Stainless steel, also known as inox, corrosion-resistant steel (CRES) and rustless steel, is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains iron with chromium and other elements such as molybdenum, carbon, nickel and nitrogen depending on its specific use and cost. Stainless steel's resistance to corrosion results from the 10.5%, or more, chromium content which forms a passive film that can protect the material and self-heal in the presence of oxygen.
Stainless steel taps and sink
Stainless steel is used for industrial equipment when it is important that the equipment be durable and easy to clean.
An announcement, as it appeared in a 1915 issue of The New York Times, of the development of stainless steel in Sheffield, England
Monument to Harry Brearley at the former Brown Firth Research Laboratory in Sheffield, England
An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, opacity, and luster, but may have properties that differ from those of the pure metals, such as increased strength or hardness. In some cases, an alloy may reduce the overall cost of the material while preserving important properties. In other cases, the mixture imparts synergistic properties to the constituent metal elements such as corrosion resistance or mechanical strength.
From left to right: three alloys (beryllium copper, Inconel, steel) and three pure metals (titanium, aluminum, magnesium)
Liquid bronze, being poured into molds during casting
A brass lamp
A gate valve, made from Inconel