What is the difference between 304 and 310 stainless steel?

304 stainless steel vs 310 stainless steel: a comprehensive comparison of chemical composition, performance and application

304 stainless steel vs 310 stainless steel: chemical composition

304 stainless steel (18Cr-8Ni): basic austenitic stainless steel, containing 18-20% chromium, 8-10% nickel, carbon content ≤0.08%.
310 stainless steel (25Cr-20Ni): high chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steel, containing 24-26% chromium, 19-22% nickel, carbon content ≤0.25%.
 

304 stainless steel vs 310 stainless steel: high temperature resistance

304 stainless steel: the maximum working temperature is about 870℃, and it is easy to form oxide scale after long-term use, which is suitable for medium temperature environment (such as kitchen equipment, medical machinery).
310 stainless steel: the oxidation resistance temperature can reach 1150℃, and it has excellent creep resistance and carburization resistance at high temperature, and is often used in industrial furnaces, heat treatment equipment, and petrochemical cracking furnaces.

304 stainless steel vs 310 stainless steel: Corrosion resistance

304 stainless steel: Resistant to weakly corrosive media such as atmosphere, water, nitric acid, but not resistant to acidic environments containing chlorides.
310 stainless steel: High chromium and nickel make it more corrosion-resistant, and can resist high-temperature sulfidation, organic acid and sulfur-containing gas corrosion, and is suitable for harsh chemical environments.

304 stainless steel vs 310 stainless steel: Mechanical properties

304 stainless steel: Yield strength ≥ 205MPa, elongation ≥ 40%, and obvious cold working hardening.
310 stainless steel: Higher high-temperature strength (tensile strength is still 120MPa at 1000℃), but slightly lower plasticity than 304 at room temperature.

304 stainless steel vs 310 stainless steel: Application scenarios

304 stainless steel: Food machinery, building decoration, medical equipment, general chemical pipelines.
310 stainless steel: Aircraft engine parts, glass melting furnaces, incinerator linings, high-temperature reactors.

304 stainless steel vs 310 stainless steel: cost and processing

Due to its high nickel-chromium content, the price of 310 stainless steel is about 2-3 times that of 304. Special welding wire (such as ER310) is required for welding, and cold processing is difficult.
Selection suggestion: 304 is preferred for conventional corrosion and medium temperature scenarios; if it needs to withstand high temperatures above 1000℃ or strong corrosive media for a long time, 310 stainless steel is a better solution.