Steel wool

When steel wool is called crimped steel fibers, which are used by the special " scraping " effect of metal fibers for cleaning, grinding and polishing.

Production

The input material for steel wool is a special alloy steel wire. This is supplied on rolls (coils ), drawn by special machines with serrated knives and cut into fine fibers. Depending on the knife - ribbing, cutting angle of the blade and machine speed can finer or coarser fibers.

These steel wool machines can produce several degrees of fineness simultaneously and generate wide steel wool bands that consist of thousands of metal fibers.

Properties and qualities

Commercial steel wool consists of a thick band of sharp-edged fine metal fibers. These fibers have ideally a 3 - or 4- angular cross-section, so that the desired " scraping " effect when working with the steel wool fibers perpendicular to the grinding direction. Steel wool is very tear resistant and elastic. It is therefore often used for machining wood grain finish, because the steel fibers increase the surface geometry, and not surface grind such as abrasive papers and nonwoven abrasives. Wood grains are thus more strongly emphasized.

Steel wool is classified according to degrees of fineness, in Germany commonly referred to as varieties No. 0000, 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 The finest fibers have on this scale, the No. 0000, the worst the No. 5

Still coarser than steel wool steel chips whose particle sizes are: Fine, Fine, Medium, Coarse, Coarse and Ultra. Steel chips are also stronger than steel wool curled and not so elastic.

This classification applies internationally, but the actual degrees of fineness of steel wool can be very different from country to country.

For dry use steel wool is almost unlimited. When exposed to water or harsh chemicals they can rust. The other hand, steel is steel wool, which is used especially in humid conditions.

Application

Steel wool is different surfaces such as wood, metal, plastic, stone and glass used for processing, also for Matt loops of polished and painted surfaces.

The surface effect of the steel wool is extremely soft, as it results from the " scraper " effect and not from the hardness of the steel.

Cleaning pads and discs

For use in commercial and household cleaning pads or special cleaning discs or rings of steel wool for automated application on wood and stone floors are offered. These products, in particular the cleaning pad for the household are often added to soaps and with rouge and for example in the kitchen for cleaning pots and pans with burnt-on food residues, tiles and ceramic stoves used. In addition to steel and aluminum wool is used for cleaning purposes.

In the U.S., the first time an offset with soapy steel wool pad was patented in 1913 under the brand name Brillo. Under this name it is still sold in North America. In Germany known brands, for example, abrazo and Ako pads.

In 1917, the commercial agent Irwin W. Cox put soap steel wool pad in addition to a sales pots. As the demand for these steel wool was higher than after pots, he began to concentrate on the production of the scourer. These cleaners are still manufactured by Clorox.

Others

With steel wool, it is also possible to prove that iron - can burn - in the presence of oxygen. The fibers of the wool glow visible when held over a hot flame, such as a Bunsen burner, or brought into contact with a charged battery. So steel wool can be used for kindling of fire outdoors.

During disposal steel wool behaves environmentally friendly. The steel fibers rot by rusting in a natural way. Some gardeners also work steel wool into their beds to improve the iron content of the soil.

• The fiber of origin
• Putzgerät
• Steel