Industrial applications

A consequence of rapid economic growth and increasing living standards in many parts of the developing world is that the demand for energy is rising faster than ever. When this growing demand is set against the crucial need to limit climate change, the challenges facing the world’s power-generating industries are only too apparent.

The discovery of stainless steel early in the 20th century was a milestone event for the food and drink processing industries. This wonderfully hygienic and durable alloy has become a favourite in domestic kitchens and for the very same reasons, it is the material of choice in industries as diverse as the processing of milk and dairy products, beer and wine making, confectionery, cooked meats and many, many more.

As the family of alloys collectively known as stainless steels continues to expand, so do their potential applications throughout industry. Generally speaking it is the ability to withstand attack by highly corrosive chemicals that creates such a high level of demand for these alloys within the chemical and petrochemical industrial sectors.

Reducing the impact of mining and quarrying on the landscape and on the environment is undoubtedly a key challenge facing the growing mining sector.  Effective ore-processing practices and the efficient production of concentrates can help to limit the environmental impact by reducing the volumes of material that have to be transported and processed by potentially hazardous thermal and chemical refining methods.

Our world without electrical engineering applications would look quite different. Stainless steels are being used in many of them. Some examples can be seen from this section.