Stainless Steels
Stainless steel comes in two different series, Austenitic (300) and Martensitic / Ferritic (400).
300 series stainless steel is known for its high chromium and nickel content. It has excellent mechanical and corrosion resistant properties and is a popular choice in food and dairy equipment, or when a good chemical resistance property is required. This series cannot be hardened by heat treating and is non-magnetic.
- 304, 304L, 316, 316L & 321 stainless is a common material to be waterjet cut. The “L” designation is a modified plate with lower carbon content, today most plates are dual certified as 304/304L & 316/316L.
- 304 grade is a basic chromium-nickel stainless steel
- 316 grade is a chromium-nickel stainless steel with a little more nickel and molybdenum added to give it more corrosion and chemical resistance
- 321 grade is a chromium-nickel stainless steel with titanium added to improve its corrosion resistance after exposure to extremely high temperatures.
400 series stainless steel has chromium added with small amounts of nickel. It has great corrosion resistance and most grades are magnetic. Also, because of the added carbon in martensitic grades it can be hardened by heat treating. Because of the hardenability, it is used for manufacturing machine screws, knifes, jet engine exhaust components, and other high-strength components.
We carry a large in-house inventory of stainless steel. Please contact our sales department to answer any of your stainless steel questions or requirements.
