304 vs 316 Stainless Steel: What You Need to Know

While the two most popular grades of stainless steel might seem identical at a glance, they hold important differences that can lead to substantial savings over the life of your product depending on your intended uses.

All stainless steels contain a mix of iron and chromium at various levels. But the exact mix—and other additions — are what create the differences between grades.

The most popular 304 grade stainless contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel — though other alloys exist within the same grade.

Stainless steels of the 316 grade include less chromium — often around 16% — but increase nickel levels and add molybdenum to the mix.

In most common alloys, you’ll find 10% nickel and 2 to 3% molybdenum. However, specialty alloys might have as much as 9% molybdenum.

The Benefits of 316 Stainless Steel

Most stainless steel ordered around the world is Grade 304.

It offers the standard corrosion resistance, formability, strength, and easy maintenance for which stainless is known.

While 316 comes in second in terms of quantities sold, it offers vastly superior corrosion resistance to chlorides and acids.

This makes it popular for a wide range of environments—including:

These increased resistances also help to take the guesswork out of cleaning and allow you to clean your stainless more often using stronger cleansers and detergents with little worry of damage or altering the appearance of the stainless steel.

This makes 316 an ideal upgrade for environments with strict hygiene and cleanliness standards.

So Which is Better… 316 or 304 Stainless Steel?

With the benefits offered by 316 stainless steel, you might wonder why 304 remains the most popular…

If you’re not sure which to choose, consider these common uses for the two grades:

304 Stainless Steel

• Water piping
• Storage tanks
• Indoor electrical enclosures
• Wheel covers
• Automotive trim
• Kitchen equipment
• Appliances
• Decorative trim

316 Stainless Steel

• Chemical piping
• Pharmaceutical equipment
• Medical equipment
• Chemical equipment
• Stainless steel floats
• Structural steel and components in marine environments
• Commercial kitchen surfaces, equipment, and appliances

In short, it’s mostly about cost and corrosion resistance requirements.

If you don’t need the added resistance of 316, standard 304 grades will offer similar performance and longevity at a lower price point.

However, in situations where the added resistance is needed, 316 often improves the functional lifespan of the steel products by years.

This can lead to drastic long-term savings despite the initial increase in investment.

Looking for more information on the various traits and performance considerations surrounding other stainless steel grades?

By matching the grade of stainless to your intended usage and environment, you can optimize both the financial and physical benefits of your stainless steel investment.

If you’re not sure where to start or are looking for a trusted partner with a wide selection of stainless options, the experts at Unified Alloys have more than 40 years of experience supplying industries across North America. Call today for a consultation!

Stainless Steel Standard 304/304L

304 and 304L are 2 most widely used stainless steels in daily life. From small kitchens and kitchens to high-speed rail nuclear power, you can see the characters involved. So what is 304? 304 is actually a stainless steel grade of the American Society for Testing and Materials (abbreviated ASTM), a typical representative of austenitic stainless steel, "3" for the Cr-Ni system, and "04" for the serial number. In the actual trade process, users will order according to different standards. Different standard brand naming rules are different. ASTM and JIS are represented by numbers, and GB and EN are named by ingredients.

Here are a few common stainless steel ordering standards:

Element Content

There are also differences in the composition of 304 alternative grades in different standards. The GB standard is in full accordance with the ASTM composition system. The range of JIS components is broader, the maximum C content is allowed to be 0.08%, there is no clear requirement for N content, and the minimum Cr content is 18%. The EN standard requires more specific S content, mechanical processing: S = 0.015% ~ 0.030%; welding: S = 0.008% ~ 0.030%; polishing: S ≤ 0.015%. These details must be noted in the order!

Stainless Steel Plate/Sheet Surface

In order infomation, you have to write what kind of surface you need. The common order surface for 304 is NO.1 (the hot rolled product is annealed and pickled, also called white roll), 2B (the cold rolled and pickled flat roll, Matte), BA (cold rolled bright annealed roll, mirror), HL (hair plate), etc. There are also differences in different standard surface types.

Don't Make Mistakes in Material Selection

If customer only care about the grade not the performances. The name of 304/304L/304D is almost the same, so make the choice of 304D which is relatively cheap, which results in stamping cracking.