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Stainless steel - one of the most popular materials of the XXI century. Its production is a fairly complex technological process, carried out in three ways. There are open-hearth, oxygen converter and electric steelmaking methods.

Open-hearth method

Melting of the metal is done in special furnaces - oscillating or stationary. Smelting lasts a long time - 4-6 hours, but during the melting process it is possible to control the quality of the metal with the help of repeated samples. In open-hearth furnaces, special grades of steel are produced by adding the necessary impurities. The open-hearth method is quite expensive. That is why recently it is being gradually abandoned.

Oxygen-converter method

The technology consists of the following. Pig iron and charge are loaded into a pear-shaped vessel. The mixture is blown with oxygen, supplied under pressure from below upwards. To process 1 ton of pig iron 350 cubic meters of oxygen is needed. No fuel is used in this process. Oxygen heats the mixture in the converter to its melting point. The excess carbon in the pig iron is oxidized and carried away with the flow of furnace gases. This method is by far the most common. It is more economical, but due to its rapidity is poorly controlled. A distinction is made between the oxygen-converter process with combined, top and bottom blowing. The converter method of stainless steel production with combined blowing is considered the most versatile.

The electric arc furnace process

Steel is melted in special electric furnaces. This method involves the use of electricity to heat cast iron. During the smelting process, slag is produced. The quality of steel depends on the composition of the slag as well as its quantity. The slag acts as a transmitter of heat and oxygen and removes unnecessary harmful substances from the steel. The electric melting process results in the highest quality steel.

Cooling

This is one of the most important steps in the production of stainless steel and rolled steel sheets. It is during the cooling process that the necessary properties of the metal are fixed. That is why high-quality stainless steel is only produced if the cooling is done correctly. The cooling of the billet is carried out as it moves along roller conveyors, conveyor belts and slappers. An earlier cooling technique, employed in older rolling mills, was cooling in stacks or on slabs. Stack cooling is also called self-tempering. The disadvantages are lower tensile strength and yield strength.

Quality

The surface of stainless steel products should be smooth, without any scratches or roughness. Ground steel has a metallic luster, while brushed steel has a faint metallic sheen. The edges should be smooth, with no bumps or burrs.

Welds.

Must be well finished. To ensure that the weld has the same anticorrosive properties as stainless steel, it must be treated after welding by grinding, etching and passivation. All welding is done with a special welding equipment with argon, which provides a higher-quality weld. After welding is made stripping and polishing with abrasive materials. After that, the product gets a marketable form.

Buy, price

Evek GmbH sells stainless steel rolled products at the best price. It is formed taking into account the technological features of production and does not include additional costs. With us you can buy a variety of products in bulk for large-scale production. We also offer good terms for retail buyers. On our site you will find all the necessary information. Our online consultant is always ready to answer your questions. We look forward to your orders.