Everything about Surgical Stainless Steel totally explained
Surgical stainless steel is an
alloy of
iron,
carbon,
chromium (12–20%),
molybdenum (0.2–3%), and
nickel (8–12%).
The chromium gives the metal its scratch-resistance and
corrosion resistance. The nickel provides a smooth and polished finish. The molybdenum gives greater hardness, and helps maintaining a cutting edge.
Although there are myriad variations in the recipes, there are two main varieties of stainless steel;
martensitic and
austenitic, see the
stainless steel article.
The word 'surgical' refers to the fact that these types of steel are well-suited for making surgical instruments: they're easy to clean and
sterilize, strong and corrosion-resistant. The nickel/chrome/molybdenum alloys are also used for
orthopaedic implants as aids in bone repair, as a structural part of artificial heart valves, and other implants. Immune system reaction to nickel is a potential complication. In some cases today
titanium is used instead in procedures that require a metal implant which will be permanent. Titanium is a reactive metal, the surface of which quickly oxidizes on exposure to air, creating a microstructured stable oxide surface. This provides a surface into which bone can grow and adhere in orthopaedic implants but which is incorrodible after implant. Thus steel may be used for temporary implants and the more expensive
titanium for permanent ones.
Most surgical equipment is made out of
martensitic steel—it is much harder than
austenitic steel, and easier to keep sharp. Depending on the type of equipment, the
alloy recipe is varied slightly to get more sharpness, or strength.
Implants and equipment that are put under pressure (
bone fixation
screws,
prostheses,
body piercing jewelry), are made out of austenitic steel, often
316L and 316LVM, because it's less brittle.
316 surgical steel is used in the manufacture and handling of food and pharmaceutical products where it's often required in order to minimize metallic contamination.
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