Stainless steel is not literally "stainless." What gives it its name is that, compared to normal steel, it can withstand much more time and use before showing signs of wear. Although they are all an alloy of iron and carbon (which is what characterizes normal steel), a good dose of chromium is added, which makes them so resistant to corrosion, depending on their atomic structure. The composition of the alloy (including the addition of more materials) will be more resistant to corrosion or have other properties that make them more suitable for some applications or others.

Austenitic stainless steels, unlike ferritic, martensitic, and duplex stainless steels, are particularly resistant to corrosion. They are the most common and are achieved by good additions of the austenite stabilizing elements nickel, manganese, and nitrogen. This makes them non-hardenable by heat treatment and non-magnetic. The two most common austenitic stainless steel references are stainless steel 304 and stainless steel 316. You can take products from Stainless Steel Round Bar manufacturers In India. 

300 series austenitic stainless sheets of steel

Austenitic stainless steels are divided into two large subgroups, those of the 200 series and those of the 300 series. The 200 obtain their austenitic structure mainly based on manganese and nitrogen, although they contain a small proportion of nickel, and the 300 achieve this by adding nickel.

The 300 series stainless sheets of steel are the largest subgroup within the austenitic steels, and within this series, the most common is type 304, also known as 18/8 or A2 steel.

304 stainless steel and another widely used reference from the same series, 316 stainless steel, contain high chrome and nickel content. Stainless Steel Square Pipe manufacturer will see the proportions of each one based on their weight according to the type of steel in the next section, making them particularly resistant to corrosion. They also contain important alloying elements: carbon, manganese, phosphorous, sulphur, and silicon, all in the same proportion by weight in both one and the other. The rest of the chemical composition is iron.

304 stainless steel VS 316 stainless steel: differences between both qualities

For the layman, the differences between one grade of stainless steel and another are imperceptible, as Stainless Steel 304 Round Bar manufacturers In India have previously mentioned. However, the difference between stainless steel alloys, such as grade 304 and grade 316 stainless steel, can be vast to a fabricator.

The key difference between the two grades of steel is that 316 stainless steel contains molybdenum, in addition to all the alloying components of iron, carbon, chromium, and nickel and all the elements described in the previous section. Molybdenum dramatically improves corrosion resistance, especially in the most saline or chloride-exposed environments. ASTM A105 Flange manufacturer provides industrial pipes at a wide range. 

That is why 316 stainless steel is often called "acid-proof steel," a quality that makes it more suitable for applications near the sea and underwater structures, among others. However, 304 stainless steel, with its slightly higher proportion of chrome, has considerable corrosion resistance. In summary, although both 304 and 316 stainless steel is suitable for extreme environments, only the latter will withstand long-term exposure to chloride.