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LiveScience
LiveScience
Tom Metcalfe

Why doesn't stainless steel rust?

A close-up of stainless steel pots and pans hanging from a wall.

Rust is a constant threat to the iron all around us, which readily oxidizes in both air and water. Even steel — a hard alloy of iron with traces of carbon — easily rusts, which means oxidation damages the steel in buildings, cars and appliances.

But, as its name suggests, stainless steel doesn't seem to rust. So what's its secret?

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