It's not unexpected that grade 304 stainless-steel is among the most popular grades. Nevertheless it is clearly not even if grade 304 was among the first grades established that it continues to dominate the market today. There has been considerable development throughout stainless steel the years, and we now have in addition to a wide variety of austenitic grades of which 304 is simply one - a large range of ferritic grades, 200 series grades, Duplex, Superduplex, and Lean Duplex grades. Each of these has particular residential or commercial properties and has been established for particular applications, or even in an effort to avoid utilizing expensive alloying components.
For instance, you can achieve higher strength (therefore decreasing weight) and even higher corrosion resistance by selecting a duplex grade You can select a CrNiMo grade (such as 316) to attain greater corrosion resistance where it is necessary-- such as in a marine environment, or where a lot of salt is utilized for de-icing, or where specific chemical procedures require a particular type of deterioration resistance to a specific chemical, or acid.
You can likewise choose a ferritic grade, or a 200 series (CrMn) grade to decrease the cost of alloying components, and therefore accomplish a more affordable item, or perhaps choose to move away from stainless steel completely, and specify galvanized steel, for instance. What typically becomes apparent quite rapidly when adopting this technique, nevertheless, is that things can soon start rusting if they are not painted frequently, and very soon might have to be replaced completely. What appeared like a low-cost choice at very first sight, can end up being extremely expensive undoubtedly, and even highly hazardous.
All these "more recent" grades serve their purpose, and add to making stainless-steel a product of choice. But with such a series of grades, one might have anticipated that they would quickly supplant grade 304. Why stick with a grade established over 100 years back when there are today numerous alternatives readily available which have been specifically customized to carry out well under particular conditions? One might nearly state that today there is a grade for every application.
Nor does grade 304 maintain its popularity since it is, relatively speaking, a 'inexpensive' choice. It consists of a fair bit of nickel which, as all of us know, can become an extremely costly active ingredient indeed, specifically when a period of restocking follows a duration of destocking, when prices for that reason begin to rise. So, if it is not for historical reasons that grade 304 is so popular, and not since it does not include "costly" alloying aspects such as nickel, due to the fact that it does, why does it remain the workhorse of the industry?
The answer is possibly firstly that grade 304 consists of a really good quantity of chrome (around 18%), and it is, naturally, the chrome that makes it so http://deankqzc662.jigsy.com/entries/general/10-facebook-pages-to-follow-about-pipe-2 corrosion resistant. Why then include nickel, which just contributes to the cost? Since nickel stabilises the austenitic structure, which means that the steel is both difficult and ductile. Just how much nickel should be included? Undoubtedly, the minimum required to stabilise the austenitic structure-- so about 8%. And there we have it-- grade 18/8 (18% Cr, 8% Ni) or yes, grade 304. The outcome is a grade that is extremely corrosion resistant in a wide variety of applications, has great formability, and good weldability, but does not contain a lot nickel as to make it prohibitively pricey, when that quantity of nickel is not required for the specific application.
It is the combination of these residential or commercial properties which explains why 304 remains one of the most widely used grades. The particular mix of properties means that it is suitable, at an extremely affordable cost, for use in the most diverse of applications varying from industry (chemical, pharmaceutical, foodstuffs, drink, brewing, fermentation), to construction, circulation (counters etc), down to your really own kitchen area and cutlery.
Flexible grade.
The adaptability and performance of grade 304 has actually been proven over several years of use, however it would be wrong to state that it is a "winner", or "I make sure 304 will be fine". You might say it is a bit like buying a car. You don't purchase an Audi R8, as good as it sounds, and as quick as it goes, if what you require is a Renault Clio that gets you to the corner store just as quickly, and at considerably lower expense. But nor do you buy a low-cost runabout, which is more than most likely to break down midway to the airport, if you have an aircraft to catch.
This is why you must constantly speak with the specialists who will recommend the grade you require for your particular application, at the most reasonable cost, and help you prevent making what could be a very pricey mistake in the longer term.
With that caveat, stainless grade 304 is the workhorse of the stainless steel market. It has been so given that it was first established, and looks set to continue being so for the foreseeable future. At Stainless Band we constantly have plenty of grade 304 coil in the warehouse which can be slit at brief notice into the precise width of strip required and with the required processing and surface.