  To ensure compliance with the experimental requirement for ultra-low
background, in this study the radioactivity of stainless steels manufactured by
smelting is thoroughly investigated. Raw materials, stage samples, and
commercial samples are investigated by glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS)
and/or with high-purity germanium detectors (HPGe) at both the ground level
and/or the China Jinping Underground Laboratory. Custom-made stainless steel
samples are found to have radioactivity levels comparable to those in other
low-background experiments. The comprehensive results regarding the
radioactivity level in materials to be used in the proposed Jinping Neutrino
Experiment are reported.
