BUTTING – The history of stainless steel

A considerable length of time before the beginning of the 20th century it was discovered that the corrosion performance of steel can be improved by adding nickel and chromium. However, these steels were not yet suiTables for use.

The decisive break-through was in Germany in 1912. For the first time corrosion resistance and also good mechanical properties were achieved by the combina- tion of nickel and chromium in connection with selective heat treatment. Finally the first ”stainless steel” was applied for a patent the same year by Krupp in Essen. This patent paved the way for the industrial application of stainless steel and has been used in various branches since 1950.
The formerly created synonyma by Krupp, V2A (CrNi-steel) and V4A (CrNiMo- steel) are still used for stainless steel today. We also talk about 18/10 or 18/8, which indicates the alloying content of chromium and nickel in stainless steel. Since 1958 ”Edelstahl Rostfrei” (”Stainless Steel”) is a registered trademark.

The significance of stainless steel of today is shown in the constantly increasing production volume. Between 1990 and 2000 the annual production of raw materials worldwide increased over 40 %, from appr. 12.8 million tons to appr. 18.4 million tons. According to prognosis, the growth will continue significantly.

BUTTING – Progress by Tradition