Stainless Steel Finishing Manual

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The importance of finishing stainless steel products is very important.. It is known that the corrosion resistance of stainless steels is due to the formation of a protective film on the surface of the material., resulting from the combination of oxygen in the environment and the existing chromium in the chemical composition of steel (All stainless steel has at least 11% of chromium in its chemical composition).

The formation of this fine, invisible and resistant chromium oxide film, called the “passive layer”, it is practically instantaneous and spontaneous. Therefore, in addition to giving the material a surface with characteristics that are compatible with the requirements of each product to be manufactured, the stainless steel finishing processes are also responsible for:

  • ensure that the passive layer remains uniform over the entire surface of the material through the adoption of clear working procedures and training of operating personnel;
  • do not introduce elements or substances on the surface of the stainless steel that could disturb the formation of the passive layer or compromise its efficiency. This can be achieved by using specific supplies for stainless steel and suitable equipment..

Finishing steps can be carried out at various times in the production chain: when the steel is still in the steel mill (blasting, pickling, plate grinding), in service providers after steel fabrication (sanding, decorative sanding, polishing), between manufacturing stages in industries (grinding, pickling and passivation of weld beads) or after manufacturing as the last step before being sent to the final consumer (polishing sinks and tubs, electropolishing of connections).

It is very common when approaching any of the stainless steel finishing processes, cite its ease in obtaining smoother or rougher surfaces, and even compare them regarding the different “roughness” of their surfaces. Surface roughness is a concept that is closely associated with the performance of the material in a very large number of applications.. As flat as they may appear to the naked eye, the metallic surfaces when enlarged show that they are actually formed by a sequence of peaks and valleys. The higher the peaks and the deeper the valleys and the more frequent they are, the greater the roughness of the material. This roughness is a particularly important element in materials that will be used in the food industry., pharmaceutical or chemical as they make cleaning difficult and increase the likelihood of unwanted particles lodged between the peaks and valleys of the material, being able to contaminate the manufactured products and even cause corrosion points. The roughness of a surface can be measured in specific scales through a device called “rugometer”..

 
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Stainless Steel Finishing Manual
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