Everyone has this problem. What people don't know that stainless steel is self curing. Oxygen from the atmosphere or a hydroxy cell combines with the chromium in the stainless steel to form this passive chromium oxide film that protects from further corrosion. Any contamination of the surface by dirt, or other material, hinders this passivation process and traps corrosive agents, reducing corrosion protection. Thus, some form of routine cleaning is necessary to preserve the appearance and integrity of the surface.
Anytime you bend, cut, weld, drill, and expose stainless steel to oxygen it forms a invisible layer of iron oxide. The basic composition of stainless steel is iron (Fe) and chromium (Cr).
The corrosion resistance of stainless steel is due to a 'passive', chromium-rich complex, oxide film that forms naturally on the surface of the steel. This is the normal condition for stainless steel surfaces and is known as the 'passive state' or 'passive condition'. Stainless steels will naturally self-passivate whenever a clean surface is exposed to an environment that can provide enough oxygen to form the chromium-rich oxide surface layerStatistics: Posted by Looking In — Thu Oct 18, 2007 5:13 am
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