Stainless Steel VS Titanium: What's the Difference in Thermal Cups? — Materials Edition

There are stories in every cup, and warmth in every life. Hello everyone, and welcome to "Dong Dong's Cup Talk" It’s been a while since I last shared knowledge about cups with you all. Today, I’m going to talk about the differences between stainless steel thermal cups and titanium thermal cups. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10487.htmlAs always, before we dive in, don’t forget to give this video a thumbs-up after watching. If you’re worried about missing out on my future updates, feel free to follow me so you won’t miss any of my content. I take every share seriously, and since there’s a lot to cover this time, I’ll break it down into several parts as usual.

1. Identifying Materials: An Engineer’s Guide

Stainless Steel Identification:

- Qualified 304/316: The surface should have a uniform matte or polished finish, https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10487.htmlwith smooth edges and no burrs.

- Professional Testing Solution: Apply a 304/316-specific testing solution (containing molybdenum ion color developer).

- 316 stainless steel will quickly turn bright red (due to its high molybdenum content).

- 304 will show light red or pink.

- Inferior 201/202 will turn dark red or purple.

Last year, a major OEM factory mixed 202 stainless steel into their production. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10487.htmlAfter testing with the solution, the entire batch was rejected, resulting in significant losses.

Magnetic Test Misconception:

- Genuine 304/316 stainless steel is generally non-magnetic or has very weak magnetism (slight magnetism may occur in processed areas).

- I once encountered a thermal cup labeled "304," https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10487.htmlbut its base was strongly attracted to a magnet. Spectroscopic analysis of a sample revealed it was actually made of inferior material with extremely high manganese content.

Titanium Identification:

- Only medical-grade pure titanium (TA1/GR1) is acceptable: Always request a material report to confirm compliance with GB/T 3625 or ASTM B265 GR1 standards. https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10487.htmlIndustrial-grade alloys like TC4 are strictly prohibited for food contact.

"Weight + Color" Double Check:

- A titanium cup of the same volume weighs only 43% as much as a stainless steel cup.

- Genuine titanium cups have a distinct dark silver-gray color. Scratching the surface hard will leave a silver-white mark (due to the破坏 of the oxide layer), https://www.umbottle.com/ProductsDetail-VB-10487.htmlwhile aluminum alloys or inferior titanium-plated products will reveal a gray-black base layer.