Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is made primarily from iron and carbon in a  two-step process. What makes stainless steel different is the addition of chromium (Cr) and other alloying elements such as nickel (Ni) to create a corrosion-resistant product.

Steel corrodes because iron, the metal used to make steel, occurs in nature in combination with other elements. When iron ore is artificially manipulated into a pure form to make steel, it becomes unstable and will readily recombine with oxygen.

When chromium is added to steel, it forms chromium oxide, which acts as a protective surface to prevent air and moisture from causing rust, as happens with ordinary steel.