The price of stainless steel plate can vary widely depending on the size and finish you require. It is used in a wide range of applications including water storage tanks, silos to store grain, transportation tankers and more. Its tough construction makes it ideal for use in corrosive environments and is known to resist pitting, crevice corrosion and stress cracking.
Stainless steel plates are made up of many different metals, alloys and components that combine to create a strong and durable product. The main ingredient is chromium, which gives it its anti-corrosion properties. The price of steel plate can also be affected by the quality you require, with higher grade products costing more than lower grades.
In the United States, prices rose in 2021 and early 2022 as demand for stainless steel outpaced supply. Several factors drove this, with months of destocking at the peak of the pandemic causing wholesaler stocks to dwindle quickly. Additionally, energy rationing in some areas caused power outages and reduced demand for industry inputs.
However, after a month of falling prices, stainless steel plate manufacturers began to release new supplies in December, and the market recovered slightly. This was due to a combination of factors, with the supply-demand balance shifting in favor of buyers after months of understocking and limited service centre purchasing.
Whether you require prime or secondary steel plate can also impact the price you pay, with prime plates meeting regulatory and mill proprietary specifications for chemical and physical properties. These are the most expensive types of plate available, while secondary plates have slight imperfections, such as not meeting flatness standards or having a poor surface, but they still meet minimum regulatory requirements and can be used in non-structural applications.
