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WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CLEAN STAINLESS STEEL?

It's important to clean stainless steel because stainless steels have a colourless chromium rich layer on the surface of the steel. This protective layer is not impervious and  if this protective layer is damaged the steel surface will be attacked and corrosion will take place until the layer re-establishes itself.  Corrosion levels will be more severe if the layer is not given time to repair itself. Under normal conditions the layer will repair itself in the presence of oxygen, however, repetitive exposure to aggressive environments (such as salt contamination) will make it harder for this protective layer to reform itself.

Below are some quotes found on the Australian Stainless Steel Development Association website in December 2007, which highlight the importance of cleaning stainless steel products.

• "Washing removes contaminants (such as salts) that can cause corrosion and is necessary to avoid tea staining."
• "One of the main causes of tea staining is salt deposited on the surface. Tea staining is most likely to occur up to five kilometres from a surf beach or a few hundred metres from still marine waters. There is no hard and fast rule: wind and weather conditions play a big part and the severity of the conditions increases sharply as you approach the surf."
• "Stainless steel may discolour if left in contact with salts or acids for extended periods."
• "In coastal environments even smooth stainless steel finishes may tea stain if not washed regularly to remove salt. As a rule of thumb, it should be washed as regularly as the windows."

WHERE DOES TEA STAINING OF STAINLESS STEEL OCCUR?

Tea staining mainly occurs within approximately 5kms of the surf. The closer the stainless steel product is to salt water the more likely the product will be affected. In environments where there is wind exposure, industrial pollution and high temperatures, tea staining may even occur within 20kms from the sea. The corrosion rate of non stainless steel metals are even more affected by these factors. Salt water chlorinated pools are also big contributors to salt contamination due to spray and fine misting during windy weather.

We encourage you to visit the Australian Stainless Steel Development Association website http://www.assda.asn.au to learn more about stainless steel products. This website also has more detailed information about stainless steel tea staining and cleaning.

TWO COMMON STAINLESS STEEL MYTHS:

"Stainless steel doesn't rust."
In normal conditions stainless steel does not usually rust however, under aggressively corrosive environments stainless steel will be attacked. As explained above there is a thin colourless layer which forms spontaneously on top of stainless steel and this layer protects the steel from mild corrosion. However, when this layer is attacked by extreme weather conditions such as high levels of salt in the air, this protective layer may not be able to reform itself quick enough to stop rust from forming on the stainless steel. Even though rust might start forming on the stainless steel the stainless steel will still rust much slower than normal carbon steel.

"All stainless steel have the same corrosion resistance."
The level of corrosion resistance of stainless steel depends on the properties that make up the grade of stainless steel. The proportion of alloying elements such as chromium and molybdenum in the grade of stainless steel as well as the surface finish and fabrication practice will affect the corrosion resistance of the metal.

These two stories were adopted from the Austral Wrights website. To learn more go to http://www.australwright.com.au/products/stainless_steel.html and download the types and myths of stainless steel PDF file.

Hunter Pacific International's Stainless Steel fans sold as "316" use 316L grade stainless steel.  316L is low carbon 316 stainless steel and every batch of raw material is chemically analysed to ensure it complies with International Standards governing the composition of 316L material.  Lowering the carbon content makes the metal easier to form into shape without affecting its corrosion resistance.

Hunter Pacific International is proud to design and manufacture products using the highest quality materials. Unlike many other fan companies we design our products in Australia for local conditions, which are some of the most demanding in the world.  Our Quality Control inspection regime extends from chemical analysis of incoming material  (to ensure the right materials and used and they meet stringent material standards) through to final inspection of the finished product's cosmetic appearance.