Stainless Steel Plates – Grades and Demand

Stainless steel is known for its versatile alloy which can be seen in its various applications due to its corrosion-resistant properties. The introduction of chromium (12%) into the steel alloy renders it corrosion resistant. The resultant product is called stainless steel plates. According to alloy content, different types of grades are named martensitic, austenitic, ferritic, precipitation hardening, duplex and superalloy.

Most Common and Popular Grade of Stainless Steel

When we think about the popular grade of stainless steel, austenitic grades of alloy come first in mind. These grades are hard with heat treatment. The most commonly used austenitic alloys are iron-chromium-nickel steels. However, there are 300 series of common grades which are used for their stainless properties usually good mechanical properties. But the most one grades in series is 304.

This series of L grades comprises low grades which provide extra corrosion resistance after welding. Its carbon content is kept at 0.03% or less to avoid any carbide precipitation.

Two other most popular grades are in this series is 316 and 317 that include:

  • Martensitic Grades – These grades alloys are corrosion resistant and amenable to hardening by heat treatment. They are magnetic and are known as chromium steel contain no nickel. The most common grade type in this is basic 410 and 420, where 420 has more number carbon concentration than 410 to improve its mechanical properties.
  • Ferritic Grade–  On compare to martensitic grades, these grades are more corrosive resistant and are highly resistant to cracking due to stress-related corrosion. These also have a magnetic property with only chromium without nickel. However, they are inferior to austenitic grades, but superior to martensitic grades.

Stainless steel Plates Standards

There are a wide range of recognized standard stainless steel plates collection in the world which distinguish steel plates into different grades as mention above. These may be associations of steel producing companies, associations of steel or country-specific agencies. But sometimes any grade of steel marketed by a company will mention different standards of grading having been applied to it.

Stainless Steel Demand

The demand for steel utensils is increasing all around the world and the supplier who have industry specific grades available for their customers. They have their websites and can contact easily with their contact us page. Also, they are active on social media like Facebook and Instagram. In this era of globalization, it doesn’t matter if the supplier selling through an online portal or offline.

Aluminum & Anodized Aluminum Cookware – Drawbacks and Benefits

Still many consider that during long slow cooking, the changes in food colour and taste associated with aluminium cookware can still occur. A major drawback found in anodized aluminium cookware is that it was difficult to keep clean, despite some manufacturers’ Aluminium and Anodized aluminium cookware are two of the most common cookware materials used in the kitchen. Each of them has particular benefits and drawbacks in terms of their uses in cookware.

Aluminium is well known for its excellent conductor of heat that makes it an ideal material for cookware. If the cookware surface layer is enough thick then it heats up evenly. Unlike other materials cookware, aluminium cookware is inexpensive and its lightweight makes cooking easier.

Aluminium is soft and prone to scratching but can wraps easily at high heat. One of the major drawbacks to aluminium is that it’s highly reactive. It means that it will react with acidic foods such as tomatoes citrus and some alkaline food such as asparagus and cabbage.

The reaction of these foods makes food have an off, metallic taste, change food colour and making them appear an unattractive grey shade. Also, aluminium cookware is controversial, several reports suggested that food cook in aluminium cookware leaches into food. The leaching of food contributes to Alzheimer’s disease.

However, the modern design aluminium cookwares come with stainless steel inner layer that avoids any kind of reaction of food during cooking. Other studies show that dispute the correlation between cookware and high aluminium levels in the brain.

The alternative option for aluminium cookware is anodized aluminium cookware. Anodized aluminium cookware formed when aluminium cookware has undergone a process that turns aluminium into anodized which makes it less reactive to alkaline and acid food.

claims to the contrary.

Conclusion

Aluminium cookware comes with many benefits and drawbacks, but to avoid drawbacks buy high-quality aluminium. For general cooking, aluminium utensils are perfectly fine especially nowadays where most of them come with a non-stick lining.

The cheap quality aluminium cookware we see in the local market is made up of a scrap of questionable purity and provenance. So go for the best and enjoy your cooking with modern design aluminium cookware.