Many of the components used in the food and beverage production industry, the pharmaceutical processing and the dairy industry are made of stainless steel. Stainless steel is a very good option as it is naturally corrosion resistant, it doesn’t rust, and it doesn’t stain. These are all essential considerations in fittings and other components for sanitary processing equipment.
To understand the importance of choosing stainless steel tube fitting, let’s take a closer look at the reasons that stainless steel is the superior choice of fitting material.
Rust Resistant
Not all types of steel are rust or corrosion resistance. Stainless steel contains a minimum of 10.5% chromium. Chromium, as an alloying metal, is able to create the corrosion resistance by developing a passive layer of chromium oxide on the surface.
This passive layer is also self-repairing. This means if there is a slight scratch on the surface of the stainless steel tube fittings the chromium will recreate the protective layer, preventing further corrosion on the exposed surface.
Durable and Resistant to Cracking
In addition to being naturally protected from corrosion, stainless steel is also much less brittle than other types of metals and even more than many plastics and resins. This means the stainless steel tube fittings can withstand the constant heating and cooling, extreme temperatures, vibration or shock and still not break, split or crack.
Lower Cost
The long life of stainless steel also makes it a low-cost option for fittings. The fittings will rarely need to be replaced, meaning the cost of the fitting is negligible when considered over the years of use.
Additionally, it is possible to fabricate stainless steel fittings for old equipment or for difficult to find parts. With this feature, it is possible to keep using this processing equipment as long as possible, saving the cost of replacement.
