"Stratis" wrote in message
...
I've acquired three 50 gallon steel drums which I think were used in hot
water systems.

I need to know whether or not they are stainless steel (as opposed to
non-stainless). How can I test them?

Stratis.


Color alone is a good indicator. Stainless drums are generally not painted
and have a somewhat frosty silvery appearance. They are also not magnet,
although if they're cold worked enough they can be slightly so. Some of
them, such as those used for nitric acid, often have steel bands located at
roughly one third of their lengths from each end, so if you check with a
magnet, be certain you apply it to the drum, not any hardware attached to
them. They're very costly if purchased new, in the hundreds of dollars as
I understand it. I recall that the deposit for the one I used to get
containing nitric was $400.

Harold