316L Stainless Steel Suitable for Welding and Annealing

Benefits of using Type 316L Stainless Steel

Benefits of using 316L stainless steel include:

Low carbon content eliminates carbon precipitation in the welding process

Can be used in severe corrosive environments

Improved anti–corrosion scope due to added Molybdenum

Weld annealing only required in high stress applications

Very similar to Grade 316 in chemical composition and mechanical properties

316 & 316L steel plate and pipes have common properties and are often stocked with Dual Certification, where it is determined that both have properties and composition which comply with both steel types. Type 316H is excluded from this scenario by virtue of the fact that unlike 316 & 316L, 316H is engineered to work in elevated working temperatures.

Chemical Composition of Type 316L Stainless Steel

The chemical composition of Type 316L Stainless Steel is provided in the table below.

UNS NO	Grade	C	Si	Mn	P	S	Cr	Mo	Ni	N
S31603	316L	0.08	0.75	2.00	0.045	0.030	16.00/18.00	2.00/3.00	10.00/14.00	0.10

Mechanical Properties of Type 316L Stainless Steel

The mechanical properties of Type 316L Stainless Steel are provided in the table below.

UNS No	Grade	Proof Stress 0.2% (MPa)	Tensile Strength (MPa)	Elongation A5(%)	Hardness Max
					HB	HRB
S31603	316L	170	485	40	217	95