
In order to get the ordered materials clean and undamaged to the delivery address, Hollimex packs the materials in a proper manner and the order is transported covered to the specified location. Upon arrival, the materials will normally be processed within a few hours or sometimes even a few months. Careful unpacking and (temporary) safe storage of these materials is therefore of great importance. It seems so simple and normal, but what we as a supplier regularly notice is that the buyer pays little or no attention to this. It is then often a matter of time before serious damage occurs. This can lead to a great waste of material, time and money.
Stainless steel plates, rods, tubes, loose parts etc. are often partially or completely packed in cardboard, paper and/or plastic. For reinforcement, packing tape and sometimes also galvanized steel tension straps are often used. In addition, to prevent damage, wooden planks, crates and pallets are also used, which may or may not be bundled with (steel) tension straps.
IMPORTANT TIPS
To prevent contamination and/or damage, Hollimex can often provide the pipes and welded connections with plastic caps or plugs at the ends and pack them in plastic packaging.
Also, one should pay close attention to the storage of one's own stock. For example, do not store stainless steel in steel (galvanized) racks and do not place stainless steel between other metals. Direct contact with other materials can cause corrosion problems.
When processing and assembling metals, consider grinding, sawing, milling and welding activities. This can cause damage to the stainless steel, especially when using other metals.
If one or more points are not complied with by the buyer/purchaser or his/her authorized representative, Hollimex cannot be held liable in any way.
The specific properties of stainless steel differ greatly from those of unalloyed steel. An example of this is corrosion damage, which is caused by the application of certain processing and treatment methods. These methods are suitable for ordinary types of steel, but not for stainless steel. Corrosion damage can occur, among other things, due to the attack of the chromium oxide layer. The chromium forms a bond with the carbon on the surface, so that a chromium oxide layer is formed. This layer is colourless, flexible, dense and adheres very well to the substrate. All this therefore provides extra corrosion resistance. If this chromium oxide layer is therefore attacked by, among other things, mechanical and/or chemical processing methods and/or damage (scratches), then local corrosion damage can occur. The quality of the oxide layer is strongly dependent on the chemical composition of, among other things, the chromium oxide, iron oxide, nickel oxide, surface finish and the conditions under which the oxide layer was formed. For example, if the layer was formed at a high temperature in combination with oxygen, it is more porous and therefore less corrosion resistant than at lower temperatures. The removal and/or restoration of the (old) oxide layer can be done by means of mechanical processes such as brushing, grinding, polishing, tumbling, blasting, electrolytic polishing or by pickling and passivating with a mixture of various acids.
HOLLIMEX also has various products in stock for this. Think of grinding, polishing, pickling, passivating and cleaning agents, tools, acid-resistant brushes and protective aids such as (acid-protective) gloves, glasses, etc. You can find these products in our webshop.
The transition from rusting to non-rusting material is quite abrupt. For chrome steel, the limit is around 11%. In order to obtain certain specific properties, other elements can be added to the material in addition to chrome. Consider improvements to the material for the purpose of corrosion and wear resistance and the strength, processing and temperature properties. For example, chrome (Cr), molybdenum, copper, aluminium, silicon and cobalt promote the formation of a closed oxide skin.
Some of the additional elements are:
(read more under the tab "alloying elements")