Austenitic Stainless Steel
304 / 304L
General Characteristics:
304 is most popular and versatile austenitic steel grade with excellent corrosion resistance, formability, deep drawability and weldability.
Chemical Composition
| UNS / EN | ASTM | %C | %Mn | %S | %P | %Si | %Ni | %Cr | %N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UN S30400 EN 1.4301 |
304 | Min | - | - | - | - | - | 8.0 | 17.5 | - |
| Max | 0.07 | 2.00 | 0.030 | 0.045 | 0.75 | 10.5 | 19.5 | 0.10 |
Mechanical Properties
| Grade | Mechanical properties | UTS (Mpa) | YS (Mpa) | %EL | Hardness (HRB) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | ASTM A240 | >=515 | >=205 | >=40 | <=92 |
Physical Properties:
| Density (Kg/m3) | Modules of Elasticity (Gpa) | Thermal Conductivity (W/m 0C) | Thermal Expansion Coefficient (um/m/C) | Electrical Resistivity (uΩm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7910 | 195 | 16.3 | 17.3 | 0.72 |
Applications
Grade 304-Transport, chemical, petrochemical and fertilizers industries, dairy, food processing, pharmaceutical industries, hospital equipment, cryogenic vessels, households as utensils & appliances, heat exchangers, machinery in paper, pulp, textile and beverage industries; architectural applicationslike panels, curtain walls, roofing etc
Corrosion Resistance:
These grades exhibit excellent resistance to wide range of atmosphere and corrosive media like petroleum, food, pharmaceutical, textile etc.
Corrosion resistance of core range austenitics
core range austenitics have good corrosion resistance and are suitable for a wide range of applications.
Uniform Corrosion
Uniform corrosion is characterized by a uniform attack on the steel surface in contact with a corrosive medium. The corrosion resistance is generally considered good if the corrosion rate is less than 0.1/mm year (0.004 in/year)
Pitting and crevice corrosion
Pitting and crevice corrosion typically occur in acidic or neutral chloride solutions. Core range products have good resistance to these types of corrosion.
Atmospheric Corrosion
Core range austenitic stainless steels offer good resistance to atmospheric corrosion in applications where superficial surface staining from incipient pitting or crevice corrosion is usually undesirable.
