Renowned for its corrosion-resistance properties, temperature tolerance, and ease of sanitisation, stainless steel is employed in diverse medical applications, such as mobility-aiding implants, tools used for conducting surgeries etc. ensuring optimal safety and performance. Thanks to the introduction of SS in the medical field, countless patients’ life span has not just increased, but their quality of life has improved drastically.
The healthcare sector has a particular set of requirements such as cleanliness and sanitation as far as materials needed for creating tools, storage, piping, equipment, and other components that medical professionals and doctors use in order to keep patients healthy, and fit are concerned. SS becomes the ideal choice due to the reasons that we will explore in the article.
Keeping that in mind, stainless steel (also known as SS) is one of the most popular metals used in the medical sector. Let’s explore the stainless steel rate, key features and uses in the medical field and a lot more.
Key Features
Stainless steel is used in the medical field due to the following features:
1. Anti-Corrosion: This property ensures safety, which is a must-have when it comes to use in sensitive operations and processes. Also, it helps make long-lasting and durable tools and equipment.
2. Temperature: Its ability to tolerate extreme temperatures means that the equipment will be easy to sterilise. Also, it will be capable of being used in a different type of circumstances.
3. Durability: Equipment created with it is very durable as the medical sector thrives on the durability of the equipment used such as wheelchairs, beds, structures, and a lot more.
4. Sanitisation: Hands down, sanitisation is non-negotiable when it comes to materials used in the medical sector. Without possessing any anti-microbial properties, SS is highly employed because using sanitisation products, contaminants can be removed and SS products such as scissors, sheers, surgical drills and grinders, needles, tissue grabbers, cardiovascular clamps etc. can be sterilised easily.
Medical Stainless Steel Grades
Let’s have a look at the medical grades and their composition:
- Grade 420: It is a high-carbon steel containing a minimum of 0.15% carbon and a minimum chromium content ranging from 12%-14%. When exposed to heat, it can be hardened if need be.
- Grade 410: It is a general-purpose stainless steel that contains chromium in the range of 11.50%-13.50% and carbon in the maximum range of 0.15%
- Grade 316L: It is austenitic stainless steel that contains chromium in the range of 16%-18%, nickel in the range of 10%-14%, maximum carbon up to 0.03%, and molybdenum in the range of 2%-3%. When it comes to prices, it has a nominal price difference when compared to 316 stainless steel prices.
- Grade 304: It is a non-magnetic type of stainless steel and contains chromium in the range of 15%-20%, nickel in the range of 2%-11%, and maximum carbon up to 0.08%.
- Grade 304L: It is the low-carbon variant of grade 304, it can be welded with the help of fusion and resistance welding processes. It contains chromium in the range of 18%-20%, nickel in the range of 8%-12%, maximum carbon up to 0.03%.
- Grade 17-4PH: It is a precipitation-hardening martensitic stainless steel and it is used for applications requiring high toughness and strength. Its toughness as well as strength can be altered using the intensity of the heat treatment process. It is ideal for manufacturing Surgical instruments.
Most Common Uses
Mentioned below are some of the common uses of SS in the medical field:
- Walkers
- Wheelchairs
- Surgical equipment (Clamps, scalpels, spreaders, and curettes)
- IV stands
- Medical needles and syringes
- Artificial heart valves (316/316L)
- Orthopaedic implants (316/316L)
- Bone fixing equipment (screws, plates etc.)
- Prostheses
- Containers (chemical and hazardous waste)
- Specialty guide wires
- Medical beds
- Sinks, trays, bowls, tool carts, countertops etc.
- Sensor probes
- Precision tubing
- Catheters
- Mandrels/tools
- Wires (wire coils, wire forms etc.)
- Speciality guide wires
- Otolaryngology
- Ear scope nozzles
- Stainless Steel Rate
- Mentioned below are Domestic 316L SS HR >=3mm FOR prices at various locations:
- Ghaziabad: ₹3,10,000/MT
- Faridabad: ₹3,10,000/MT
- Nagpur: ₹3,08,000/MT
- Vadodara: ₹3,07,500/MT
- Surat: ₹3,07,000/MT
Over To You
Stainless steel’s passivation layer makes it a perfect fit for a wide range of medical applications. Its most common uses are (but are not limited to) small-sized items like clamps, needles, and scalpels as well as larger-sized items like piping components, countertops, beds, mobility aids etc. As far as cleaning SS medical equipment is concerned, it can be cleaned with ease using mild soap and water as well as specialised cleaners (if the need arises). With that being said, under any circumstances, avoid using abrasive cleaners as they can negatively lifespan of the medical equipment.
Now that you know the key uses of SS in the healthcare sector, are you surprised to know the extent of its usage if you already had a fair about its usage? Most people who have been patients themselves already have an idea of the extent of SS usage in the healthcare sector.