Material of construction for the manufacturing equipment is a very crucial concern of GMP. Stainless Steel used in pharmaceuticals industry is an alloy of iron in which different materials are added. The main goal is to increase the strength of iron and make it resistant to things like rust and corrosion caused by nature. There are mainly four types of stainless steel like 304, 304L, 316 and 316L which are used in manufacturing equipment.
Composition of Stainless Steel Used in Pharmaceuticals:
Following are the ingredients of stainless steel used in pharmaceuticals. The percentage ratio of the different types are given below:
i. Chromium (Cr) is added to the stainless steel to make its surface resistant to the corrosion, oxidation and to give it tensile strength.
ii. Manganese (Mn) 2% improves working strength of the stainless steel used in pharmaceuticals at high temperature while above 2% also increases the tensile strength.
iii. Silicon (Si) gives the strength and resistance to strong acids as sulfuric acid.
iv. Nickel (Ni) improves the resistance to the hot and humid environmental conditions. These properties make the stainless steel stronger and long-lasting nature.
v. The molybdenum gives resistance to pitting corrosion.
Usages of SS 304, SS 304L, SS316 and SS316L:
SS304 cannot effectively protect against corrosion caused by chlorides and acids. For this purpose, SS 304/304L is used to manufacture equipment parts that do not directly contact with pharma product.
SS316L offers effective protection against corrosion from chlorides and acids. For this reason, SS316L is mainly used in manufacturing pharma equipment parts that come directly with pharma product
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