Dennis Gerughty  age 12  of San Anselmos,CA

What is stainless steel made of?

Stainless steel is the prize metal of the Iron Age  Like all steels: it is made by refining iron which is smelted from iron ore  It is then made into an alloy of steel. Chromium is mixed with it at very high temperatures.. The result is a metal with the good qualities of both steel and chromium„ It is very strong and resists rust and corrosion.

The alloy usually contains 12 to 14 per cent of chromium metal. However  when stainless steel needs to stand up against a lot of water much more chromium may be in the alloy.

One form of stainless steel is brewed to withstand the attack of acids. This is nickel‑chrome stainless steel. Eight per cent nickel and 1 to 18 per cent chromium are usually brewed with the steel to form this sturdy alloy. It is very useful in factories arid laboratories where acids are heated and used to make various substances.