This is the year of steel. In 2017, India's crude steel production exceeded the 100 million tons mark. As for stainless steel, the country has obtained the label of the second largest producer after China. During the year, the country's stainless steel output reached 3.6 tons, an annual growth rate of 10%.
The consumption of stainless steel in a country is organically linked to its economic development. Taking India's GDP growth rate and my country's per capita stainless steel consumption of 2 kilograms, while the world average level is 6 kilograms, it can be seen that stainless steel has a lot of room for growth. In the era of constant value-added and environmental awareness, stainless steel is the most practical and best choice among all materials.
Stainless Steel: The Value Maximizer
Throughout history, mankind has always longed for progress. From cars to homes to public utilities, we want everything to be beautiful and efficient. This rising public desire in all areas of life is an inflection point that the stainless steel industry has been looking forward to. Because stainless steel is a metal that can meet various needs now and in the future.
Unlike other alternatives including carbon steel, cement, plastic, glass and aluminum composite materials, stainless steel is non-corrosive and self-healing due to its inherent properties. This confirms why the end use of stainless steel has undergone a major shift in the past few decades:
Automobile, railway and transportation (ART) field: high strength-to-weight ratio and the ability to resist impact and temperature shock make stainless steel the most fuel-efficient and safest choice in the ART field. Developed countries use 19% of stainless steel in automobiles, while developing countries use 5%. With the implementation of Euro VI standards by 2020, this number will increase, and it cannot be implemented without stainless steel exhaust pipes. Indian Railways plans to convert 55,000 ordinary train passenger cars to safer LHB technology, which would not be possible without the use of stainless steel passenger cars.
The Indian ART industry is adding value at every stage, and stainless steel is growing steadily. Jindal Stainless Steel is already supplying materials for bus bodies and fuel tanks. We are rapidly replacing plastics in this area. Plastic fuel tanks can withstand temperatures up to 100 degrees Celsius, while stainless steel tanks can withstand temperatures up to 1000 degrees Celsius. In addition, plastic is harmful to the environment.
Architecture, Building and Construction (ABC) Industry: Stainless steel has enhanced the value game of the industry with its good record of longevity, non-corrosion and hygiene. Therefore, the 2017 National Steel Policy emphasizes the use of stainless steel in public health, earthquake and coastal areas.
Successful experiments in cities such as Tokyo and Taipei have shown that if we replace cement and carbon steel pipes with stainless steel pipes, the water distribution loss can be reduced from about 40% to 2%. Stainless steel plays a pivotal role in the swachh bharat and river revival required by the country. The establishment of durable water-saving infrastructure, including sewage, waste and sewage treatment plants, will inevitably require high-quality stainless steel.
The ABC industry is growing at an annual rate of 13% and is full of opportunities. Stainless steel is widely used in residential and commercial real estate projects, retail spaces, entertainment venues, hotels, healthcare and urban infrastructure. There is no doubt that the foundation of a smart city will be built on stainless steel products. The special finish of stainless steel is one of the latest value-added products, gaining market traction in the form of colored panels and non-slip flooring, combining practical benefits with pure aesthetic pleasure.
Processing industry: Stainless steel's maintenance-free long life and perfect hygienic characteristics make it an ideal choice for the processing industry. For example, food processing relies heavily on stainless steel. For these reasons, more and more industries, such as oil refineries, petrochemicals, electric power, textiles, cement, pharmaceuticals, and paper making, are turning to stainless steel.
Stainless steel is increasingly used to produce clean energy. Desalination will pave the way for future water crises, and it is based on stainless steel. Without stainless steel, flue gas desulfurization or FGD is a process to remove sulfur dioxide from exhaust gas. This metal is also making progress in the field of nuclear energy. Jindal Stainless Steel Company is one of two stainless steel suppliers in the world selected to supply 1,100 tons of stainless steel to the famous French International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor cryostat project.
Infinite diversity of possibilities
Stainless steel's high impact toughness, crash resistance, excellent weldability, formability, maintenance-free and higher elongation make it a favorite of end users and manufacturers. Medical advancements, including surgical instruments, artificial stents, and knee and joint implants, have largely benefited from the benefits of stainless steel. Recently, Jindal Stainless Steel has cooperated with the National Defense Metallurgical Research Laboratory to develop a special grade of high-nitrogen stainless steel for the defense sector.
In view of its ability to provide a huge diversified space, stainless steel is expected to become the metal of the future.
(The author is the chairman of Jinda Stainless Steel)
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