Problem	Cause	Solution
Rusting	Contamination from rusty instruments during sterilization	Separation of rusty instruments before washing or sterilization
	Improper electropolishing of stainless steel material during production	Decommissioning and return to the company under warranty
	Malfunction of the autoclave device	Maintenance of the autoclave device by authorized service. Only distilled water should be used to generate steam during the sterilization process
	Organic residue remaining on the instrument after surgical operation	Thorough cleaning of tissue and blood residues from the instrument during washing and sterilization after drying
Cracking	Prolonged exposure to chemicals and/or organic substances that cause rusting	Use of disinfectant solutions approved only by the surgical instrument manufacturer. Recleaning the instrument with these solutions
Orange-Brown Discoloration	Use of highly alkaline detergents and inappropriate disinfectants during washing	Maintenance and cleaning of the autoclave device by authorized service. Use of neutral pH solutions
Blue / Black Discoloration	Instruments made of different metals being washed and sterilized together	Separation of instruments made of different metals
Rainbow Discoloration	Formation of chromium oxide due to high heat during sterilization	Re-polishing and sending to the manufacturer for hardness testing
Cracking at the Joint Area	Sterilization while the lock is in the closed position	Decommissioning the instrument