Is chrome-plated or galvanised steel the same as stainless steel?
Short answer: No, chrome-plated and galvanised items are ordinary steel with a thin coating, so they are strongly magnetic, rust once the coating is damaged and are worth only the steel price, whereas stainless is stainless all the way through, so a shiny finish does not mean stainless, and a quick magnet test and a scratch in a hidden spot usually tell you which you have.
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List Free →A coating, not an alloy
Chrome and zinc are surface layers over ordinary steel.
Magnetic and rusty
Plated steel sticks to a magnet and rusts where scratched.
Do not be fooled
A bright finish is not proof of stainless steel.
How ScrapTrade Fits In
ScrapTrade buyers price plated steel as steel, so check before you list it as stainless.
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