It's not surprising that grade 304 stainless steel is among the most popular grades. Nevertheless it is plainly not even if grade 304 was one of the first grades established that it continues to dominate the marketplace today. There has actually been considerable progress over the years, and we now have in addition to a vast array of austenitic grades of which 304 is simply one - a wide range of ferritic grades, 200 series grades, Duplex, Superduplex, and Lean Duplex grades. Each of these has particular homes and has actually been developed for particular applications, and even in an effort to prevent utilizing pricey alloying elements.
For instance, you can attain higher strength (thereby reducing weight) and even greater deterioration resistance by selecting a duplex grade You can choose a CrNiMo grade (such as 316) to attain higher deterioration resistance where it is needed-- such as in a marine environment, or where a great deal of salt is used for de-icing, or where specific chemical processes require a specific kind of corrosion resistance to a particular chemical, or acid.
You can likewise choose a ferritic grade, or a 200 series (CrMn) grade to lower the expense of alloying elements, and consequently accomplish a more affordable item, or even choose to move away from stainless steel altogether, and define galvanized steel, for instance. What typically becomes apparent quite quickly when adopting this method, nevertheless, is that things can soon begin rusting if they are not painted routinely, and soon might need to be replaced entirely. What appeared like a low-cost option at very first sight, can end up being very costly undoubtedly, or even highly hazardous.
All these "more recent" grades serve their function, and contribute to making stainless steel a product of option. However with such a variety of grades, one might have anticipated that they would rapidly supplant grade 304. Why stick with a grade developed over 100 years back when there are today many options offered which have been particularly customized to perform well under specific conditions? One might practically state that today there is a grade for each application.
Nor does grade 304 retain its popularity because it is, fairly speaking, a 'cheap' option. It contains a fair bit of nickel which, as all of us know, can become a very costly active ingredient indeed, particularly when a period of restocking follows a period of destocking, when costs therefore start to increase. So, if it is not for historical reasons that grade 304 is so popular, and not since it doesn't consist of "costly" alloying components such as nickel, due to the fact that it does, why does it remain the workhorse of the industry?
The answer is maybe first of all that grade 304 includes an extremely good quantity of chrome (around 18%), and it is, naturally, the chrome that makes it so rust resistant. Why then include nickel, which simply adds to the cost? Since nickel stabilises the austenitic structure, which suggests that the steel is both hard and ductile. Just how much nickel should be added? Undoubtedly, the minimum needed to stabilise the austenitic structure-- so about 8%. And there we have it-- grade 18/8 (18% Cr, 8% Ni) or yes, grade 304. The outcome is a grade that is extremely corrosion resistant in a wide range of applications, has great formability, and excellent weldability, but does not contain so much nickel regarding make it excessively expensive, wires when that amount of nickel is not needed for the specific application.
It is the mix of these properties which discusses why 304 stays one of the most widely used grades. The specific mix of homes means that it is suitable, at a really reasonable cost, for usage in the most different of applications varying from industry (chemical, pharmaceutical, foodstuffs, beverage, developing, fermentation), to building and construction, distribution (counters etc), down to your extremely own kitchen and flatware.
Flexible grade.
The flexibility and efficiency of grade 304 has actually been proven over many years of usage, however it would be wrong to state that it is a "safe bet", or "I am sure 304 will be fine". You could state it is a bit like buying a car. You don't buy an Audi R8, as nice as it sounds, and as quick as it goes, if what you need is a Renault Clio that gets you to the corner shop just as quickly, and at pipe significantly lower expense. But nor do you buy an inexpensive runabout, which is more than likely to break down midway to the airport, if you have an airplane to catch.
This is why you ought to constantly talk with the experts who will recommend the grade you need for your particular application, at the most sensible expense, and help you avoid making what might be a really costly mistake in the longer term.
With that caveat, stainless grade 304 is the workhorse of the stainless-steel market. It has been so since it was first established, and looks set to continue being so for the foreseeable future. At Stainless Band we constantly have lots of grade 304 coil in the storage facility which can be slit at short notice into the exact width of strip needed and with the needed processing and surface.