Trends in the use of stainless steels in the medical industry of the Republic of Belarus

The paper considers the trends in the use of stainless steels in the medical industry. The main types of medical products and structures made of stainless steel are defined. Among the variety of steel products for medicine the following objects are distinguished: engineering structures (including air ducts, hoods, pipelines); building structures (railings, handrails, holders); parts and bodies of equipment (diagnostic devices, disinfecting equipment); furniture (couches, bedside tables, instrument tables, trolleys, chairs); devices (trays, boxes, containers); tools (spatulas, scalpels, clamps, saws, catheters, probes). The analysis of conformity of domestic grades of stainless steels used in medicine and their foreign analogues has been carried out. The tendencies of volumes of purchases, cost, production output and volumes of its sales in the domestic and foreign market of the Republic of Belarus for the period of 2000–2023 are analysed, mainly steels of 20Х13–40Х13 range.