Stainless Steel Crystalline Structure and Properties and Stainless Steel Types - Term Paper Example

The aim of this report is to evaluate and analyze stainless steel generally. That is; the report will evaluate the crystalline nature of stainless steel, its properties, and the types or grades of stainless steel that exists. The essay presents how the properties and structure of the stainless steel materials affect their performance under different environments, temperatures, and other elements such as acids. More importantly, when discussing the types of stainless steel, we will show where they are best used, why they fail in other environments and the maintenance of the metals.

The essay will help understand the nature of different types of stainless steel, which is beneficial in understanding the resistance to corrosion of metals including their selection, design, and other efficient applications. Stainless steel around the world is also referred to as either inox or inox steel. Stainless steel is different from other steel in the world due to the minimum chromium content that the steels have. That is; 10.5 percent is the minimum content of chromium that the steels have, where most of them have above this to around 26 percent (ISSF, 2016).

Stainless steel is a term that describes the versatile family of engineering materials based on their corrosion properties and their heat-resistant properties. Chromium, which is a principal property of stainless steel, reacts with the moisture and oxygen in the environment forming an adherent, coherent, protective, and oxide film that envelops the surface of the material forming a passive layer. The layer formed on the stainless steel exhibits a remarkable property since when damaged it has the capability of self-repairing due to the reaction of chromium when mixed with oxygen and moisture in the environment, reforming the oxide layer (ISSF, 2016).

The higher the chromium level on a material, the higher the resistance of the material to corrosion. Addition of other properties such as nickel or molybdenum upturns the resistance capability of the material from corrosion. The addition of nitrogen to the material has a growing mechanical strength effect on the stainless steel material.