Antibacterial Properties of Stainless Steel

As people’s awareness of health and safety continues to grow, the demands for the performance and quality of food, medical, and household hygiene equipment have also intensified. Certain types of stainless steel, due to their exceptional antibacterial properties, meet these heightened safety and hygiene requirements during equipment manufacturing, thus enjoying widespread applications in modern life. In this article, let’s take a closer look at the antibacterial properties of stainless steel.

Antibacterial Properties of Stainless Steel:

The antibacterial effect of stainless steel stems from the addition of metallic elements with antibacterial characteristics, such as copper, into specific grades. These metallic elements can release antibacterial ions that disrupt bacterial cell membranes, leading to bacterial death and ensuring a lasting antibacterial effect.

However, it’s crucial to note that not all stainless steel possesses antibacterial properties; only specific types of antibacterial stainless steel exhibit this capability. According to tests conducted by the National Institute for the Control of Pharmaceutical and Biological Products, these stainless steels fully comply with national technical standards in terms of toxicity and human safety.

Furthermore, they demonstrate a killing rate of over 99% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, while also exhibiting significant efficacy against other bacteria like Candida albicans and Fusarium oxysporum. Remarkably, even after surface wear, they maintain their antibacterial properties, highlighting their excellent durability.

Additionally, incorporating specific quantities of antibacterial metallic elements like silver, cobalt, and zinc into regular stainless steel, while rigorously controlling the smelting, casting, forging, rolling, and heat treatment processes, can endow the material with biocompatibility, broad-spectrum antibacterial properties, and long-lasting antibacterial effects. For instance, the inclusion of silver ions inhibits the growth of most pathogens on the surface, preventing bacterial proliferation. Similarly, cobalt and zinc also contribute to antibacterial performance, with the specific effects depending on the elemental composition ratio.

These antibacterial metallic elements precipitate uniformly within the stainless steel matrix in specific sizes and shapes, not only preserving the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of regular stainless steel but also enhancing its antibacterial properties. Depending on the antibacterial material used, antibacterial stainless steel can be classified into surface-coated, composite, surface-modified, and alloy-type (with added antibacterial metallic elements) varieties.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as a novel alloy material, antibacterial stainless steel not only retains the structural, functional, and aesthetic qualities of regular stainless steel but also boasts excellent antibacterial properties. With the escalating demand for hygienic and safe antibacterial stainless steel due to improved living standards, high-quality and cost-effective copper-containing antibacterial stainless steel has achieved large-scale applications.

Why Choose Sino Stainless Steel?

Thank you for reading our article and we hope it can help you to have a better understanding of the antibacterial properties of stainless steel. If you are looking for suppliers and manufacturers of stainless steel products, we would advise you to visit Sino Stainless Steel.

As a leading supplier of stainless steel from Shanghai China, Sino Stainless Steel offers customers high-quality stainless steel coils, stainless steel sheets, stainless steel wires, and stainless steel tubes at a very competitive price.