Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304?

What is 316 Stainless Steel?

Grade 316 is a famous alloy of stainless metal with a melting vary of 2,500 °F – 2,550 °F (1,371 °C – 1,399 °C). As an austenitic stainless metal alloy, it has features such as excessive strength, corrosion resistance, and excessive concentrations of chromium and nickel. The alloy has a tensile electricity of 579 MPa (84 ksi) and a most use temperature of round 800˚C (1,472˚F).

Additionally, grade 316 has delivered molybdenum in its formulation, which improves the alloy’s resistance to acids, alkalis, and chloride pitting.

316 Stainless Steel Properties & Applications

Grade 316 metal comes in a shut 2nd to 304 stainless metal in phrases of commonality. With comparable bodily and mechanical homes to grade 304, it’s almost not possible to inform the distinction between the two with the bare eye. The predominant differentiator is in grade 316’s cloth composition:

16 percent chromium

10 percent nickel

2 percent molybdenum

The improved nickel content material and the inclusion of molybdenum makes grade 316 stainless metal a bit dearer than grade 304 per ounce of material. But the place grade 316 stainless proves choicest is its improved corrosion resistance—particularly in opposition to chlorides and chlorinated solutions. This makes grade 316 stainless especially acceptable for purposes the place publicity to salt or different effective corrosives is an issue.

Some of the more common applications for grade 316 steel are:

Stainless steel baskets

Marine parts

Outdoor electrical enclosures

Medical-surgical instruments

Pharmaceutical equipment

Chemical equipment

What is 304 Stainless Steel?

Another famous high-performing alloy, grade 304 stainless metal is a long lasting cloth in phrases of tensile strength, durability, corrosion, and oxidation resistance. The melting factor of stainless metal 304 is reached at temperatures ranging between 2,550 °F – 2,650 °F (1399 °C – 1454 °C). However, the nearer grade 304 stainless metal reaches its melting point, the extra tensile energy it loses.

Grade 304 stainless metal is in particular extraordinary for its excessive tensile electricity of about 621 MPa (90 ksi). Stainless metal 304 alloy has a most running temperature of about 870˚C.

304 Stainless Steel Properties & Applications

One of the most common grades of stainless steel used, 304 steel has excellent corrosion resistance due to its high percentage of chromium. Its chemical makeup consists of:

18 percent chromium

8 percent nickel

There are small amounts of carbon and manganese present at times also. These elements make it resistant to oxidation, which makes for easy cleaning and sanitization.

Some of the more common applications for grade 304 steel are:

Auto moldings and trim

Wheel covers

Storage tanks

Electrical enclosures

Kitchen equipment and appliances

One weakness of 304 stainless steel is its susceptibility to pitting, localized areas of corrosion, due to exposure to high chloride solutions or saline environments. As little as 25 ppm of chlorides can cause pitting corrosion to begin.

What’s the Difference Between Grade 316 and Grade 304 Stainless Steel?

The most primary distinction between grade 304 and grade 316 stainless steels is that 316 tends to have greater nickel and a bit of molybdenum in the mix. The universal mechanical homes of the two metals are often comparable.

The elevated nickel content material and the inclusion of molybdenum permits for grade 316 stainless metal to have higher chemical resistance than 304 stainless steel. It’s capability to withstand acids and chlorides, along with salt, makes grade 316 best for chemical processing and marine applications.

However, the addition of nickel and molybdenum additionally makes grade 316 a extra pricey alloy than stainless metal 304 per ounce of material.

Additionally, the melting factor of grade 304 stainless metal is a bit greater than that of grade 316. The melting vary of 316 is 2,500 °F – 2,550 °F (1,371 °C – 1,399 °C), roughly 50 to one hundred ranges Fahrenheit decrease than the melting factor of grade 304 stainless steel.

Though the stainless metal 304 alloy has a greater melting point, grade 316 has a higher resistance to chemical substances and chlorides (like salt) than grade 304 stainless steel. When it comes to purposes with chlorinated options or publicity to salt, grade 316 stainless metal is viewed superior.

Three Benefits of Using 316 Stainless Steel

Corrosion Resistant Properties

Due to the addition of molybdenum, grade 316 stainless metal is greater corrosion resistant than comparable alloys, such as 304 stainless steel. This reduces pitting from chemical environments and approves grade 316 stainless metal to be used in exceptionally acidic and caustic environments that would in any other case consume away at the metal. For instance, grade 316 stainless metal can face up to caustic options and corrosive functions such as vapor degreasing or many different components cleansing processes.

These houses additionally make grade 316 stainless metal perfect for pharmaceutical and scientific applications. Since sterilization tactics in these industries mix both sturdy disinfectants and or with excessive temperatures to forestall contamination, a resistant alloy such as grade 316 is ideal.

Marine Applications

Seawater and salt air can be in particular unfavourable to metals. Besides the hard surroundings of the sea and marine applications, chlorides, such as salt, can consume away at even the hardest metals. Salt will even compromise the shielding oxide layer of grade 304 stainless steel, ensuing in rust. For marine applications, or procedures involving chlorides, grade 316 stainless metal is ideal.

Grade 316 has specifically higher resistance to salt and chloride pitting. Pitting corrosion can appear when stainless metal alloys, such as grade 304 stainless steel, come into contact with salt-rich sea breezes and seawater. Chloride resistant metals, like grade sixteen stainless steel, are crucial to use for naval purposes or whatever concerned with chloride.

Lasting Durability

Grade 316 stainless metal is both tough and versatile, which makes it perfect for customized wire baskets constructed to final for years of use. This grade of stainless metal can be used to make long lasting baskets designed to even survived repeated publicity to excessive affect processes. For instance, Marlin Steel’s group designs customized baskets for extreme components cleansing methods and shot blasting components out of grade 316 stainless steel.

Is It Worth the Extra Cost?

If you have an utility with very effective corrosives or depends on chlorides, then paying a top class for grade 316 stainless metal is truly well worth it. In such applications, 316 stainless will final many instances longer than grade 304 stainless metal would—which can suggest many greater years of beneficial life.

However, for purposes the use of milder acids or the place salt publicity isn’t a concern, the stainless metal 304 alloy can work simply as well.

Just be positive you’ve accounted for all tactics and environmental elements when selecting a cloth for your industrial components baskets. For example, if your manufacturing plant is placed on or close to the coast, salty sea air can corrode metallic that isn’t resistant to chlorides.

Overall, 316 can be really worth the rate if you want to have choicest corrosion resistance. For many different applications, grade 304 stainless metal will serve flawlessly fine.