Application Case: Stainless Steel Selection and Surface Requirements in the Cookware Industry
Grades, thicknesses, surfaces, and food-contact compliance requirements for three product categories: cookware, sinks, and tableware.
Cookware: Pot bodies mostly use 304 (06Cr19Ni10) at 0.5-1.2 mm; products with composite bottoms require matching aluminum/copper cladding layers; low-cost lids can use 430.
Sinks: 304 is predominant; 316L is recommended for coastal and high-salt environments; sinks with deep drawing require suitable elongation and grain size to avoid orange peel.
Tableware: 304 is general-purpose; low-cost flatware options use 430, but its corrosion resistance is weaker than 304.
Surfaces: Electro-polishing of interior surfaces improves cleanability; brushed finish (No.4) on exterior surfaces provides wear resistance; food contact must comply with GB 4806 or FDA requirements, and exports to the EU should note LFGB.
Common issues: deep-drawing cracking (material hardness too high), pitting corrosion (residual chloride-containing cleaning agents), weld corrosion (lack of passivation).
