Is 'stainless steel' = 'chrome plated'?

[propellerhead]

When it comes to mufflers and tailpipes, is stainless steel the same as chrome plated?

 

[LTC8K6]

No.

 

[Heisenberg]

No.

 

[Syringer]

N

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Syringer
N

S

 

[StageLeft]

Yes, and by that I mean no.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Negative.

 

[FrustratedUser]

No

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: propellerhead
When it comes to mufflers and tailpipes, is stainless steel the same as chrome plated?

Nope. Stainless steel is treated to prevent rusting, IIRC. Chrome plating is something else altogether.

 

[NuclearNed]

A resounding NO...

 

[screw3d]

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=stainless%20steel

Stainless steel is an alloy. Chrome plating is a thin layer of chrome on another metal

 

[Colt45]

Iron + chromium + nickel (usually) = stainless

where chrome just has a plating.

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

Stainless is the kind of grey metal you see in flatware, some pots/pans, sinks, it will not rust. Chrome plate (over what I'm not sure, maybe regular steel) is very high polish shiny, it gleams, used in a decorative way.

 

[propellerhead]

Dam! That was quick.
Thanks.

 

[FrustratedUser]

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: propellerhead
When it comes to mufflers and tailpipes, is stainless steel the same as chrome plated?

Nope. Stainless steel is treated to prevent rusting, IIRC. Chrome plating is something else altogether.

No, it's an alloy. Not 'treated' with anything.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Oh and btw, they're totally the same thing.

 

[HonkeyDonk]

that would be a NEGATORY

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: FrustratedUser

Originally posted by: Encryptic

Originally posted by: propellerhead
When it comes to mufflers and tailpipes, is stainless steel the same as chrome plated?

Nope. Stainless steel is treated to prevent rusting, IIRC. Chrome plating is something else altogether.

No, it's an alloy. Not 'treated' with anything.

I'm not a metallurgist, I just play one on ATOT.

 

[Ikonomi]

Which is better, polished aluminum or chrome plated?

I don't know what I mean by "better".

 

[Encryptic]

Originally posted by: Ikonomi
Which is better, polished aluminum or chrome plated?

I don't know what I mean by "better".

Getting my knob polished > polished aluminum

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: Ikonomi
Which is better, polished aluminum or chrome plated?

I don't know what I mean by "better".

I think polished aluminum is better because the chrome is just a plating which can come off. You can always repolish the aluminum if it starts to dull. I'm actually in the middle of buffing and polishing some of the aluminum intake parts on my car.

Edit: But chrome plating can be applied to metals like steel, which you sometimes have to use instead of soft metals like aluminum.

 

[Bulk Beef]

Originally posted by: Ikonomi
Which is better, polished aluminum or chrome plated?

I don't know what I mean by "better".

It depends on the application. Polished aluminum would make a really crappy battery box. Chrome plating is not so good for an air-cooled cylinder head.

 

[JDub02]

Just FYI .. stainless isn't all that stainless. I have a stainless exhaust on my truck and it's starting to look pretty nasty ... I guess a few winters in upstate NY will kill anything.

 

[silverpig]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg

Originally posted by: Ikonomi
Which is better, polished aluminum or chrome plated?

I don't know what I mean by "better".

I think polished aluminum is better because the chrome is just a plating which can come off. You can always repolish the aluminum if it starts to dull. I'm actually in the middle of buffing and polishing some of the aluminum intake parts on my car.

Edit: But chrome plating can be applied to metals like steel, which you sometimes have to use instead of soft metals like aluminum.

Actually, I don't think you can chrome plate steel directly. Every time I've seen a chrome plating on a steel part it has a thin layer of copper between them.

steel | copper | chrome

I guess the copper sticks to both metals, whereas chrome and still don't like each other.

 

[Heisenberg]

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: Heisenberg

Originally posted by: Ikonomi
Which is better, polished aluminum or chrome plated?

I don't know what I mean by "better".

I think polished aluminum is better because the chrome is just a plating which can come off. You can always repolish the aluminum if it starts to dull. I'm actually in the middle of buffing and polishing some of the aluminum intake parts on my car.

Edit: But chrome plating can be applied to metals like steel, which you sometimes have to use instead of soft metals like aluminum.

Actually, I don't think you can chrome plate steel directly. Every time I've seen a chrome plating on a steel part it has a thin layer of copper between them.

steel | copper | chrome

I guess the copper sticks to both metals, whereas chrome and still don't like each other.

Hmm...I dunno. I don't know a whole lot about the specifics of plating materials. Too close to chemistry for me.