Stainless Steel
At A Glance: An even stronger variation of steel, offers high resistance to rust and corrosion, more expensive than steel but tends to be less expensive than brass and bronze.
Stainless steel is one of the most common variations of the alloy steel. It is made up of steel and a minimum of 10.5% chromium, along with many other elements. Chromium is the main element present that makes this variation of steel resistant to rust and corrosion. Keep in mind that stainless steel, like any metal product, is not 100% resistant to rust, corrosion, or other damage. It is a common misconception that stainless steel never rusts. An easy way to remember this fact is in the name itself. It is a metal that simply “stains less” than a normal steel would. That being said, even if stainless steel does end up rusting, one of the main benefits of the material is that it can typically be easily restored. As long as the product is a solid stainless steel base material with a natural brushed or polished finish, the right tools and/or solvents can fix this (brush wheel, polishing wheel, stainless cleaner, steel wool, etc).
Note that in general, the higher the chromium content, the more rust and corrosion resistant a stainless steel will be. Grades of stainless steel exist to help determine varying chromium content (among other elements). A 304 grade stainless steel is the most commonly used type, which has 18% chromium and 8% nickel. A majority of hardware will be made with 304 grade stainless. The next most common grade is 316, aka marine grade, which is typically 16% chromium, 10% nickel, and 2% molybdenum. Molybdenum is a new element introduced that makes 316 grade stainless even more resistant to rust and corrosion.
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