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  for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Nickel-free steel to solve skin rash problem

Dear Sirs,

We and our customer are facing the problem of skin rash for some of the users of our product. The 430 steel plate is a component of our product that comes into intimate and prolonged contact with the wearer's skin. Data sheet of 430 indicates no nickel? What should we do? Do the industry have another sheet metal that is really nickel-free or at the safe level?

Montree Seetubtim
- Nonthaburi, Thailand
2003

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You are correct, 430 stainless does not contain nickel. What is your problem?

Bill Reynolds [deceased]
consultant metallurgist - Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
We sadly relate the news that Bill passed away on Jan. 29, 2010.
2003

I think nickel free, high mangnese nitrogen bearing stainless steel popularly known as AISI 202 stainless steel is best suited for your use. Could you elaborate the use.

Pranav Garg
- Hagadhri, India
2003

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Pranav Garg,

Thanks a lot. You said AISI 202 is best suited to my application. You asked me to elaborate the use. here it is. Our product is a personal static control. It look like a wrist watch. The user wears its like a wearing a wrist watch but it has an extending cord from it to ground the charges. The stainless plate is a component that comes into intimate contact with skin, like the back of the watch. Sooner or later, some wearers got the rash problem. The 430 I used is proved, by us and our customer, in lab to contain nickel about 0.087 %w/w.

Where can I buy the sheet with 0.35-4.3 mm thick?

Montree Seetubtim
- Nonthaburi, Thailand
2003

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202 stainless steel contains 4-6% nickel, so it will not meet the nickel-free criteria. The only common stainless steels that are nickel-free are the 400 series, with the exception of 414 and 431, both of which contain nickel, according to AISI standards. Europe has very strict laws regarding nickel containing alloys that come into prolonged and intimate contact with the skin. Your best source of information will probably be the EU website or jewelry manufacturers.

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2003

We use 316L and 316F as material for our wristwatches. We do not do any plating. We are going to export to Germany. I am very concerned about the nickel free regulation. I don't know if it only applies to gold plating or not. Can anybody give me any advice?

Raymond Li
- Hong Kong
2006