Surface finishes for Stainless Steel

Surface finishes for Stainless Steel

  • Surface finish is an important factor and for those applications where appearance is important, finish is a design element and must be specified.
  • Standard mill finishes can be applied to flat rolled stainless steel directly by the rollers and by mechanical abrasives.
  • Steel is first rolled to size and thickness and then annealed to change the properties of the final material. Any oxidation that forms on the surface (mill scale) is removed by pickling, and a passivation layer is created on the surface
  • A final finish can then be applied to achieve the desired aesthetic appearance.
  • Surface finish for stainless steel are designated with a number that indicates the degree of surface roughness.
Surface Finish DescriptionApplication
No. 1 Frosty white. Produced by hot rolling followed by annealing and descaling. Chemical Tank, Pipe.
No.2D Dull cold-rolled finish. These finished, after cold rolling, by heat treatment, pickling or other equivalent treatment Heat exchanger, Exhaust pipe.
No.2B Bright finish. These finished, after cold rolling, by heat treatment, pickling or other equivalent treatment and lastly by cold rolling to give an appropriate luster. Medical Equipment, Food Industry, Construction Material, Kitchen utensils.
BA Those processed with bright heat treatment after cold rolling. Kitchen utensils, Electric equipment, Building construction
No.3 Bright. A polished finish obtained with abrasives(100-mesh). Sheets may or may not be polished during fabrication Kitchen utensils, Building construction
No.4 Bright, Good luster. These are finished by polishing with No.150 to No.180 abrasives Kitchen utensils, Building construction, Medical equipment
No. 6 Dull satin finish, lower reflectivity than No.4
No.8 Mirror Finish. Obtained by polishing and buffing extensively. Surface is free of grit lines. Reflector, Mirror, Elevator door, Interior-exterior decoration for Building, Art.
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