Stainless steel is a low maintenance, high-performing product that is 100% recyclable at the end of its life. These characteristics help make it one of the most economical and preferred choices for consumer goods, such as washing machines, fridges and other domestic appliances, as well as for industrial applications in the transportation, construction, public works and chemical industries.
As we start to move further into the “circular economy,” which embraces reuse and sustainability in both products and manufacturing processes, stainless steel stands out as one of the most sustainable products available today. When compared to any other alternative material, the emissions from the production and use of stainless steel are minimal. When this benefit is combined with its recyclability, long life and product safety, it’s not hard to see why it repeatedly out-performs competing metals such a copper, aluminium and carbon steel.
The circular economy demands increased recycling and reusability and, ideally, the ability to profit from those activities. Stainless steel does exactly this, and has enjoyed a compound annual growth rate of around 6% every year since 1950!
Year on year, the use of stainless and super stainless steels is increasing across a variety of markets. Coal-fired power plants, for example, are installing stainless steel stack liners to help bring their emissions in line with stricter controls. Other new, environmentally-driven industrial applications include ballast tanks and fire-suppression systems for offshore drilling platforms, service-water piping in nuclear power plants, and flexible pipes for oil and gas distribution systems.
Increasingly stringent environmental legislation now compels the petrochemical and refinery industries to reuse secondary cooling water in closed systems instead of discharging it. This recycled water has high levels of chloride, which can cause pitting-corrosion problems. Duplex stainless steel tubing will play an increasingly important role in solving this and similar industrial corrosion problems, as it is highly resistant to corrosion and is significantly cheaper than other materials.
Steelmor has been a leader in the stainless steel industry for over four decades, and we are ready to move with you into the next four – and beyond. Contact us today to see how we can help get your business future-ready.