Stainless Steel In A Clean Room Environment

Stainless steel equipment is often used in cleanroom environments
because it can meet strict hygiene requirements. Stainless steel is known to be
strong, non-porous and able to withstand the most rigorous cleaning processes. Custom
stainless steel is also versatile when it comes to design, which allows steel
furniture providers to help their customers comply with regulatory criteria by
working with them to deliver custom solutions to meet room specifications and
dimensions.

Stainless steel, most notably, type 304 stainless steel,
provide excellent corrosion resistance, and easy cleaning and disinfecting. Type
304 stainless steel also operates well in harsh environments.

Stainless steels, such as Type 304 stainless steel, not only
provides excellent resistance to corrosion but it’s also easy to clean and
disinfect without loss of the properties and their durability for operating in
a harsh environment. The ability to clean type 304 stainless steel is often
compared to that of glass – it has no pores or cracks that might collect dirt,
grime, or bacteria, and it can often be cleaned with soap and water, then
disinfected.

It is important to note, that operating with stainless steel
in an acid or alkali environment can damage the surfaces of the handling area.
Specifically, this type of environment often creates surface pitting that
retains bacteria and contaminants. Type 304 stainless steel is basically inert
to most acids and alkali. As such, it avoids the risk of corrosion creating
contamination traps.

Furniture and equipment made from type 304 steel can
withstand the most rigorous cleaning without corroding, whether by high bar
pressure cleaning, thermal high temperature, or chemical detergent cleaning.
Further, it maintains structural integrity even at 870°C and chloride content
up to 200/mg/l.

If more extreme conditions exist, type 316 stainless steel
should be used as it includes more nickel and molybdenum, which offer more
stringent corrosion resistance effective against rigorous cleaning routines,
including chloride contents up to 500/mg/l.

At Stainless Fabricators , we can help you find the right
stainless steel equipment/furniture for your situation. Because cleanrooms and
sterile environments require working around chemicals, your equipment needs to
be able to withstand a chemical spill and intense cleaning. We recommend 304
and 316 for such applications, as both are corrosive resistant, and type 316 is
commonly used in the pharmaceutical and medical industry manufacturing
environments that use an abundance of salt-solution chemicals and cleaners.

For advice, information or a quote, please click “request a
custom quote” link on our home page or call 803-951-1771 today.