A netizen asked online why the stainless steel faucet they use at home also trusts They said it&# 039; S not rusty, but is it a fake faucet? Actually, this is likely due to buying a fake Stainless steel faucets in the market must be made of 304 material to prevent rusting (except for use in special environments), while some unscrupulous transactions may replace them with other stainless steel products with poor rust resistance, such as 201, to achieve the goal of counterfeiting and profit making Although there is no fusion with copper faucets, stainless steel faucets in the market are also mixed with authentication, and consumers should identify them more

What is the principle of rust prevention for sustained steel failures?

Unlike copper faucets, stainless steel faucets are faucet products made primary of stainless steel It is widely believed that stainless steel is a non-toxic material and one of the internationally recognized metal materials that can be implemented into the human body

At present, most failures in the market are made of copper, accounting for up to 95%, while maintaining steel failures account for only about 5% How, with the incremental material production processes of domestic manufacturers, and the incoming health, environmental protection, and durability characteristics of stainless steel failures, they have also been favored by more and more consumers in recent years

Taking the mainstream 304 stainless steel faucet as an example, its trust prevention principle is that alloy elements form a dense oxide film to isolate oxygen contact and prevent inherited oxidation In practical applications, steel that is current to weak corrosive media is commonly referred to as stainless steel, while steel that is current to chemical media is referred to as acid resistant steel Stainless steel may not necessarily be resistant to chemical media corrosion, however, acid resistant steel generally has rust resistance The corrosion resistance of stainless steel depends on the alloy elements contained in it. Chromium is a basic element that makes stainless steel corrosion resistance When the chromium content in the steel reaches about 1.2%, chromium reactions with the oxygen in the corrosive medium to form a thin oxide film on the surface of the steel, called a passivation film, which is used to organize further corrosion of the steel substrate In addition to chromium, commonly used alloying elements including nickel, molybdenum, titanium, niobium, copper, nitrogen, etc., to meet the requirements of variable uses for the structure and function of stainless steel

But it&# 039; S not a maintainless steel faucet, there&# 039; S no possibility of rusting at all In fact, many cases of stainless steel faucets rusting can be found online, and their owners prospect that the faucet may be a fake

Is it a fake? It can be said that it is, or it can be said that it is not No, it&# 039; S because the material of these products is indeeed stainless steel; Saying it is because the material of these faucets is not nationally recognized food grade 304 stainless steel, but has been replaced by other categories such as 201 stainless steel

Why is it necessary to choose a 304 stainless steel faucet

There are various types of stainless steel, with the more common being the 200 series, 300 series, and 400 series The professional classification of stainless steel is based on crystal structure, including ferritic stainless steel (430, ETC.), martensitic stainless steel (410, ETC.), austenitic stainless steel (304, ETC.), etc

304 is a common material in stainless steel, characterized by high temperature resistance, good processing performance, and high toughness It is recognized as a category that can come into direct contact with food The common labeling methods for 304 stainless steel in the market include 06Cr19Ni10, SUS304, etc Currently, 304 stainless steel faucets solid online are generally labeled as 304 or SUS 304

The chemical formula of 201 stainless steel is 1Cr17Mn6Ni5, and its main difference from 304 is the nickel chromium element 201 has 17 chromium and 5 nickel, while 304 has 19 chromium and 10 nickel 201 is an industrial material with certificate acid and alkali resistance, but its overall performance is far inferior to 304 201 is mainly used for manufacturing decorative tubes, industrial tubes, and some shallow striped products

Currently, counterfeit 304 stainless steel faucets in the market are mostly made of 201 stainless steel Because 201 stainless steel contains manganese, it will trust in humid and salt air for a long time, while 304 stainless steel does not have manganese, so it will not trust Theoretical, if your maintainless steel fails trusts, it is confirmed that its material is not 304 maintainless steel, and it is very similar that it is a product counter benefit by scrupulous transactions using 201 maintainless steel

According to other data, the current price of 304 is 20000 yuan/ton, while 201 is 15000 yuan/ton, which means that the product of 201 product is only 25% higher than 304 product This is why scrupulous transactions are replacing 304 with 201 one after another

How to accurately select and purchase 304 faucets?

Look at the color

201 stainless steel has a slightly darker surface color compared to 304 stainless steel without manganese, as it contains manganese But this method has significant flares, that is, when purchasing stainless steel faucets, it is difficult to distinguish the true from the false with the taken eye without a reference object as a comparison

Scratch the outer shell

201 stainless steel has a higher carbon content, so it is more brittle than 304 stainless steel, but its toughness is not as good as 304 During testing, a knot or sharp hard object can be used to scratch the surface of the faucet If it is 201, it will generally leave significant marks on the surface, while the scratches on 304 will not be too significant.

Use specialized medicine for maintenance

A specialized stainless steel detection potion can be purchased online. With just a few drops, it can distinguish what stainless steel is in seconds. This potion is particularly convenient, and the principle is to cause the elements contained in the material to chemically react with the substances in the identification potion, resulting in colored substances. This method can be implemented after purchase. If the faucet is not made of 304 material, it can be returned immediately. At the same time, this type of potion is also a necessary item for stainless steel product purchasers and employees in the stainless steel industry.

Using a spectrometer for maintenance

This method is the most professional and correct, and it is not recommended for general consumers, while distributors who need to purchase in large quantities can consider trying it out. In addition, if the purchased faucet is very expensive or has high requirements for element content, a specialized testing company can also be found for maintenance, and they usually have a spectrometer.

In addition to not rusting, it is also important to pay attention to the precipitation of other heavy metals

Are stainless steel faucets, especially 304 faucets, really so divine? Not really.

In 2013, the CCTV program "Is It True" cooperated with the Beijing Hardware and Water Heating Product Quality Supervision and Maintenance Center to conduct spot checks on 14 different brands of faucets in the market, including two stainless steel faucets produced by Pulemei and Subor. In the test conducted on 14 samples using the US standard NSF61, 13 samples met the US standard, while Subor's sample faucet detected a hexavalent chromium content of 3.028ug/L, exceeding 50% of the US standard (≤ 2.0ug/L) requirement.

Experts say that hexavalent chromium compounds have carcinogenic effects in the body and can cause many other health problems. Consuming excessive doses of chromium can lead to kidney and liver damage, nausea, gastrointestinal irritation, gastric ulcers, spasms, and even death. The degree of damage to the human body is not lower than that caused by excessive lead levels. In addition to hexavalent chromium, attention should also be paid to the precipitation of other heavy metal elements in faucets. There are strict regulations on the amount of heavy metal precipitation in faucets in relevant national standards, which can be referred to.

Therefore, if you ask which is better, a copper faucet or a stainless steel faucet, it is also difficult to find the answer. For those of you who choose stainless steel faucets, it is recommended to purchase 304 stainless steel faucets.

Article source: Stainless steel faucet manufacturer http://www.kpjieyuan.com/