Steel becomes stainless steel
It all started in the research department of the Essen Krupp Werke. It was there that the so-called V2A steel (stainless steel) was developed in 1912. It was soon discovered that this material had a high utility value: for the first time, steel was stainless, acid-resistant, unbreakable, easy to clean, extremely durable and did not tarnish. Already in 1927 WMF produced cookware made of stainless steel for this reason. In 1930 the material was then protected for WMF under the name "Cromargan®". From 1932 cutlery was also made of it.
The development continues
The name Cromargan® is made up of the terms "Crom" and "Argan" - "Crom" because the steel has a particularly high chrome content, and "Argan" because it has a silver-like appearance. The advantages of this material: Cromargan® is acid-proof, rust-proof, tasteless, easy to clean, dishwasher-safe and has an almost unlimited shelf life. But even these properties could still be improved. After years of research WMF succeeded in 2008 in further developing Cromargan® and thus making cutlery extremely resistant to all traces of everyday use. This refined material bears the name Cromargan® protect. The convincing properties of Cromargan® are supplemented by another: Cromargan® protect is extremely scratch-resistant. Even heavy use and frequent use can no longer harm the material. Cromargan® becomes Cromargan® protect by subjecting the material to a thermochemical refinement process. For this it is heated to over 1000 degrees Celsius in a vacuum oven. During this process, nitrogen is introduced under pressure, which becomes embedded in the material. It is then rapidly cooled down, giving the surface a significantly higher hardness. A significant plus in quality, stability of value and the associated sustainability. In addition, polished surfaces remain glossy and matte matt.
Innovations like these can make a big difference in everyday use. This is especially true when this innovation leads to a tangible improvement.
