Cladded Steel Plate vs Stainless Steel Plate: What’s the Difference?

1. Material Composition

• Cladded Steel Plate – Made by bonding a thin layer of corrosion-resistant material (often stainless steel, nickel alloy, or titanium) onto a base metal such as carbon steel or low-alloy steel.

• Stainless Steel Plate – Solid plate made entirely from stainless steel, containing chromium (usually ≥10.5%) to provide corrosion resistance throughout the material.

2. Manufacturing Method

• Cladded Plate – Produced using processes like explosion bonding, roll bonding, or hot pressing to fuse the corrosion-resistant layer onto the base plate.

• Stainless Steel Plate – Manufactured through casting, rolling, and heat treatment of stainless steel slabs into plates.

3. Corrosion Resistance

• Cladded Plate – Corrosion resistance is limited to the surface layer; if the cladding is damaged, the carbon steel underneath can corrode.

• Stainless Steel Plate – Corrosion resistance is uniform throughout the plate, even if scratched or worn.

4. Strength and Mechanical Properties

• Cladded Plate – Base steel provides high strength and toughness, while the cladding offers corrosion protection.

• Stainless Steel Plate – Strength depends on stainless steel grade; some grades are less strong than carbon steel but have better corrosion performance.

5. Cost

• Cladded Plate – More cost-effective for large projects because only the surface layer is made from expensive corrosion-resistant alloy.

• Stainless Steel Plate – More expensive overall because the entire plate is made from stainless steel.

6. Typical Applications

• Cladded Plate – Pressure vessels, heat exchangers, desalination plants, chemical processing equipment, offshore platforms.

• Stainless Steel Plate – Food processing equipment, architectural panels, medical instruments, marine hardware.

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