100 years of innovation

During the 19th century a number of scientists discovered the excellent corrosion resistance of chromium alloyed steels. But it was not until the early decades of the 1900s that the first stainless steel was patented and manufactured. These events mark the start of the stainless steel industry. An industry that has, over the past 100 years, made a significant contribution to the development of our world.

100 years of stainless steels

The world stainless association together with Team Stainless has released this video to mark the centenary since stainless steel was first discovered and commercialised. As well as covering the history of stainless steel and its alloying elements, the video also features many applications for this remarkable material – from the past until today. It also outlines why demand for stainless steel has increased 10-fold in the 40 years since 1970 and why the industry’s long-term growth rate remains above 6%.

The video is available in English from YouTube. The video is also available in the following languages: Chinese, Czech, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Slovenian, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.

Published 21 July 2020

The history of stainless steels

Mankind has utilised iron for thousands of years. Yet it is only within the past 150 years that metallurgists have learnt how to make steels, control their properties and mass-produce them with a consistent level of quality.

During the 19th century, a number of scientists discovered the excellent corrosion resistance of chromium alloyed steels. But it was not until the early decades of the 1900s that the first stainless steel was patented and manufactured. These events mark the start of the stainless steel industry. An industry that has, over the past 100 years, made a significant contribution to the development of our world.

Download the history

Published 21 July 2020