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Two metals that are constantly present in our daily lives are stainless steel and aluminum. Stainless steel and aluminum are found in pretty much every item you use, and you see. From bigger things like buildings and your car to your door handles, these two elements are found everywhere. Because these two have similar appearances, most people find it difficult to distinguish between the two just by looking at them. However, there are some unique features of both. It can be crucial to be able to distinguish between stainless steel and aluminum due to their unique features. In this article, we tried to provide you with some main differences between the two.
Both aluminum and stainless steel are strong materials, which is why they are so commonly preferred in buildings and cars. However, steel is usually stronger. When a manufacturer is mainly looking for strength in a specific item, they will produce steel, which is a better material choice.
Both stainless steel and aluminum are readily available at reasonable costs; aluminum is usually less expensive than stainless steel.
When comparing lightness, aluminum is much lighter compared to steel. That’s why they are so commonly used in airplanes.
Some specific jobs need malleable metals because trying to bend and give shape to the metal without harming and breaking it tends to be hard. However, aluminum is a very easy material to mold and give shape into. Stainless steel can be challenging to deal with since it is more resistant to bending.
Stainless steel has a thick protective oxide coating, and this makes it a not-so-good conductor of electricity. On the other aluminum is a very good conductor.
Some jobs require the metal to stand against high temperatures. While aluminum will soften at high temperatures, stainless steel can be used at much greater degrees.
When compared to aluminum, stainless steel frequently has a slightly darker, more metallic gray tone. Depending on its alloy, aluminum can have a silver-gray or dull-white appearance.
The magnet test is one of the most straightforward experiments that can give you an idea of whether the metal you are dealing with is aluminum or stainless steel. A magnet will not draw attraction from aluminum since it is non-magnetic. On the other hand, stainless steel will have a slight magnetic attraction from the same magnet. Of course, the magnetic attraction of the steel will depend on the ally. Some varieties of stainless steel are non-ferrous, so magnet tests aren’t always conclusive.
Chemical testing on samples of each type of metal is the most reliable method of distinguishing aluminum from stainless steel. It is possible to evaluate the unique elemental compositions of both metals by either spectroscopy or other tools like microscopy. This test will give you a conclusive answer.
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