How sustainable is colored stainless steel in architectural applications?

The production of colored stainless steel (decoration steel) is to chemically or electrochemically process stainless steel plates or stainless steel products to form a conversion film on the surface, producing a series of bright colors such as blue, golden yellow, rose red, green, etc. It also increases the corrosion resistance and wear resistance of stainless steel products. With the improvement of people's living standards, stainless steel products have entered daily life, so stainless steel products are very popular among users. Because of its friendly characteristics, colored stainless steel (decorative steel) is suitable for the decoration of buildings, halls, pavilions and institutes, as well as the production of daily hardware and daily necessities.

From the perspective of sustainable development, colored stainless steel is one of the most cost-effective materials, featuring long service life and low maintenance costs. Its use can not only effectively prolong the service life of the building, reduce the generation of construction waste, but also effectively avoid the re-development of resources, so that the natural resources and energy consumption during the service period are relatively less. In addition, colored stainless steel is 99.99% recycled material, mainly made of recycled carbon steel and stainless steel. The recycling of raw materials reduces energy consumption and the generation of waste and emissions in the production process, which is conducive to energy saving and environmental protection, and conforms to the times. development needs.

At present, the recycling rate of steel structure products dismantled in the UK is 94%, of which 10% is reused and 84% is recycled. Stainless steel can be recycled 99.99% indefinitely. When smelting stainless steel, there is no limit to the ratio of scrap steel used. On average, 70% of the stainless steel produced today has been recycled. Compared with other common building materials, stainless steel can be recycled many times without the slightest decrease in its characteristics or performance.

Experiments have shown that the cleanability of stainless steel is comparable to that of glass and ceramics. About 98% of bacteria can be removed from the surface. Stainless steel has no pollution to the human body and the environment. As a smelting product of natural minerals, stainless steel is a green and environmentally friendly material without waste when its service life is completed. So, we are using stainless steel, not consuming stainless steel.