[Jewelry making - Article 00621] - [Orchid] Stainless steel

[James Binnion]

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Was Tumbling jump rings
http://www.ganoksin.com/orchid/archive/200408/msg00541.htm

>        True stainless steel is non magnetic, it doesn't have enough
>     iron in it to be magnetic. There are several steels available that
>     are called 'stainless', incorrectly, that have iron in them. These
>     will respond to a magnet. 

    Stainless steel is just that, stain-less. All stainless steel can be
    made to rust under the right conditions. They all contain iron as
    the major component of the alloy somewhere between 50-80% and a
    significant amount of chromium. It is the hard, thick, transparent
    chromium oxide that forms on the surface of the alloy that gives the
    stain-less property. 

    The most common stainless steels are austenitic (see below) which
    refers to the form that the iron carbon and are non-magnetic these
    are the 300 series stainless steels. The stainless typically used to
    make shot for tumbling is one of the 300 series. 

    There is also a group of stainless steels that are referred to as
    martensitic (see below)  that typically are somewhat magnetic they
    are also much harder than austenitic stainless these are the 400
    series stainless steels and are used for things like knives and
    cutting tools. 

    Austenitic stainless steel has enough nickel and chromium to retain
    austenite at atmospheric temperatures 

    Martensitic stainless steel contains chromium (12-14%), molybdenum
    (0.2-1%), no nickel, and about 0.1-1% carbon (giving it more
    hardness but making the material a bit more brittle). it is quenched
    and magnetic. 

    austenite - a solid solution of ferric carbide or carbon in iron;
    cools to form pearlite or martensite 

    cementite, iron carbide - the iron carbide constituent of steel and
    cast iron; very hard and brittle 

    ferrite - a solid solution in which alpha iron is the solvent 

    martensite - a solid solution of carbon in alpha-iron that is formed
    when steel is cooled so rapidly that the change from austenite to
    pearlite is suppressed; responsible for the hardness of quenched
    steel 

    pearlite - a lamellar mixture of cementite and ferrite formed during
    the cooling of austenite; a micro-constituent of steel and cast iron 

    cast iron - an alloy of iron containing so much carbon that it is
    brittle and so cannot be wrought but must be shaped by casting
    stainless steel - steel containing chromium that makes it resistant
    to corrosion 

    steel - an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used
    in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide
    range

Jim Binnion
James Binnion Metal Arts
Phone (360) 756-6550
Toll Free (877) 408 7287
Fax (360) 756-2160
http://www.mokume-gane.com
jbin AT mokume-gane.com
Member of the Better Business Bureau

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