304 quality stainless steel, which is considered to be the most basic type of stainless steel, is the most commonly used stainless steel worldwide. Its structural properties are considered to be at the most standard level and are used as a comparison element to reveal the properties of other steel types. 304 grade stainless steel; It is frequently preferred because its chemical composition, mechanical properties, weldability and corrosion resistance show a very successful performance next to the price of the product. In addition, 304 grade stainless steel is the most easily available and easily available product in the steel material market, as well as a very good performance in terms of formability. 303 grade stainless steel performs poorly in terms of weldability because it contains sulfur, but the weldability of 304 grade stainless steel is also improved. 304 quality stainless steel, which is better than 303 in terms of corrosion and oxidation resistance, is in the austenitic stainless group.
304 quality stainless steel, which is the most widely used steel type internationally, is frequently preferred because it is both easy to produce and can be used in many different environments with different properties. With all these features, it is the most recognized stainless steel worldwide.
Although it is not very suitable for environments with very high hardness conditions, 304 grade stainless steel has the best conditions and standards when considering its strength performance in parallel with its price. 304 quality stainless steel, which is used in every field in our daily life, is the most common steel material we can encounter outside.
Corrosion Resistance (* * *)
The corrosion resistance of 304 grade stainless steel is sufficient for daily use and routine manufacturing. However, if the environment of use is a more corrosive environment, alternatives can be evaluated instead of it because it may corrode. Instead of 304 grade stainless steel, 316, 316 L, 316 Ti or duplex (1.4462) grade stainless steels with higher corrosion resistance can be preferred for highly corrosive environments.
Mechanical Properties (* * *)
The mechanical properties and mechanical strength of 304 grade stainless steel are generally sufficient and suitable for many environments. If high yield and rupture strength is desired in the environment to be used, then alternatives with higher mechanical properties should be evaluated.
Malleability (* * * *)
304 quality stainless steel, which is at a very good level in terms of malleability within the stainless steel group, is generally not preferred in areas where high metal forging is in question.
Weldability Feature (* * * * * * *)
In terms of weldability, 304 grade stainless steel is quite ideal. In this sense, 304 quality stainless steel, which performs much better than 303 quality stainless steel, can be evaluated with alternatives in extreme welding environments. If there is a welding-intensive environment, 304 L quality stainless steel with lower carbon can be preferred in order to avoid blistering. The L suffix added to the end of the code here means “Low Carbon”, that is, low carbon.
Machinability (* * *)
Grade 304 stainless steel, which has a standard level of machinability, is generally less preferred in lathes and machining environments because it has chip winding properties. 303 grade stainless steel, which performs much better than 304 in terms of machinability, can be considered as an alternative in these environments.
AREAS OF USE
Grade 304 stainless steel is the most widely used stainless steel worldwide and is suitable for a wide range of environments. It is often used in environments such as home appliance manufacturing, industrial kitchen environments, automotive supply industry, food and chemical industry, petrochemicals.
303 Stainless Steel Material List: (Immediate Delivery from Stock)
Stainless Steel Rod: Min Diameter: 3mm - Max Diameter: 250mm
Stainless Steel Hexagon: Min Edge: 8mm - Max Edge: 70mm
Stainless Steel Lama: Min Thickness: 5mm -Max Thickness: 50mm Min Width: 20mm -Max Width 150mm
Stainless Steel Square: Min Edge: 5x5 -Max Edge: 150x150
Measurement Ranges We Supply: (Within 2.5-3 Weeks)
Stainless Steel Rod: Min Edge: 2mm -Max Edge: 575mm
Quality: 304 (1.4301) X5CrNi18-10
Tensile strength: 515 - 720 MPa
Yield strength: (0.2%) 210 MPa (min)
Hardness Rockwell (HB): 201
Physical Properties at Room Temperature
Specific mass (specific gravity): 8000 kg/m³
Melting Temperature 1450°C
Modulus of Elasticity: 193 GPa
Amount of electrical resistance: 0.072x10^-6 Ωm
Heat transmittance 17.2 W/m.K
Summary of Quality Characteristics
304 stainless is coded as 1.4301 grade stainless in EN standard.
Grade 304 stainless is also coded as X5CrNi18-10 in EN standards.
This stainless quality is included in the group of self-tanitic stainless steels.
Materials in this stainless steel grade have good formability and machinability.
Stainless steels of this quality cannot be magnetized and have high corrosion resistance.
In which cases is this grade preferable to 304 stainless?
303: Where formability is important, 303 can be preferred to 304. However, when 303 is preferred, it should be known that corrosion conditions and welding conditions will be poor, although machinability is good.
316: 316 quality stainless steel can be defined as an improved version of 304 quality. In this sense, it can be preferred to 304 quality where corrosion resistance is important, but it should be known that its cost is higher than 304.
321: This grade of stainless steel has the advantage of maintaining its mechanical properties under high temperature conditions and can therefore be preferred over 304 in environments with hot working conditions. The alternative to this material, which is difficult to find in the market, is 316 Ti (1.4571). It is a difficult and costly type of stainless steel.
430: In this material, which stands out with its price advantage, corrosion resistance is lower than 304, but it is a stainless steel with lower manufacturing properties that can be preferred instead of 304 quality stainless steel in cases where corrosion resistance is insignificant in working conditions.
Especially in areas such as automotive, white goods production, industrial kitchen materials, 304 grade stainless steel is widely used. It is also a highly preferred product in the kitchen and food industry. It resists oxidation up to 450- 500 °C temperatures.
In general, it covers 50% of stainless steel production. We use in our homes and daily lives
Cutlery, cookware and other products labeled 18/10 and 18/8 use 304 stainless steels. This product, which is excellent in terms of its properties, can also be used in the form of deep drawing with the light treatment process. It becomes suitable for plastering with the colloquial expression. This type of steel, which is suitable for all welding techniques, is a type that is very slow in terms of its ability to be processed, and the tips of the cake should be used. Its heat resistance shows very good oxidation resistance up to 850°C for short periods and intermittently, and up to 950°C in cases where continuous work is required.
It is especially preferred in sectors such as construction, food manufacturing industry and manufacturing. The biggest reason for this is due to its easy cleaning feature. In this way, it helps to ensure hygiene in the product. It is also a product that is resistant to the use of chemicals and dyes. Areas of application are industrial plants, boilers, chemical and petrochemical plants. It is also preferred in modern industries.
It is available in the market especially in rolls, sheets, profiles, pipes and flats.
