The Fire Resistance of Stainless Steel
Lightweight, malleable, sustainable, strong, versatile and resistant to corrosion stainless steel boasts an array of advantages over other construction materials like masonry, PVC, plastic and aluminium. Another key benefit of the material is its impressive level of fire resistance.
Stainless steel cannot be ignited and will not even start to melt until it reaches a temperature of at least 1,400°C. This means that the material does not carry or even require an official fire rating. Many different independent organisations have carried out a wide range of tests on stainless steel; each test has proven that stainless steel far outperforms materials like galvanised steel and aluminium, even after being subject to prolong exposure to the ultra-high temperatures encountered in building conflagrations.
As stainless steel does not burn, it cannot help to propagate the spread of flames, a fact that is especially relevant when it comes to building construction. As well as resisting the spread of flames and heat, stainless steel also strongly resists oxidation at elevated temperatures.
The combination of resistance to both fire and corrosion exhibited by stainless steel makes the material useful for many purposes. These include for petrochemical cladding applications, where stainless steel delivers superb protection to crucial components of insulation systems. The fire resistance qualities also see stainless steel used in a number of other areas, such as in automotive applications, various uses in commercial kitchens and in frameworks for residential cladding.
Whatever form stainless steel takes, from wire and strip to coil and corrugated sheets, its fire-resistant qualities remain the same. Here at BS Stainless, we can supply a comprehensive collection of stainless steel materials and components, all designed and manufactured to world-class standards and brought to you at the most competitive market price.
We invite you to browse our website to discover more details about the products and services we provide, as well as the many applications they can be used for. Stay up to date on the latest news from BS Stainless by subscribing to our regular, feature-packed newsletter and by following us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.