{"id":394,"date":"2019-01-15T17:50:43","date_gmt":"2019-01-15T15:50:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fractory.co\/?p=394"},"modified":"2024-04-10T12:21:29","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T09:21:29","slug":"stainless-steels-aisi-304-vs-aisi-316","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fractory.com\/stainless-steels-aisi-304-vs-aisi-316\/","title":{"rendered":"Stainless Steels AISI 304 vs 316 – the Difference and Use-Cases"},"content":{"rendered":"

304 and 316 stainless steels are ferrous metals<\/a> that are widely used when corrosion resistance is sought. Even though called stainless, they are not. It just takes more time and harsher conditions to see the first signs of wear.<\/p>\n

They still make for a great solution in difficult environments, providing long-lasting products in many fields. Let’s delve deeper into the realm of stainless steels<\/a> and try to find the difference between 304 and 316 grade stainless steels.<\/p>\n

Common Applications for AISI 304 & 316<\/h2>\n

Stainless steels are known for their resistance to corrosion<\/a>. The combination with strength and low maintenance make them a great fit for a wide range of applications.<\/p>\n

They are used everywhere from buildings and constructions to medical and food equipment. In some cases, avoiding rust can be a matter of a construction’s longevity. Corrosion can eat away at metal and your construction’s load-bearing capabilities will diminish over time.<\/p>\n

Temperature changes can have a large impact on corrosion. It accelerates the process, thus making the conditions harsher. Stainless steels are suitable for such an environment. Much more so than coated structural steels, as the coating is more easily damaged in this kind of a situation.<\/p>\n

\"Stainless
Stainless steel medical equipment<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Stainless steels are a perfect fit for hygienic environments. Those include the aforementioned medical and food equipment examples. On one hand, they don’t react with corrosive acids (like orange juice). At the same time, surgical instruments and cutlery made from stainless steel are easy to clean and disinfect.<\/p>\n

The last reason for using stainless steels is aesthetics. You don’t need to powder-coat them to fight corrosion. Therefore, a beautiful metallic look is possible without specks of rust hurting your eye.<\/p>\n

You can also choose from a large variety of stainless steel finishes<\/a>. These provide you with options for any application.<\/p>\n

Layer of Oxidised Chromium<\/h2>\n

In case of structural steels<\/a>, you have to add a layer of protection by coating it. Otherwise nature will do its own thing and iron starts to corrode by forming iron oxide. The flakes of rust begin to crumble, exposing more metal to the outside conditions. All this ends in piles of scrap metal.<\/p>\n

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