The invention discloses antibacterial stainless steel for handrails or handles, and belongs to the technical field of stainless steel materials. The stainless steel comprises the following chemical components of, by weight, less than or equal to 0.08% of C, less than or equal to 0.50% of Si, less than or equal to 1.00% of Mn, less than or equal to 0.05% of P, less than or equal to 0.05% of S, 8.0-12.0% of Ni, 18.0-20.0% of Cr, 3.0-5.0% of Cu, 0.50-1.50% of Ga and the balance Fe. The antibacterial stainless steel is subjected to
solid solution heat treatment, and then based on the
supersaturation and
solid solution of the Ga and the Cu in a matrix, the Ga and the Cu exist in two forms, namely a
solid solution state and a
gallium-rich phase
separated state. The use environment of the handrails or the handles is generally the air environment, and when the handrails or the handles are in contact with sweat,
gallium ions can be effectively dissolved out due to the existence of the
gallium-rich phase, so that the effects that
reproduction and propagation of
pathogenic bacteria among human hands are obviously inhibited, and the probability of occurrence of group-occurring bacterial infection events is reduced are achieved. According to the antibacterial stainless steel, the propagation risk of the
pathogenic bacteria among the human hands is reduced, and the antibacterial stainless steel can be widely applied to the stair handrails, railings, the door handles and the like for living decoration.