What Grade of Stainless Steel Is Best for Your Custom Fabrication Project?
Stainless steel is the ideal manufacturing material for a wide range of commercial fabrication projects. From high-strength industrial tooling and machine parts to precision medical instruments and aerospace components, stainless steel is used throughout numerous sectors of today’s fabrication industry.
One major benefit is that stainless steel is available in a number of different grades, each with its own unique material properties. Below we compare the most commonly used stainless steel grades to help you choose the optimum material for your custom fabrication project.
The Advantages of Stainless Steel for Industrial Fabrication
Stainless steel is an iron-based alloy that is renowned for its high level of strength and durability, as well as its resistance to heat and corrosion.
The molecular composition varies depending on the grade, but all stainless steel grades contain at least 10.5% chromium and less than 1.2% carbon. These two properties are primarily what sets stainless grades apart from most other types of steel. The chromium creates an oxide film on the stainless steel surface which adds to the material’s toughness and corrosion resistance.
An Overview of the Most Common Stainless Steel Grades:
304 Series Stainless Steel
304 is the original “18-8” stainless steel. It is produced in greater quantity than any other austenitic stainless steel in today’s market. 304 provides suitable corrosion resistance in many commercial and industrial environments, including high-temperature applications.
Common 304 Stainless Steel Products and Fabrications Include:
- Food processing systems
- Material handling equipment
- Firearms production
- Furnaces and heat exchangers
- Chemical process vessels
- Conveyor system components
- Architectural products
309 Stainless Steel
309 stainless steel is an austenitic alloy that offers outstanding thermal properties, resisting corrosion and oxidation up to constant temperatures of 1900°F. The material’s low nickel content combined with its high chromium content offer good resistance to sulfication and other hot corrosion sulfur environments. However, 309 stainless offers only moderate resistance to carbon absorption, so it is not as well-suited for industrial carburizing applications.
Common 309 Stainless Steel Products and Fabrications Include:
- Annealing covers
- Waste processing and incinerators
- Power generation equipment
- Various industrial fixtures
- Furnace fans and heat exchangers
- Thermal processing equipment
- Boiler tubes and components
- Anchor bolts and other fasteners
310 stainless steel offers outstanding resistance to oxidation up to temperatures of 2000°F, making it the choice material for many thermal processing applications as well as various oilfield and petrochemical equipment. 310’s medium nickel content combined with a high chromium content offer good resistance to oxidation and hot corrosion including sulfidation.
Common 310 Stainless Steel Products and Fabrications Include:
- Thermal processing equipment
- Oil and gas refining equipment
- Industrial steam boilers
- Thermowells
- Commercial combustion chambers
- Annealing covers
- Food processing equipment
316 Stainless Steel
316 stainless steel offers improved corrosion resistance due to the addition of molybdenum. It is considered a chromium nickel austenitic stainless steel material. It offers much better resistance to corrosion compared to 304 stainless, along with good durability and formability.
Common 316 Stainless Steel Products and Fabrications Include:
- Exhaust manifolds
- Heat exchangers and various HVAC products
- Industrial tools, tanks, and equipment
- Food processing equipment
- Pharmaceutical equipment and devices
330 Stainless Steel
330 stainless steel is an austenitic, nickel-chromium-iron-silicon alloy that offers excellent resistance to oxidation and carburization for temperatures up to 2200°F. Its outstanding resistance to oxidation results from the material’s high nickel and chromium content, as well as its silicon content. Additionally, 330 stainless steel has an extremely high nickel content ranging from 34% to 37% which yields a higher resistance to stress cracking from corrosion and embrittlement from thermal processing.
Common 330 Stainless Steel Products and Fabrications Include:
- Oilfield and gas components
- Chemical and petrochemical processing equipment
- Steel turbines
- Power generation components
- Furnaces, fans, and heat exchangers
- Various industrial fixtures and equipment
