From the roofing of buildings to the knives in your kitchen, stainless steel is used throughout the world for many different purposes. Due to it's brute strength and resistance to corrosion, stainless steel has become a very important material for people everywhere. Given the wide variety of different uses for stainless steel, it comes in many different shapes and forms. While stainless steel is used by homeowners and construction professionals, stainless steel is also used heavily by marines. And given the important uses of this steel in marine applications, there is now marine grade stainless steel.
But what is marine grade stainless steel you may be wondering? In this post, we'll discuss what makes this steel marine grade and why this type of steel in beneficial.
What Makes it Marine Grade?
If you're familiar with the United States Marines, then you know that they require many different machines, tools, and resources to help serve our country. Furthermore, since they need protection from some of the world's biggest threats, they need the strongest material known to man. Marine grade stainless steel consists of materials with the highest level of corrosion resistance and toughness. In addition, since marines spend a lot of time out at sea, marine grade stainless steel is used to protect ships from the harsh elements of the ocean. See below for more in-depth information on the corrosion-resistant qualities of marine grade stainless steel.
Resistant to Salt Water Effects
One of the biggest threats to the steel used by marines is salt water. Over time, salt water can greatly affect even the strongest metals, causing them to rust, corrode, and ultimately fail. While all grades of stainless steel have some corrosion resistance qualities, marine grade stainless steel is more suitable for marine environments. Unlike other metals, marine grade stainless steel has the superior quality of being resistant to rust and corrosion. Since marine vessels and objects are constantly submerged underwater, they must be constructed with marine grade stainless steel to stay strong and intact for the important jobs they have to do.
What Type is Used?
While there are several stainless steel grades that are appropriate for marine applications, grade 316 is probably the most common. That is because it has more molybdenum than other steels, making it more resistant to pitting and other corrosive effects of salt water. Grade 304 is another grade that is commonly used my marines.
Blackstone Advanced Technologies
If you're looking for marine grade stainless steel for a wide variety of marine uses, then Blackstone Advanced Technologies is the company for you. We've been a trusted partner for the United States for decades, and we proudly produce marine sheet metal products, including shipboard furniture, lockers, and more. Contact us today to get a quote on your next marine sheet metal project!
