Okuzeka
Chemical Engineering vocabulary · Materials and Corrosion

Stainless steel

Meaning in chemical engineering, with examples

/ˌsteɪnləs ˈstiːl/nounCore term

In chemical engineering, stainless steel means: A family of steels containing at least about 10.5% chromium, which forms a thin protective oxide layer and gives much better corrosion resistance than carbon steel.

In Turkish: paslanmaz çelik

How it is used

The most common upgrade from carbon steel in chemical, food and pharmaceutical plants. Engineers specify grades such as 304, 316 or 316L and duplex. Chlorides can cause pitting and stress corrosion cracking in common grades.

Example sentences

  1. We chose 316L stainless steel because the molybdenum gives better resistance to chlorides.

  2. Stainless steel is not immune to corrosion; warm chloride solutions can still crack it.

Common collocations

  • 316L stainless steel
  • austenitic stainless steel
  • duplex stainless steel
  • stainless steel piping
  • corrosionThe slow damage of a metal by chemical or electrochemical reaction with its surroundings, such as rust on carbon steel or attack by acids and chlorides.
  • pittingA form of local corrosion that creates small, deep holes in a metal surface while the area around them looks almost undamaged.
  • material of constructionThe material that a piece of equipment, pipe or part is made from, chosen for strength, temperature, corrosion resistance and cost.
  • corrosion allowanceExtra wall thickness added to a vessel or pipe on top of what strength calculations require, so that it can lose metal to corrosion over its life and still be safe.

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: