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Telling aluminum from stainless steel?

N

NuclearFusi0n

Diamond Member
There's a bowl I have with no markings of any kind, made from nothing but metal. How can I tell if it is reactive aluminum or non-reactive stainless steel?
 
if you don't have a magnet, bang a screwdriver against something metallic and it will give it a slight magnetic charge... then you can quickly test the metal.
 
Originally posted by: Sundog
Originally posted by: DOSfan
Magnet
Click to expand...
Originally posted by: Kalvin00
Originally posted by: DOSfan
Magnet
Click to expand...

I believe this man tells the truth.
Click to expand...



Hello...McFly....Anyone in there????

Magnets do not work on Stainless Steel or Aluminum.
Click to expand...
Sure they do. 😀

It depend on the composition of the stainless steel whether it's magnetic or not.

Not really sure how to explain it. I would be able to tell if it was aluminum or SS the second I picked it up.

If it is thin and very light, you can be assured it is aluminum.

If it's like a batter mixing bowl, then it is going to be stainless steel. Aluminum is much too soft to be used for something like that, you would end up eating aluminum shavings each time you mixed something up in it.
 
I don't think I've ever seen an aluminum bowl..

magnets do not stick to my stainless steel mixer bowl.. I checked. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: Sundog
Originally posted by: DOSfan
Magnet
Click to expand...
Originally posted by: Kalvin00
Originally posted by: DOSfan
Magnet
Click to expand...

I believe this man tells the truth.
Click to expand...



Hello...McFly....Anyone in there????

Magnets do not work on Stainless Steel or Aluminum.
Click to expand...
Sure they do. 😀

It depend on the composition of the stainless steel whether it's magnetic or not.

Not really sure how to explain it. I would be able to tell if it was aluminum or SS the second I picked it up.
Click to expand...


I have a 70 Ft3 steam sterilizer at work made of 316 and 303 Stainless steel.. Magnets do not stick.


This is also one of the points with new fridges. Get one of the nice brushed SS ones and try to stick a magnet to it. It will fall to the floor.......so not a good fridge to get if you have kids and want to stick picks on the fridge.
 
stainless steel feel a lot more hard and dense... try to knock/tap on the side and get a feel of it.


and yeah, aluminum has a melting point of 1200C, and you can try to test that. 🙂
 
I did just look up some properties of some of the more common SS types...and apparently there are some types of SS that can exhibit some magnetic properties. I've never seen them and our plant works with SS everyday, but then again we don't manufacture magnetic plunger valves.


Originally posted by: EliSure they do. 😀

It depend on the composition of the stainless steel whether it's magnetic or not.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: Sundog
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: Sundog
Originally posted by: DOSfan
Magnet
Click to expand...
Originally posted by: Kalvin00
Originally posted by: DOSfan
Magnet
Click to expand...

I believe this man tells the truth.
Click to expand...



Hello...McFly....Anyone in there????

Magnets do not work on Stainless Steel or Aluminum.
Click to expand...
Sure they do. 😀

It depend on the composition of the stainless steel whether it's magnetic or not.

Not really sure how to explain it. I would be able to tell if it was aluminum or SS the second I picked it up.
Click to expand...


I have a 70 Ft3 steam sterilizer at work made of 316 and 303 Stainless steel.. Magnets do not stick.


This is also one of the points with new fridges. Get one of the nice brushed SS ones and try to stick a magnet to it. It will fall to the floor.......so not a good fridge to get if you have kids and want to stick picks on the fridge.
Click to expand...
Yep..

Like I said, totally depends on the composition.

link
 
Originally posted by: EliLike I said, totally depends on the composition.[/L]
Click to expand...

Yep, (see my post above). You learn something new every day.

However, the most common stainless steels are 'austenitic' - these have a higher chromium content and nickel is also added. It is the nickel which modifies the physical structure of the steel and makes it non-magnetic.
Click to expand...


Damn wippersnappers...err....old codgers...err, ummm. Eli, how am I to properly attemt to insult you without knowing how old you are!! 😉😉
 
Originally posted by: Sundog
Originally posted by: EliLike I said, totally depends on the composition.[/L]
Click to expand...

Yep, (see my post above). You learn something new every day.

However, the most common stainless steels are 'austenitic' - these have a higher chromium content and nickel is also added. It is the nickel which modifies the physical structure of the steel and makes it non-magnetic.
Click to expand...


Damn wippersnappers...err....old codgers...err, ummm. Eli, how am I to properly attemt to insult you without knowing how old you are!! 😉😉
Click to expand...
Yeah, didn't see it before I posted. 😉

I'm 23. 😛
 
Originally posted by: silverpig
Did Archimedes not teach you anything?
Click to expand...

Step 1: Weigh the bowl
Step 2: Submerge the bowl in water and determine the change in volume of the water. This change in volume is equal to the volume of the bowl.
Step 3: Divide the mass of the bowl by its volume. This gives you the density of the bowl.
Step 4: Determine the density of stainless steel and the density of aluminum. These should be available on-line.
Step 5: ...
Step 6: Profit!

R
 
Originally posted by: rgwalt
Originally posted by: silverpig
Did Archimedes not teach you anything?
Click to expand...

Step 1: Weigh the bowl
Step 2: Submerge the bowl in water and determine the change in volume of the water. This change in volume is equal to the volume of the bowl.
Step 3: Divide the mass of the bowl by its volume. This gives you the density of the bowl.
Step 4: Determine the density of stainless steel and the density of aluminum. These should be available on-line.
Step 5: ...
Step 6: Profit!

R
Click to expand...

Thank you 🙂
 
Try scribing it with a stainless fork. If it doesn't scratch it, it's stainless. The fork will be able to gouge out aluminum easily.
 
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