There are many reasons why nothing can replace stainless steel rods. Whether it’s concrete, wood or other synthetic fibres, the corrosion resistance, durability, strength and reliability factor of any type of stainless steel bar is unsurpassed. Find out all about them in this guide!
Definition
Stainless steel bars are common architectural and decorative materials, used for structural and aesthetic purposes in a wide variety of industries and applications. Of the thousands of potential uses for stainless steel bars, some of the best known include.
Architectural design and engineering
Household goods, fixtures and products
Medical supplies, surgical/hygienic tools and machinery
Water treatment and supply
Transport and automotive components, tanks and containers
Water treatment and supply
Oil/gas pipelines and platforms
Stainless steel bars offer a range of high-value properties, but the most important of these is the one that gives the alloy its “stainless steel” name: corrosion resistance.
This is achieved through an alloying process: stainless steel is a metal alloy whose main components are iron and chromium; to be stainless steel, the metal must contain no less than 10.5% chromium.
Other common components usually present in stainless steel in varying proportions include silicon, carbon and manganese. Other alloying additions are often introduced during the manufacturing process to achieve specific applications and properties of the finished product.
These often include titanium, molybdenum, nickel, copper or nitrogen. The total alloy composition in a finished stainless steel bar can often be as high as 30%.
Stainless steel bar sizes
Stainless Steel Bars
Stainless steel bars are sold in many different basic shapes and formats and can be.
Round bars: arranged by diameter size.
Flat or rectangular bars: sized by thickness and width.
Square bars: sized by thickness or width.
Hexagonal bars: sized by thickness on a flat surface, not by corner to corner.
T-bar: often used in industry, machinery, trade and equipment manufacture.
Channel bars: often used for equipment frames and supports, as well as housings and casings.
There are different sizes of stainless steel bars on the market for use as products. Fortunately, while it is possible to make bars for almost any size or shape of construction, there is also a range of common or universal sizes that are often used for a wider range of different structures and applications.
Grades of rebar
This is where buying stainless steel bars can cause confusion. The grade of a stainless steel alloy product accurately indicates its intended application or environmental resistance.
This is determined by the specific chemical or elemental composition of the alloy in question, as well as any finishing or treatment processes it undergoes after casting.
As you can probably imagine, given the range of options described in this guide, this leaves us with a staggering number of potential stainless steel grades (over 150, although only about 15 of these are very common in everyday construction use).
The purpose of the stainless steel classification system is to give the user an indication of the sub-types of alloy used and the range of applications for which the product is suitable. You will usually see them written as numbers, for example.
304 stainless steel
316 stainless steel
You may also be interested in: How to choose the correct type and grade of stainless steel bar
Characteristics of stainless steel bars
Stainless Steel Bars
As we noted in the previous section, one of the characteristics of stainless steel is that it is highly resistant to all forms of corrosion, depending on the specific characteristics of how a particular grade of stainless steel is manufactured.
However, the alloy also has other noteworthy characteristics that you should always bear in mind when purchasing stainless steel bars, plates and other products for specific applications or aesthetics. These include.
High strength: Stainless steel is considered a relatively strong metal, although the cost of this strength is greater weight, which means it is not always the best choice for all types of structural or weight-critical applications.
Non-porous: Non-porosity is a key factor in stainless steel’s ability to resist corrosion, in addition to the specific chemical composition of its alloys.
Hygienic, low maintenance and non-reactive with many substances. Importantly, this includes most foods. Stainless steel does not contaminate taste or colour, which is why it is often used in kitchen environments and tableware.
So far we’ve shown you everything you need to know about stainless steel bars. Now that you know all its amazing properties, you certainly won’t regret using this material in your projects and we hope you found this information interesting and useful!