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Surface

Care and Maintenance of Stainless Steel






Stainless steel are selected for applications where their inherent corrosion resistance, strength and aesthetic appeal are required. However, dependent on the service conditions, stainless steel will stain and discolour due to surface deposits and so cannot be assumed to be completely maintenance-free. In order to achieve maximum corrosion resistance and aesthetic appeal, the surface of the stainless steel must be kept clean. Provided the grade of stainless steel and the surface finish are correctly selected, and cleaning schedules carried out on a regular basis, good performance and long service life will result.

Factors affecting maintenance
Surface contamination and the formation of deposits on the surface of the stainless steel must be prevented. These deposits may be minute particles of iron or rust generated during construction. Industrial and even naturally occurring atmospheric conditions can produce deposits which can be equally corrosive, e.g. salt deposits from marine conditions.

Working environments can also provide aggressive conditions such as heat and humidity in swimming pool buildings. These conditions can result in surface discolouration of stainless steel and so maintenance on a more frequent basis may be required.

Modern processes use many cleaners, sterilizers and bleaches for hygienic purposes. Proprietary solutions, when used in accordance with makers' instructions, should be safe but if used incorrectly (e.g. warm or concentrated), may cause discolouration or corrosion on stainless steel. Strong acid solutions are sometimes used to clean masonry and tiling of buildings. These acids should never be used where contact with metals, including stainless steel, is possible. If this happens, the acid solution must be removed immediately, followed by dilution and rinsing with cleaning water.



Maintenance programme

With care taken during fabrication and installation, cleaning before 'hand-over' should not present any problems. More attention may be required if the installation period has been prolonged or hand-over delayed. Where surface contamination is suspected, immediate cleaning after site fixing should avoid problems later. Food handling, pharmaceutical, aerospace and certain nuclear applications may require extremely high levels of cleanliness applicable to each industry.

The frequency of cleaning is dependent on the application - a simple rule is:

Clean the metal when it is dirty in order to restore its original appearance.

This may vary from once to four times a year for external applications, but may be daily for items in 'hygienic' applications. Recommendations on cleaning frequencies in architectural applications are shown below.

Cleaning frequency in architectural applications

Location 430 (1.4016) 304 (1.4301) 316 (1.4401)
Internal As required to maintain appearance or design
Suburban or rural 6-12 month intervals (as appropriate to location and design)
Industrial or urban Grade not recommended 3-6 months 6-12 months
Coastal or marine Grade not recommended Grade not recommended 6-12 months
Related References:
1. ISO 1302 DIN 4768 Comparison of Surface Roughness Values
2. Electrical Discharge Machining EDM Roughness Comparator
3. Polishing Polished Seamless Stainless Steel Pipe Tube
4. Stainless Steel Tubes Surface Roughness Review
5. Stainless Steel Bright Annealing/Annealed Tubes
6. China USA Surface Roughness Standard Comparison
7. Surface Roughness Conversion Chart of Stainless Steel Tube
8. Stainless Steel Tube Surface Finish Types
9. Cleaning of Stainless Steel Tubes
10. Post weld cleaning and finishing of stainless steels
11. Care and maintenance of stainless steel
12. British and American standards for tolerances, surface finish and testing of stainless steel
13. Surface Finish Degree Comparison Table between Rz Ra RMS
14. Cleaning of Stainless Steel
15. Cleaner Iron Production with Corex Process
16. Cleaning Care Maintenance of Stainless Steel
17. Cleaning Methods for Stainless Steel
18. Stainless Steel Tableware Correct Use Methods
19. Stainless Steel Surface Washing Instructions

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321 321H Stainless Steel
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253MA S30815 Stainless Steel Tube
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2507 Super Duplex Pipe
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EN 10216-5
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EN 10216-5 1.4462 1.4362 1.4162 1.4410 1.4501 Seamless Tubes
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UNS N08020 Alloy 20 Tubing
UNS N02200 Alloy 200 Tube
UNS N02201 Alloy 201 Pipe
UNS N04400 Monel 400 Tubing
N06600 Inconel 600 Tube
N06601 Inconel 601 Tubing
N06625 Inconel 625 Tubes
N08800 Incoloy 800 Tube
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ASTM B622 N10276 C276 Tubing
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C28000 Brass Seamless Tubes C44300 Brass Seamless Tubes
C68700 Brass Seamless Tubes
C70600 Copper Nickel Tubes
C71500 Copper Nickel Tubes
DIN 2391 Seamless Precision Steel Tubes
EN 10305-1 E215 E235 E355 Seamless Precision Steel Tube Tubing Tubes
DIN 2393 St28 St34.2 St37.2 St44.2 St52.3 Welded Precision Steel Tubes
EN 10305-2 E195 E235 E355 Welded Cold Drawn Precision Steel Tube