The key to expanding the application of stainless steel in the future is environmental protection, long life and the popularization of IT.
Regarding environmental protection, first from the viewpoint of atmospheric environmental protection, the demand for heat-resistant and high-temperature corrosion-resistant stainless steel for high-temperature waste incinerators, LNG power generation devices, and high-efficiency coal-based power generation devices that suppress dioxin generation will expand. It is also estimated that the battery casing of fuel cell vehicles, which will be put into practical use in the early 21st century, will also use stainless steel. From the viewpoint of water quality and environmental protection, in water supply and drainage treatment devices, stainless steel with excellent corrosion resistance will also expand the demand.
Regarding long life, the use of stainless steel is increasing in existing bridges, highways, tunnels and other facilities in Europe, and this trend is expected to spread all over the world. In addition, the lifespan of general residential buildings in Japan is particularly short for 20-30 years, and the disposal of waste materials has become a major problem. Buildings with a lifespan of 100 years have recently begun to appear, so the demand for materials with excellent durability will increase. From the point of view of environmental protection, while reducing the waste of civil engineering and construction, it is necessary to explore how to reduce maintenance costs from the design stage of introducing new concepts.
Regarding the popularization of IT, in the process of IT development and popularization, functional materials play a great role in equipment hardware, and the requirements for high-precision and high-functional materials are very large. For example, in mobile phone and computer parts, the high strength, elasticity and non-magnetic properties of stainless steel are flexibly applied, which expands the application of stainless steel. Also in the manufacturing equipment of semiconductors and various substrates, stainless steel with good cleanliness and durability plays an important role.
Stainless steel has a variety of excellent properties that other metals do not have, and is a material with excellent durability and recyclability. In the future, stainless steel will be widely used in various fields in response to changes in the times.
