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All About Stainless Steel

Why does everybody love Stainless Steel? Is it because stainless steel housewares are functional and elegance? Or is it because it is easy to care for and only require minimal maintenance comparing to other materials? Isn't it good that they do not crack, chip or corrode under normal use. More importantly, stainless steel wares are nontoxic, free of mercury, lead and other harmful chemicals, so they are safe for serving foods and drinks. Also, durable stainless steel kitchenwares can often be used in the oven, refrigerator and freezer. Additionally, stainless steel can be made in a variety of shapes, finishes and textures. In summary, stainless steel products offer longer lasting beauty, better value and lower lifecycle costs than products made of other materials.

While we use stainless steel in numerous ways in our homes and industries, many of us are not familiar with its unique properties. Do you know that stainless steel is a generic name for steels that contain more than 10.5% chromium? The addition of chromium into steel gives it a strong, adherent, invisible, corrosion-resisting chromium oxide film protection. A very thin, transparent layer on the surface of stainless steel provides a very important self-healing feature. Unknown to us, oxygen in the air or water activates this unique layer to repair lightly scratched or damaged surfaces, so stainless steel items can remain bright and shiny even after decades.

Do you know that there are many different grades and qualities of stainless steel? From a technical aspect, 18/8 is a general reference for the 300 series stainless steel (i.e. 302, 302HQ, 303, 304, 305, 384, and XM7). The 300 series stainless steel contains approximately 18% chromium and 8% nickel. There may be little overall difference in corrosion resistance among these types, but slight differences in chemical composition can make certain grades more resistant than others against particular chemicals or atmospheres. "304" is a higher strength austenitic grade that is used for almost all of the StainlessLUX branded housewares.

Stainless steel also has different thicknesses and weights. Stainless steel items may appear to be the same on the surface, however the thickness of the material may determine its durability and overall quality. Depending on the design and purpose, StainlessLUX generally chooses a better grade stainless steel and thicker material to manufacture our products. Therefore, StainlessLUX pieces will likely be heavier, more durable, and have a better overall quality.
Stainless steel pieces are environmentally friendly because they are reusable and recyclable. According to the International Stainless Steel Forum (ISSF), "Stainless steel is a champion of recycling, with around 90% of end-of-life stainless steel being collected and recycled into new stainless steel – without loss of quality. Durability and recyclability are two of the key contributions which stainless steel makes to sustainability."  
A stainless steel item always has value even after its useful life ends at your home or in the industry. It will become scarp, introduced to new raw materials and reborn again as another useful stainless steel product. Another benefit is that stainless steel can be recycled without degradation, so the recycled product retains its original quality. Stainless steel is systematically recycled on a worldwide scale, and is a reusable, recyclable, environmentally sustainable resource.
Still want to learn more about Stainless Steel? Read the History of Stainless Steel or explore other informative stainless steel sites:

The links above are just a service provided for your convenience. StainlessLUX, Inc. is not affiliated with the above sites; however, it might be noteworthy to mention that our founder was a Certified Stainless Steel Specialist by the International Stainless Steel Forum.