Stainless steel is stainless, because it has such an amount of chromium in the alloy that, when oxidized, it generates an outer layer allowing to cover the entire tool, preventing the steel that is below said layer from oxidizing.
That is, chromium generates a film around that protects the steel, so that, if it is scratched, or a slit is made, or the tool is scratched, the oxygen that enters that hole, when there is still chromium, a chromium oxide film is generated.
In other words, that damage caused to the tool is self-repaired.
However, this has its limits.
What problem does stainless steel have?
In the previous post we commented that stainless steel can rust.
Here's the explanation.
If we take the previous case, where a slit is generated in the stainless-steel tool, and inside this hole, a particle of carbon steel penetrates, when the latter oxidizes, it will cause the rest of the material to be corrupted.
So, what used to be stainless steel is now normal steel.
Therefore, when working with stainless screws, for example, if a normal steel tool is used, it can contaminate those screws.
That is, it is not the fact that stainless steel can be of poor quality, but that, by using a carbon steel tool to tighten the screws, they have been contaminated.
In this way, it is important that in all the elements that are used stainless steel on which a tool has to be used, said tool is also made of stainless steel.
Otherwise, the investment made in stainless steel parts will become unprofitable.
The same happens in sterilization processes where depending on:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Type of detergent
They are not suitable for the stainless steel of which the tool to be sterilized is composed and, as a result, it ends up rusting.
Therefore, we always recommend users who use industrial tools, and who need to carry out sterilization processes in it, to tell us how these processes are.
In this way, we will be able to advise them on the type of stainless-steel tool alloy that could be better suited and carry out an on-demand manufacture of those tools with the correct alloy.
Is this your case?