how to tell the difference between 304 and 316 stainless steel

If someone asks what are the most common stainless steel materials produced, exported and imported by China? The obvious answers are 304 and 316.

Both brands belong to the 300 family series, but there are many differences between the two brands.

So how to distinguish 304 and 316 stainless steel?

The first difference is the alloy content, specifically nickel, chromium and molybdenum.

304 contains 8% Ni, 18% Cr, and no Mo, while 316 contains 10% Ni, 16% Cr, and 2.0% more, so 316 has a more significant alloy than 304, resulting in a higher price for 316 than 304.

Second is the strength. Since more alloys are added to 316 and 316 has a heavier structure than 304, the strength of 316 is usually 7.95 to 7.98/m3, while the usual strength of 304 is 7.93/m3

The third major difference is in usage and application. 304 is mainly used in common and conventional fields, such as home furnishing, construction, decoration and other fields closely related to people's lives.

The 316 material is mainly used in industry, chemical industry, containers and some fields with seawater or corrosion-resistant environments.

Regardless, the differences between 304 and 316 stainless steel are broad and difficult to express clearly in a brief summary. If any customer wants to know the difference between 304 and 316 stainless steel, please contact us, thank you.