[ Taking care of the stainless steel ]

Handling

The stainless steel, originally developed for applications where the main requirement is the resistance to corrosion, has been very much used in applications with aesthetic appeal. The stainless steel protection comes from the resistance of the chromium oxide superficial layer to the environment attacks.

This layer, invisible, with thin thickness and highly adherent, called "Passive Layer", in spite of stable, is not indestructible and it needs special cares to be maintained unaffected its original characteristics.

With this in mind, basic cares must be observed for the prevention of mechanical damages and contamination of this pellicle.

The contamination with impurity through the manipulation of stainless steel with equipment used when handling other steels, or storage in dirty areas, can compromise its resistance to corrosion due to the adherence of impurities which avoids the contact of the steel chromium with the oxygen from the environment and the regeneration of the Passive Layer of chromium oxide, creating entrance ways to the corrosion and damaging the material.