Why Should you Use Stainless Steel Instead of Mild Steel?

Do you know the difference between mild steel and stainless steel? Ever heard about what exactly mild steel is? If you are aware of it, then do you know mild steel is also known as Carbon steel?

Well, just because any railing, grill or gate is made up of steel, it doesn’t mean it is made from the same quality. Even in steel metal, there are two types that are majorly categorized, first, stainless steel and second, carbon or mild steel. Yes, they both may look same, but some significant key features that distinguishes it from each other majorly.

Steel is a metal, which is called an alloy. When two or even more than two natural metals are blended and melded together, then a new metal is formed which is called alloy. And, steel is a metal alloy, which is a mixture of iron along with one another metal. Steel is used for different purposes, from fabricating grills, railings, gates, pipes, tubes and frames, steel is one of the preferred choices in engineering and construction of commercial as well as residential places.

Now, let us move forward and understand what is the different between mild steel and stainless steel in-depth.

 

Mild Steel (Carbon Steel)

In simpler terms to classify mild steel or carbon steel, it’s a blend and meld of Iron with carbon and very limited alloying elements. The content of the carbon in mild steel is a bit high and weighs up to 2.1% usually. According to American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), here is the technical definition of carbon steel:

1. Maximum content of manganese must not exceed 1.65%

2. Maximum content of copper must not exceed 0.6%

3. Maximum content of silicon must not exceed 0.6%

4. Minimum required copper content must not exceed 0.40%

5. No minimum content requirement for chromium, cobalt, nickel, titanium, tungsten, vanadium or other corrosion-resistant metals.

So, this is the criteria exhibited by the American Iron and Steel Institute for the carbon steel. The contents of Carbon are high in mild steel and then, it becomes harder and stronger, which is a highlighting feature of mild steel. However, one of the major disadvantages of using mild or carbon steel is that it lacks the properties of corrosion resistance due to which is quickly corrodes or rust. When the mild steel gets in contact with the moisture, be it in small amount, it begins to rust.

Overall, mild steel is maybe beneficial in cost but not in quality, especially for the manufacturing and construction operations.

Stainless Steel (Inox Steel)

Stainless Steel is also known as Inox steel, which means Inoxidizable. Stainless steel has contents of iron, 2% of carbonand 10.5% of Chromium. And, Chromium is the major key content in stainless steel which reacts with the oxygen and create a passive layer to prevent the steel from corrosion or rust. Chromium unlike iron can easily be exposed to oxygen without even developing corrosion or rust.  

Obviously, stainless steel differs from carbon steel greatly, be it in terms of contents, durability or maintenance. Moreover, even in Stainless Steel Products, you will come across two qualities. The one which has chromium contents of 10.5% is less durable and cheap in prices. Other than that, there is another stainless steel grade quality, which has chromium contents of 16%. Of course, it is bit expensive and provides a great service life and saves maintenance cost further!

Why Stainless Steel should be Preferred instead of Mild Steel?

Now, you know the difference between the mild steel and stainless steel. It is all about the contents and context because both vary differently.

Let’s step ahead to know why you should use stainless steel instead of mild steel!  

Mild Steel/ Carbon Steel

• Vulnerable to rust quickly
• Mild Steel is more brittle
• As it’s a carbon steel, which contains carbon contents majorly, thus it is wear-resistant.

Stainless Steel

• Stainless Steel is majorly known for its corrosion-resistant property.
• It is less brittle
• Also, stainless steel products have chromium contents, which distinguishes it from the mild steel and makes it less wear-resistant.
• It’s bit expensive, but durability and premium quality is assured.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, it is quite obvious that stainless steel and mild steel, both are different. If you are looking for SS Stainless Steel products that ensures 100% quality and corrosion-resistant property, you can get in touch with the experts at Maven Stainless Steel. With decades of experience in manufacturing stainless steel pipes and tubes, we have become a prominent and trusted choice among the clients. Moreover, at Maven stainless steel, the experts continually invest in technology, which is beneficial in meeting customer’s demand and without any delay.