What Are the Differences Between Stainless Steel & Cold ...

Picking the right metal for your next project can be tricky. You might find yourself wondering which is right for you — stainless steel or cold rolled steel? Both have pros and cons.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Cold Rolled Stainless Steel Coil. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

This article will explain the key differences between the two in simple terms. We'll compare things like cost, uses, and properties so that you can confidently pick the perfect material for your next project. 

Key Differences

When it comes to stainless steel versus cold rolled steel, the most notable differences stem from how each material is made. 

Stainless Steel

Think of stainless steel as super-powered steel. It's actually not one type of metal, but an entire family of metals made by mixing regular steel with elements like chromium, nickel, and molybdenum. This special combo gives stainless steel its superpower: built-in rust resistance. 

Cold Rolled Steel

Cold rolled steel starts as regular steel before it's heated and rolled through powerful machines to make it thinner and smoother. While it lacks the durability of stainless steel, it's more affordable and easier to work with.

Properties & Uses

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is a tough, corrosion-resistant metal that's like a superhero shield against the elements. This makes it ideal for demanding applications like building airplanes, dairy equipment, and kitchen sinks.

The secret to its strength is the right blend of chromium and nickel. Stainless steel is also surprisingly lightweight for its durability, so it's used extensively in planes and rockets. Its low carbon content makes it easy to weld.

The most common grade, 304 stainless steel, is used everywhere from food processors to water bottles.

Cold Rolled Steel

Cold rolled steel lacks the flashiness of stainless steel, but its smooth finish makes it perfect for home appliances and furniture where looks matter.

Don't be fooled though — cold rolled steel can bend easily and be shaped into car bodies, shelves, and more. It's available in different strengths — hard for stiffness or soft for easy bending. Choose the right temper and your project will take shape beautifully!

COST

While comparing prices directly can be tricky, here's a breakdown of what influences the cost of stainless steel and cold rolled steel.

Stainless Steel

• Material makeup: Its chromium and nickel content contribute to a higher price point compared to cold rolled steel.
• Specific grade: Different grades offer varying properties and performance, impacting cost.
• Market fluctuations: Like any commodity, stainless steel prices are subject to market changes.

COLD ROLLED STEEL

• Production process: Cold rolling is generally less resource-intensive than producing stainless steel, making it less expensive.
• Thickness and finish: Thicker gauges and special finishes like galvanization can raise the cost.
• Quantity: Ordering larger amounts often comes with bulk discounts.

For a precise cost tailored to your project, request a personalized quote from our team. We factor in both your specific needs and current market conditions to ensure an accurate estimate.

Remember: Focusing on the right steel based on its properties and suitability for your project can offer long-term savings in both time and money.

Why Choose Mead Metals for Your Stainless Steel and Cold Rolled Steel Needs?

For decades, we've mastered the secrets of stainless steel and cold rolled steel. Our team of steel experts can pinpoint the perfect type for your project, every time.

Need a common grade like 4140 to C1050? We've got them in stock. Looking for a specific custom alloy? We specialize in those too.

And here's the best part: we understand cost pressures. We'll work with you to find the steel that meets your needs without breaking the bank.

At Mead Metals, it's not just about selling steel. It's about building strong partnerships and delivering reliable solutions. Let our experience guide your next project.

Discover the Advantages of Galvanneal Steel for Your Next Project

The Difference Between Hot and Cold Rolled Stainless Steel

Cold Rolled: It is processed and rolled based on a hot-rolled stainless steel plate and coil. Generally speaking, it is a process of hot rolling→pickling→cold rolling. Although rolling will also heat the steel plate during the processing process, it is still called cold rolling. Because the hot rolling is cold rolled after continuous cold deformation, the mechanical properties are relatively poor and the hardness is too high. It must be annealed to restore its mechanical properties, and those without annealing are called rolled hard coils. Rolled hard coils are generally used to make products that do not need to be bent or stretched.

Stainless Steel Chemical Composition – YAOYI Stainless Steel

Cold Rolled’s Characteristics

1. The cold-rolled steel plate has a certain degree of work hardening, low toughness, and more expensive;

2. There is no oxide scale on the cold-rolled surface, and the quality is good;

want more information on Galvanized Coil Suppliers? Feel free to contact us.

3. Products made by cold deformation have high dimensional accuracy and good surface quality;

4. Because of its production process, cold rolling is widely used in various industries, such as various cold stamping parts, cold-rolled and cold extruded profiles, cold coil springs, cold drawn wires, cold heading bolts, etc.

AISI 304; AISI  301; AISI 316;AISI 316L…

• Thickness: 0.02mm – 0.2mm
• Width: 25mm – 1600mm

Hot Rolled: It is relative to cold rolling. cold-rolled is rolling below the recrystallization temperature, while hot rolling is rolling above the recrystallization temperature.

Hot Rolled’s Characteristics

1. The toughness and surface smoothness is poor, and the price is low;

2. The temperature of hot rolling is similar to that of forging;

3. The hot plate is processed by hot rolling, and the surface has oxide skin, and the thickness of the plate is poor;

4. Due to its production process, it is used for civilian purposes, such as tableware, kitchen utensils, general household appliances, etc.;

5. The mechanical properties of hot-rolled steel plates are far inferior to cold working, and second to forging processing, but they have better toughness and ductility.

Get it now:A complete guide to AISI 410 Stainless Steel  

What is the Cold Rolled?

Cold Rolled: Hot-rolled steel coils are used as raw materials. After pickling to remove the oxide scale, they are cold-rolled. The finished product is hard-rolled coils. Cold work hardening caused by continuous cold deformation increases the strength, hardness, and toughness of the hard-rolled coils. The plastic index drops, so the stamping performance will deteriorate, and it can only be used for simple deformed parts. Hard-rolled coils can be used as raw materials for hot-dip galvanizing plants because hot-dip galvanizing lines are equipped with annealing lines. The weight of the rolled hard coil is generally 6 to 13.5 tons, and the steel coil is continuously rolled on the hot-rolled pickled coil at room temperature. The inner diameter is 610mm.

Read more:A complete guide to AISI 304L Stainless Steel  

What is the Hot Rolled?

Cold Rolled uses slabs (mainly continuous casting slabs) as raw materials. After heating, the rough rolling mill and the finishing mill are used to make strip steel. The hot steel strip from the last rolling mill of the finishing rolling is cooled to a set temperature by laminar flow and then coiled into a steel coil by the coiler. The cooled steel coil undergoes different finishing operations according to the different needs of users. Lines (flattening, straightening, cross-cutting or slitting, inspection, weighing, packaging and marking, etc.) are processed into steel plates, flat coils, and slit steel strip products. To put it simply, a piece of steel billet is heated (that is, the hot steel block that is burning red on the TV) after a few passes, and then trimmed to be straightened into a steel plate. This is called hot rolling.

Read more:A complete guide to AISI 304L Stainless Steel  

The Difference Between Hot Rolled Plate and Cold Rolled Plate

1. The cold plate is processed by cold rolling, and the surface has no oxide skin and is of good quality. The hot plate is processed by hot rolling, and the surface has an oxide scale, and the thickness of the plate is lower.

2. The hot-rolled sheet has poor toughness and surface smoothness, and the price is low, while the cold-rolled sheet has good stretchability and toughness, but the price is more expensive.

3. Rolling is divided into cold rolling and hot rolling, with the recrystallization temperature as the distinguishing point.

4. Cold rolling: cold rolling is generally used to produce strips, and its rolling speed is relatively high. Hot rolling: the temperature of hot rolling is similar to that of forging

5. The surface of the non-plated hot-rolled board is dark brown, and the surface of the non-plated cold-rolled board is gray. After electroplating, it can be distinguished from the smoothness of the surface. The smoothness of cold-rolled boards is higher than that of the hot-rolled board.

Keep reading: A complete guide to AISI 303 Stainless Steel  

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