What is polished stainless steel

Secondary operations can change that into finishes ranging from the brushed look popular on kitchen appliances to a highly polished appearance. To make life easier for people buying stainless, finish grading systems were developed. In Europe they have a different classification scheme. This is defined in the EN standard and is still based on surface roughness. That leads to one particular set of applications. The other benefit of course is that it reflects light very well.

Steel Color provides high quality mirror polished stainless steel that can be used in the creation of durable and stylish building exteriors and interiors. Mirror Polished Stainless Steel Stainless steel is a material known for its strength and durability. Browse our mirror polished stainless steel catalog and Contact us for further information Pallinato Read more. Super Mirror Nr. Satinato non direzionale Read more. A bright, cold-rolled finish is the most commonly "Mill" finish for light gauge stainless steel sheet.

It resembles a very hazy mirror, with some reflection evident. It is obtained by a final light roll pass of the sheet through polished rolls.

This is the general-purpose cold-rolled finish that can be used as is, or a preliminary step to polishing. An intermediate polished surface obtained by finishing with a grit abrasive.

A directional course "grain" running in one direction. Only iron-free abrasives can be used to avoid contamination and these can be filtered to remove any traces of dirt. Changes in surface texture produce marked differences in light reflectivity and, as a result, contrasting effects can be obtained.

Such contrasts are most pronounced when the etching is done on polished or buffed finishes. This is a similar process to base etching inasmuch that also other media fine abrasives are used to finish the material. In these cases, however, the abrasives are vibrated against the metal or tumbled with their components in a barrel type container.

The same points apply regarding the type of abrasive as for base etching and its main use is the same, which is for the finish of components. Aalco has available a sample swatch of stainless steel finishes - Please contact your local Service Centre to view one.

This Data is indicative only and as such is not to be relied upon in place of the full specification. In particular, mechanical property requirements vary widely with temper, product and product dimensions.

All information is based on our present knowledge and is given in good faith. No liability will be accepted by the Company in respect of any action taken by any third party in reliance thereon. Please note that the 'Datasheet Update' date shown above is no guarantee of accuracy or whether the datasheet is up to date. No guarantee is given that the information is from the latest issue of those sources or about the accuracy of those sources. Material supplied by the Company may vary significantly from this data, but will conform to all relevant and applicable standards.

Copyright Aalco Metals Limited. All rights reserved. VAT No. Aalco The UK's largest independent multi-metals stockholder. Toggle navigation. Finishes and Design There are a wide range of decorative finishes available; therefore, it is important to pay close attention to the selection of the most appropriate finish for the application required.

Finishes and Fabrication Some fabrication operations, such as grinding prior to painting or gluing, may require a rough surface finish but, generally speaking, a smooth, well finished sheet requires less physical effort than a coarse, rough one when it comes to blending. Mill Finishes The majority of mill finishes have a dull or matt finish which is not suitable as a decorative finish for most products or applications.

Typical uses include gas turbine parts, incinerators, kiln liners and oil burner parts. Acid Treatments De-scaling Scale high temperature oxides can be removed by immersion in suitable acid solutions. Typical uses include food processing equipment, scientific apparatus and brewing equipment. Dull Buffed — EN No.

Typical uses include dairy equipment, bus shelters and lorry components. Bright Polished — 2P for Cold Rolled A bright reflective finish which is achieved by bright buffing using a soft mop and suitable polishing compound. It is used for architectural applications as well as in the catering trade. Special Finishes There are a wide range of special finishes that can be applied to stainless steel which are used when the standard mill or polished finishes are not suitable.

Electroplating or Electrodeposition In this instance metal is deposited onto the stainless steel. Some typical applications of plating on stainless are: Copper - For lubrication in cold heading and spring making to reduce galling and scaling.

Nickel - Most usually in combination with copper as a basis for chromium plating. Chromium - For colour matching as a car trim and to preserve finish on????

Textured, Patterned This finish is the deep patterned effect by rolling the sheets of stainless steel between two hard, engraved rollers. Colouring The colouring of stainless steel can be achieved by chemical surface treatment which actually modifies the surface oxide film on the metal.