Stainless Steel

Description

Stainless steel alloy usually contains iron, chromium, manganese, silicon, carbon, and sometimes nickel and molybdenum. This material is used in almost every industry and technologies (like CNC machining and milling) as it's both strong and has good corrosion resistance. However, after sustained contact with water, it can eventually corrode. Stainless steel has lots of different types (grades) that each have various properties depending on the additives they contain, though minimum 10.5% of chromium is a must. The main grades of stainless steel are:

• 304 - most common grade that has 18% Chromium and 8% Nickel
• 316 - another very widespread grade, that unlike 304, thanks to molybdenum (about 2%) has additional solarium and chloride acid resistance
• 316L - is an extra-low carbon version of the 316 steel alloy. This version minimizes deleterious carbide precipitation during welding and is often used for metal 3D printing
• 410 - general purpose martensitic stainless steels containing 11.5% chromium
• 420 - is a martensitic higher carbon version of type 410. This material is often hardened and polished to achieve the best corrosion resistance

3D printing with stainless steel

316L is one of the most popular stainless steel grades used in 3D printing. This material has better mechanical properties thanks to the high temperature gradient and fast rate of solidification.

Common Uses

• ​Jewelry
• Firearms
• Aerospace
• Locomotion
• Architecture
• Engineering
• Electrical components

Advantages

• Corrosion resistance
• Heat damage resistance
• Chemical damage resistance
• High strength duplex grade

Disadvantages

• Initial high cost
• Difficult to machine/3D print
• Relatively expensive post processing