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Updated - While Brearley is
given credit by most for the invention of stainles steel, French scientist
Leon Gillet had documented the constitution of stainless steel in 1904. While
Gillet noted the composition and properties of his alloy mix, he never recognized
the corrosive resistance of the material. In 1911 Philip Monnartz of Germany
published the first detailed work on the corrosion resistance of stainless
steel. In 1912, two German's at the Krupp Iron Works, Eduard Maurer
and Benno Strauss, patented the first austenitic stainless steel of a 21%
chromium and 7% nickel combination. Brearley patented the first martensitic
stainless in 1913. While Brearley is generally given credit for the discovery
of stainless, many historians feel this is disputable. |
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Harry Brearley was born on Feb 18,
1871 and by 1907 was in charge of the Brown-Firth Research Labratory in
Sheffield, England. The lab was investigating ways to eliminate rust in gun
barrels, when by accident, Mr Byerly noticed a discarded steel sample from
an earlier test was not rusting, while other samples were. The result was
a chrome alloy steel, much more rust resistant than seen before. The date
was June 4, 1912. Two months later, on August 20, 1912, stainless steel was
cast for the first time.
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Brearley immediately set out to market
his new invention. He called his new metal "rustless steel". Sheffield, known
as a city of cutlery manufacturers, and the new material , a forerunner
of today's 420, seemed to be a perfect replacement for silver or nickel plated
steel. But manufacturers were hesitant, so Brearley had one make him some
knives. One manufacturer, Ernest Stuart, upon testing the material in vinegar
suggested a more marketable name of "stainless steel". By 1914, the George
Ibberson & Co, using stainless manufactured by Thomas Firth &
Sons, began producing stainless steel knives. The product was not an immediate
success, and Brealey soon earned the reputation of being the inventor of
the "knife that would not cut". |
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Brearley left Firth, over an ownership
dispute of the stainless steel invention, and W. H. Hatfield became his
successor. In 1924, Hatfield patented the 18-8 stainless steel, 18% chromium
and 8% nickel. This austentic stainless would soon rise to become the most
popular and widely used type of stainless steel. Adding titanium to the 18-8,
Hatfield is also credited with the invention of 321 stainless. In
the earlier years, German scientists, such as the Krupp Research Institues,
were the quickest to realize the potential of austentic stainless,
inventing 316, among others.
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As PBS reported in its special "The
Streamliners"...
"Stainless steel, with its sleek, shiny surface and tremendous strength,
is a marvel of technology. It has revolutionized most modern industries,
including food, medicine, and transportation. The non-corrosive and
rust-resistant properties of stainless steel have made it essential in the
preparation, delivery and storage of food. Stainless steel is a standard
in modern restaurant kitchens since it can be easily cleaned and dried. The
surface of stainless steel resists oxidation at high temperatures, making
the sterilization of medical instruments possible. Its light weight and
durability allowed the development of streamlining in transportation. The
streamlined design of new trains, planes, and automobiles allowed for less
wind resistance, and trains such as the Zephyr helped spark a new design
movement. Everything from toasters to vacuum cleaners emulated the new vehicles.
Stainless steel paved the way for modern technology and continues to influence
our lives every day." |
Stainless
Steel Information |
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