The oceanfront is a beautiful but expensive place to live. And as it turns out, it’s also one of the most difficult places to use metal in outdoor architecture.
The salt and moisture of the seaside makes long-lasting construction a challenge.
Salt in particular is a highly corrosive substance and if you live near the coast, salt spray can be a real problem.Iron and steel are highly susceptible to this type of corrosion.
Stainless steel is valued for its anti-corrosive properties.
Stainless steel is an alloy composed primarily of iron, with other ingredients added including nickel, titanium, aluminium, copper, nitrogen, phosphorous, and selenium. But the ingredient that gives stainless steel its anti-corrosive properties is chromium, which makes up at least 10.5% of its total composition.
Marine grade 316 also contains 2% to 3% of molybdenum, a hard, silver white metallic element used to toughen steels and increase corrosion-resistance in nickel alloys.The addition of this ingredient gives Marine grade 316 superior corrosion resistance to other chromium-nickel steels when exposed to chemical corrosives such as seawater and brine solutions.
Particularly, in marine environments and in applications requiring heavy welding, 316 stainless steel is commonly specified due to its many benefits.Typically, this is the metal used in marine applications.
Type 316 grade stainless steel is particularly effective in acidic environments. This grade of steel is effective in protecting against corrosion caused by sulfuric, hydrochloric, acetic, formic, and tartaric acids, as well as acid sulfates and alkaline chlorides.Marine grade 316 stainless steel is clearly the hands-down winner in terms of exposure to chlorides such as those found in salt spray.
316 stainless steel is heat resistant and has good oxidation resist resistance to a temperature of approximately 1600oF in intermittent service and to a temperature of 1700oF in continuous service.316 SS is also excellent for fabrication purposes – it can be formed and cut to size with appropriate tools and machinery. It also has outstanding weldability, and it is virtually non-magnetic in the annealed condition.
Security Screens, Marine technologies, Refinery & oil field, Boat & yacht fittings, Chemical processing, Scientific & laboratory use, Particle separation, General industrial use, etc.
316 Stainless Steel – Standard Chemical Composition (in %) | ||||||||
| Carbon [C] | Manganese [Mn] | Phosphorus [P] | Sulfur [S] | Silicon [Si] | Chromium [Cr] | Nickel [Ni] | Iron [Fe] | Others, if Applicable |
| 0.08 Max | 2.00 Max | 0.045 Max | 0.03 Max | 0.75 Max | 16.00–18.00 | 10.00–14.00 | Balance | Mo = 2.00-3.00, N = 0.10 Max |
