Question

How do you tell the difference between aluminum and stainless steel?

Answer 1

If the metal is scrap then one way to tell whether the metal is aluminum or stainless steel is to take a grinder and do a spark test on the metal.

If you take a grinder to the metal and it doesn't spark then it's aluminum but if the metal throws off sparks when grinding on it then it's stainless steel.

If you have a metal pot and part of it sticks to a magnet then it's stainless steel but if not then it's aluminum.

Answer 2

1、 Differentiation in appearance

There are some differences in appearance between stainless steel and aluminum, and the material can be preliminarily determined by observing the appearance.

The characteristic of aluminum is silver gray, with a metallic luster, but not as bright as stainless steel, and the surface is relatively smooth.

2. The surface of stainless steel is smooth and has a "mirror effect" with strong reflection.

2、 Weight differentiation

1. Stainless steel has a higher density than aluminum, so it is heavier than aluminum. It can be distinguished by comparing weight.

If, under the same volume, aluminum is lighter in weight than aluminum.

3、 Differentiation of magnetism

1. Stainless steel cannot be magnetized.

Aluminum material is also non-magnetic.

4、 Differentiation of oxide film

1. A dense chromium oxide layer is easily formed on the surface of stainless steel, which has the characteristic of being less prone to rusting.

2. The oxide layer formed on the surface of aluminum is relatively loose, and aluminum exposed to air for a long time will undergo surface oxidation and become a dull oxide layer.