Stainless Steel

Most recent answer: 10/22/2007

Q:
What is the coating on stainless steel that makes it "rust proof
- dan
south middle school, arlington heights il
A:
Stainless steel ordinarily needs no coating. The main element alloyed with iron to make stainless is usually chromium. I believe that stainless steel forms a thin oxide layer, but it contains enough chromium to avoid forming the flaky oxides (’rust’) that form on pure iron, so the oxidation doesn’t keep going.

Mike W.

(published on 10/22/2007)