Stainless Steel Fibre Production and Properties
topic
Stainless steel fibres of 2 to 12 micrometre diameter are produced by bundle drawing of thousands of steel wires embedded in a copper matrix that is subsequently dissolved by nitric acid etching, yielding fibres with electrical resistivity of 0.7 microohm metres, tensile strength of 2.0 to 2.5 gigapascals, and corrosion resistance from austenitic grades 316L and 304 for wet and chemical exposure textile applications.
Role
Provides the primary conductive metal fibre for EMI shielding fabrics, antistatic workwear, resistive heating textiles, and smart garment electrode applications where the combination of high electrical conductivity, textile processability at fine fibre diameter, and corrosion resistance in sweat and laundering environments makes stainless steel fibre the dominant choice over less corrosion-resistant copper fibre alternatives.