be suitable. This type of stainless steel is very strong and can hold up in most applications for a very long period of time. It is ideal for signage and other applications that municipalities usually handle.

It can handle the corrosive effects of car exhaust and other expected hazards along the roadside and in most industrial applications. When things are more extreme, however, stainless steel can still come through.

Harsh Environments

In environments where corrosion is more of a risk than the usual industrial or roadside application, Type 304 stainless steel is a great choice. It can hold up to more extreme conditions than Type 201 but is not remarkably more expensive.

For marine applications, it's a great choice. It can also serve in applications where industrial contaminants are present.

Type 304 should provide more than enough corrosion resistance for most users. There are those users, however, who have very harsh environments and, where those environments are concerned, stainless steel can still hold up.

The Most Extreme Conditions

When you're talking about refineries, industrial applications where corrosives are a constant and severe threat and extreme marine conditions, Type 316 stainless steel is the best solution.

It's not quite as strong as Type 201 but it can hold up to a huge amount of punishment from corrosives. It is a more expensive stainless steel but is a necessity if the environment it will be used in is particularly hazardous. It's also important for applications where the exposures will be unpredictable and where the maximum protection is needed to make sure that the steel can hold up to whatever may be present.

Making Your Choice

To determine which type of stainless steel is right for your application, you need to take into account the types of chemicals and the amount of strength you'll need. Most of the time, 304 will suffice for more corrosive environments and it provides a great balance of Type 201's strength and close to Type 316's corrosion resistant properties. When things get very extreme, however, Type 316 is the best choice.

For the lightest duty applications, banding can be bought in light gauges that provide great strength and durability without sacrificing the incredible corrosion resistance of stainless steel. These are ideal for most of the warehouses that have general merchandise in them and for quite a few industrial applications, as well.

Stainless steel, however, can handle most anything industry has to offer for a challenge and can keep on offering its legendary durability for many years and in a variety of different applications. 

Core Products USA is a distributor of stainless steel banding, strapping, sign brackets, buckles & banding tools located in Lafayette, Louisiana.
All of our products are made from US steel and can ship next day thanks to the large inventory we keep of in-stock items.

Contact Info :

4400-A Ambassador Caffery PMB 324
Lafayette, LA 70508-6706
Phone: 1-877-578-0588
Fax: 1-877-489-2545