What does the letter L stand for in the grade 316L?

Steel is primarily an alloy of iron and carbon and it is known to have been in use since 1800 BC. The right concentration of carbon in iron gives it immense tensile strength and at a very low cost. This is the main reason why it is one of the most widely used alloys in production today.

 

Steel manufacturing begins with the smelting of iron ore followed by removing impurities like phosphorus, silica, and sulphur. In the ore form, the concentration of carbon is more than the desired levels that give steel its unique properties. So, steel manufacturers reprocess the molten metal to reduce the carbon content to the required amount.

 

It is also at this point that other elements can be added to the smelted compound of iron ore that creates distinct varieties of steel. Each one of the types of steel can be used for specific industry applications ranging from construction to structure reinforcement. In order to keep a track of the salient features of steel, manufacturers have created a nomenclature system that is both systematic and exhaustive.