In both 18/10 and 18/0 stainless steel, the first number refers to the amount of chromium present and the second represents the amount of nickel. Therefore, the 18/10 stainless steel made from 16%-18% chromium and 8.3%-10% nickel and the 18/0 stainless steel comprised of 18% chromium and 0% or negligible percentage of nickel. The chromium binds oxygen to the surface of the product to protect the iron from oxidation (rust). Nickel also enhances the corrosion resistance of stainless steel. Therefore, the higher the nickel content, the more resistant the stainless steel is to corrosion.