What makes Stainless Steel unique is that it has a thin layer of oxides that protect the metal. Even though this sheet, which is made mostly of chromium and iron oxides, is only a few nanometers thick, it’s extremely efficient in protecting the metal underneath. If the layer does suffer a breakdown, it’s able to repair itself and continue protecting the metal.

This is the scenario that we hope for with stainless steel products, and as long as corrosion is prevented, the steel can technically last forever. Sometimes, however, damage does occur to the oxide layer and it fails to regenerate itself. In this case, the metal will suffer from corrosion and only last a short period of time depending on how severe and fast-moving the corrosion is.