Stainless Steel - Common Types and Characteristics
201 stainless steel:
It is a widely used stainless - steel material. In terms of performance characteristics, it has a certain degree of corrosion resistance and performs moderately well in a normal atmospheric environment. However, its performance is poor in highly corrosive media and at high temperatures. It has good workability, which facilitates cold - working operations. Its strength and hardness are moderate, capable of meeting general load requirements. Usually, it is a non - magnetic material, but it may exhibit weak magnetism under special circumstances. After appropriate heat treatment, it can also have good strength in high - temperature environments.
Composition Table of 201 Stainless Steel
| element | C | Mn | Ni | Cr | Si | P | S | N |
| % | ≤0.15 | 5.5–7.5 | 3.5–5.5 | 16.0–18.0 | ≤1.00 | ≤0.060 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.25 |
304 stainless steel:
It is an austenitic stainless steel that is widely used. In terms of performance characteristics, it has excellent corrosion resistance and performs well in the atmosphere and general chemical media, but its performance will decline in extreme environments. It has good mechanical properties, with relatively high strength and toughness. It has excellent processing properties, being convenient for both cold and hot processing, and its performance remains stable. It also has good weldability, enabling the production of high-quality welded joints. It usually exhibits a non-magnetic or weakly magnetic state. It is suitable for manufacturing deep-drawn forming parts, acid transport pipelines, containers, structural components, various instrument bodies, etc.
Composition table of 304 stainless steel
| element | C | Mn | Ni | Cr | Si | P | S | N |
| % | ≤0.08 | ≤2.00 | 8.0–10.5 | 18.0–20.0 | ≤1.00 | ≤0.045 | ≤0.030 | - |
316 stainless steel:
It is an austenitic stainless steel with excellent performance. In terms of performance characteristics, molybdenum is added on the basis of 10Cr18Ni12 steel, which endows the steel with good resistance to reducing media and pitting corrosion. It performs outstandingly in strongly corrosive environments such as chlorine-containing media and seawater, as well as in general acidic and alkaline environments. It has good mechanical properties, with strength and toughness similar to those of 304 stainless steel. It has excellent processing properties, with a variety of cold and hot processing methods. Its performance is stable and the surface quality is good during processing. It has good weldability, and the welded joint has high strength and its corrosion resistance is similar to that of the base metal. It is usually non-magnetic or weakly magnetic.
Composition table of 316 stainless steel
| element | C | Mn | Ni | Cr | Mo | Si | P | S | N |
| % | ≤0.08 | ≤2.00 | 10.0-14.0 | 16.0-18.0 | 2.0-3.0 | ≤1.00 | ≤0.045 | ≤0.030 | ≤0.1 |
