have you ever used a neodmium magnet. I have yet to find stinless steel that does not stick to them. (it usually doesn't stick well, but it does stick)
magnets can't attract aluminium, but magnetic fields they do cause drag by creating eddy currents. moving magnetic fields (eg linear motors) can drag aluminium (and other conductive material)
Here is a cool demonstration of that effect:
Diamagnetic materials like copper, lead, bismuth and silver being important non-ferrous metals that magnets will not pick up and in fact repel slightly. Superconductors are an extreme example.
Mercury emissions from cremations and old style amalgam fillings are actually a recognised problem. There can be gram quantities released in the smoke. Mercury is diamagnetic though so a magnet isn't going to attract it. it might repel it if you used a powerful enough one!
The best grades of non-magnetic SS are special blends available only to mass spectrometer manufacturers (who own the IP of the melt chemistry).
Regards, Martin Brown
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