904L vs 254SMO: Who is more suitable for concentrated sulfuric acid environment?

What is 904L stainless steel?

904L has a completely austenitic structure and is less sensitive to the precipitation of ferrite and alpha phase compared to typical austenitic stainless steels with high molybdenum content

What is 254smo stainless steel?

254SMO stainless steel is a high-end austenitic stainless steel with extremely high resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion due to its high molybdenum content. This stainless steel is designed specifically for environments containing halides, such as seawater, and is widely used in chemical, oil and gas, marine, and other fields

 

application area
904L stainless steel: widely used in fields such as chemical, petroleum, pharmaceutical, and shipbuilding, especially performing well in harsh chemical and corrosive environments

 

254SMO stainless steel: suitable for harsh corrosive environments such as flue gas desulfurization systems, pharmaceutical industry, and wet process phosphoric acid production. Due to its excellent resistance to crevice corrosion, it is also commonly used in highly corrosive environments such as seawater

 

Who is more corrosion-resistant?

254SMO stainless steel is more corrosion-resistant than 904L stainless steel under specific conditions. In pure sulfuric acid, the corrosion resistance of 254SMO is significantly better than that of 316L ordinary stainless steel, but its corrosion resistance is slightly weaker compared to 904L at high concentrations