20/06/2022
Difference between aluminum alloy and stainless steel
There are many aluminum alloy and stainless steel products in our life, such as our common pots, basins, doors and windows, etc.
The biggest difference between them is that aluminum alloy is generally light in weight and dark in color, while stainless steel is heavy and bright in color. In addition, they are different in price, hardness, performance, surface, use and so on.
1. Different prices
Stainless steel is expensive, aluminum alloy is cheap.
2. Different hardness
Aluminum alloy has low density but high strength, close to steel and good plasticity; Stainless steel is nickel chromium alloy with higher hardness than aluminum alloy.
3. Different high temperature resistance
Stainless steel can withstand high temperature, with a melting point of 1200-1500 ℃; Aluminum alloy can't bear too high temperature. Its melting point is 500-800 ℃.
4. Different surface treatments
Stainless steel surface treatment includes surface bright treatment, surface whitening treatment and surface coloring treatment; Aluminum alloy treatment includes electroplating, spraying, anodizing, etc.
5. Different industrial applications
Stainless steel has heat resistance, oxidation resistance, good formability and good weldability. It can be used as ultra-high strength material in nuclear industry, aviation and aerospace industry; Aluminum alloys are used for processing, and different series of aluminum alloys have different industrial applications, such as chemical products, food industrial devices and storage containers, printed boards, nameplates, reflective appliances, aerospace structural parts, etc.
How much is the price difference between aluminum alloy and stainless steel
We know that the price of stainless steel is higher than that of aluminum alloy, but there are many kinds of stainless steel, so the price difference depends on the brand. 304 stainless steel is more expensive, and 201 stainless steel is much cheaper. The prices of different series of aluminum alloys are also different, and the price difference is not large when the weight is the same.
Therefore, whether to use aluminum alloy or stainless steel mainly depends on where the product is used and what characteristics are required.