Shredded SS

Stainless steel can be classified into several series based on its metal composition:
* 400 series (Cr series)
* 300 series (Cr-Ni series)
* 200 series (Cr-Mn-Ni series)
* 500 series (heat-resistant chromium alloy steel)
* 600 series (precipitation hardening series)
The most common series in daily life are the 300 and 200 series.
The 200 series is a type of stainless steel that uses manganese to replace nickel, which is more expensive, resulting in relatively poor corrosion resistance. However, it is a cost-effective alternative to the 300 series.
Common types of 200 series stainless steel include:
* 201 (UNS S20100): Nickel content 4% to 5%, manganese content 5.5% to 7.5%.
* 202 (UNS S20200): Nickel content 5% to 6%, manganese content 7.5% to 10%.
The 300 series is a type of austenitic stainless steel that is primarily composed of chromium and nickel.
* 304 (UNS S30400): A very common type of stainless steel, also known as 18/8 stainless steel, which means it contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel. It is non-magnetic and cannot be changed by heat treatment. The main elements include nickel 8% to 10.5%, chromium 18% to 20%, and small amounts of manganese, silicon, phosphorus, and sulfur. It is widely used in kitchen equipment, general pipelines, architectural decoration, chemical equipment, and the food and beverage industry.
* 304L (UNS S30403): The main elements are similar to 304, but the carbon content is reduced to 0.03% or less. It is generally used in applications that require good weldability, such as chemical containers, pipelines, and heat exchangers.
* 316 (UNS S31600): A very common type of stainless steel, second only to 304 in terms of popularity. It is also known as 18/10 stainless steel, which means it contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel. The main elements include nickel 10% to 14%, chromium 16% to 18%, and 2% to 3% molybdenum, which provides a special corrosion-resistant structure. It also contains small amounts of manganese, silicon, phosphorus, and sulfur. The increased nickel content further enhances its corrosion resistance. Due to its excellent corrosion resistance, especially against chlorides, it is widely used in marine environments, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and is also known as "marine steel".
* 316L (UNS S31603): The main elements are similar to 316, but the carbon content is reduced to 0.03% or less. It is mainly used in applications that require good weldability and higher corrosion resistance, such as biotechnology and medical devices.

The sources of broken stainless steel are mainly from various breaking factories, such as automobile breaking factories and household appliance breaking factories.
The raw materials that can be used to process broken stainless steel are mainly various types of stainless steel, especially those with mixed impurities that are difficult to separate, which can be processed using breaking and sorting methods. The sources of stainless steel are very broad, from industrial waste in the production and manufacturing fields, such as furnace slag and edge materials, to household waste, and stainless steel is present in every corner of the human world.

The value difference between stainless steel waste is very large, mainly due to:
1. High-value metal content: The metal content of stainless steel waste, especially nickel, is the most valuable component, with a price several times or even dozens of times higher than other metal components. Therefore, the nickel content determines the value of stainless steel waste. For example, 300 series stainless steel waste with higher nickel content (such as 304, 316) is more valuable than 200 series stainless steel waste and ferritic or martensitic 400 series stainless steel waste.
2. High purity: The basic requirement for purity is that it does not contain iron, as iron waste is much less valuable than stainless steel waste. The second requirement is that it can be strictly classified according to the series, such as 200, 300, or 400, without mixing other series. The highest quality stainless steel waste is packaged and classified according to specific types, such as 304 or 316, which can be directly used in furnaces and create the highest value through recycling.

Broken stainless steel waste can generally be directly or simply processed and used in furnaces, making it a high-quality recycled metal raw material.

The main detection method for stainless steel waste is visual inspection by experienced professionals, which can accurately identify impurities within a ±3% range. In addition to visual inspection, other detection methods include crucible testing and portable spectroscopy analysis for certain series of stainless steel that are difficult to identify.

The best matching direction for stainless steel waste is to use it in recycling and direct utilization factories. The largest stainless steel distribution market in China is in Dongguan, Guangdong, Wuxi, Jiangsu, and Zibo, Shandong. Globally, the Indian market currently has the best price for stainless steel waste, while the Chinese market has been experiencing a decline in prices since 2022.

When trading stainless steel waste, it is essential to pay attention to the consistency between the photos and actual goods, as well as the consistency between the reported location and actual delivery location. Due to the large differences in stainless steel waste, prices are highly dependent on these factors. Some Indian and Pakistani buyers require stainless steel waste to maintain its nickel and chromium content, meaning that 200 series stainless steel waste is not allowed to be mixed in.