SUS304 Stainless Steel: Versatile Austenitic Alloy Overview

304 Stainless Steel

Stainless steel 304 is an austenitic grade that can be severely deep drawn. This property has resulted in 304 being the dominant grade used in applications like sinks and saucepans.

 

304L Stainless Steel

Type 304L is the low carbon version of Stainless steel 304. It is used in heavy gauge components for improved weldability. Some products such as plate and pipe may be available as "dual certified" material that meets the criteria for both 304 and 304L.

 

304H Stainless Steel

304H, a high carbon content variant, is also available for use at high temperatures.

 

Chemical Composition of Stainless Steel 304

Table 1. Chemical composition for 304 stainless steel alloys

%	304	304L	304H
C	0.0 - 0.07	0.0 - 0.03	0.04 - 0.08
Mn	0.0 - 2.0	0.0 - 2.00	0.0 - 2.0
Si	0.0 - 1.00	0.0 - 1.00	0.0 - 1.0
P	0.0 - 0.05	0.0 - 0.05	0.0 - 0.04
S	0.0 - 0.03	0.0 - 0.02	0.0 - 0.02
Cr	17.50 - 19.50	17.50 - 19.50	17.00 - 19.00
Ni	8.00 - 10.50	8.00 - 10.50	8.00 - 11.00
Fe	Balance	Balance	Balance
N	0.0-0.11	0.0-0.11	0.0 - 0.10