Hollimex Stainless & Other Metals

TRANSPORT, MATERIAL RECEIPT, STORAGE AND ASSEMBLY OF STAINLESS STEEL

It is crucial to keep the stainless steel (INOX) clean, dry and protected from external influences!

To ensure the ordered materials arrive at the delivery address clean and undamaged, Hollimex Stainless & Other Metals packs the materials securely, and the order is transported covered to the specified location. Upon arrival, the materials will normally be processed within a few hours to sometimes even several months. Careful unpacking and (temporary) safe storage of these materials are therefore of great importance. It seems so simple and normal, but what we, as a supplier, regularly notice is that the customer pays little to no attention to this. It is then often only a matter of time before serious damage occurs. This can lead to a significant 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

• Carefully loosen the material and check for corrosion damage and damage
• Report damage immediately to Hollimex Stainless & Other Metals
• remove all packaging material upon arrival. Wooden crates and pallets contain nails, paper and cardboard contain chlorides and sometimes galvanized steel tension straps are used
• Place or place the material directly in a safe location on plastic or wooden beams and check carefully that there are no nails or metal parts in it
• cover the ends of the pipes and fittings with plastic caps or seal them
• protect the materials with clean plastic film from a polluting environment. Think of rust particles, bird droppings, salts and or chemical substances and vapours that can be carried by the wind
• Whenever possible, always use plastic tension and lifting straps. Do not use steel chains or rusty forklift forks.
• Always store stainless steel material in a clean, dry environment where it is protected from the outside elements
• We strongly advise against outdoor storage.

To prevent contamination and/or damage, the pipes and welded joints can usually be fitted with plastic caps or plugs at the ends by Hollimex Stainless and packaged in plastic packaging. 

Furthermore, one must be careful when storing one's own stock. For example, do not store stainless steel in steel (galvanized) racks, and do not place stainless steel (Inox) among 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/customer or their authorized representative, Hollimex Stainless & Other Metals cannot be held liable in any way.

CORROSION DAMAGE

The specific properties of stainless steel differ significantly from those of unalloyed steel. An example of this is corrosion damage caused by the application of certain processing and machining methods. While these methods are suitable for ordinary steel types, they are not necessarily suitable for stainless steel. Corrosion damage can occur, among other things, due to the deterioration of the chromium oxide layer. At the surface, chromium bonds with carbon, forming a chromium oxide layer. This layer is colorless, flexible, dense, and adheres very well to the substrate. All of this therefore ensures extra corrosion resistance. If this chromium oxide layer is attacked by mechanical and/or chemical processing methods and/or damage (scratches), localized corrosion damage can occur. The quality of the oxide layer depends heavily on the chemical composition of, among other things, 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 during high temperatures 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 carried out by means of mechanical treatments such as brushing, grinding, polishing, tumbling, blasting, electrolytic polishing, or by means of pickling and passivation with a mixture of various acids.

Hollimex Stainless & Other Metals also has various products in stock for this purpose. These include grinding, polishing, pickling, passivation, and cleaning agents, tools, acid-resistant brushes, and protective equipment such as (acid-protective) gloves, goggles, etc. You can also find these products in our webshop.

COMPOSITION OF STAINLESS STEEL

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:

• nickel (Ni), this gives better resistance to high temperature oxidation and stress corrosion cracking
• molybdenum (Mo), this provides better resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion
• carbon (C)), when the content is reduced this gives better resistance to inter-crystalline corrosion
• silicon (Si), provides better resistance to high temperature oxidation
• titanium (Ti), this gives better resistance to inter-crystalline corrosion

(read more under the " alloy elements " tab)