SS430 vs SS304: Ferritic vs Austenitic Stainless Steel

A large majority of the cost of any metal is the price of each individual element that is used in the composition. As the cost of alloys changes daily on the global market, this can have a large impact on the price fluctuations. 304 is generally more expensive than 430 because of the chemical composition. Notably, 304 contains between 8 – 10.5% nickel whereas 430 contains 0%. The inclusion of nickel in 304 makes the metal more corrosion resistant than 430 however it is an expensive element which is one of the main reasons for the difference in cost between the 2.