Surfaces

Guidance to stainless steel surfaces and how to maintain them in pristine condition.

Care and maintenance of stainless steel

This resource describes the importance of regular cleaning to prevent discolouration and corrosion of stainless steels.  for example. A tabulated maintenance programme is given for different locations (urban, rural, coastal or marine) for 3 different grades (1.4016 (430), 1.4301 (304) and 1.4401 (316)).

Provider: British Stainless Steel Association

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Cleaning methods for stainless steel

This resource tabulates information about the cleaning of stainless steel. The table firstly describes the cleaning requirement, ranging from light soiling to heavily neglected surfaces with grime deposits and paint stains. The cleaning method is then explained for each case, detailing the use of detergents, chemical liquids, pastes, abrasive brushes etc.

Provider: British Stainless Steel Association

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Do's and don'ts in selecting and specifying stainless steel surface finishes

This resource firstly outlines mill and mechanically polished (brushed) stainless steel finishes to EN 10088 Part 2. Patterned finishes, widely used in architectural applications and useful for reducing distortion, are also described. Bead blasted, electropolished and coloured finishes are also covered.  Surface roughness values are shown for mill and polished surfaces. The care required during the fabrication and installation of stainless steel parts and the maintenance methods are discussed. Finally case studies demonstrating good grade and finish selection are described.

Date: 2002
Provider: British Stainless Steel Association

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Guide to stainless steel finishes

This resource is a complete overview of the available finishes on stainless steel. There are 7 finishing techniques that can be applied- mill, brushed, patterned, bead blasted, electropolished, coloured and decorative. For each finishing technique, the fabrication method is described while noting the adjustments to the technique that produce various aesthetic effects. Annex A provides the technical and practical aspects to grade selection, workability, cleanability, corrosion avoidance tips and the uniformity of finish. Annex B summarises the available finishes and fabrication in tabulated form.

Date: 2005
Provider: Euro Inox

This resource is available in Czech, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.

Special finishes for stainless steel

Colorful illustrations throughout this free Designer Handbook provide a sampling of the customized, special finishes for stainless steel available in today's marketplace. Learn about etched, embossed, rolled, colored, and other special finishes, and where you can find them through the handbook's Directory of Representative Suppliers.

Date: 2000
Provider: Specialty Steel Industry of North America

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Specifying stainless steel surface treatments

This resource discusses various stainless steel surface treatments: passivation, pickling, electropolishing and mechanical cleaning. Also discussed are conditions which would favour one method over another depending on the application.

Date: 1992
Provider: Nickel Institute

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