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What is 304 Stainless Steel?

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304 stainless steel can hold the official title for the most popular grade overall and is certainly a hit with our customers. That’s thanks to its corrosion resistance and ability to handle high temperatures and corrosive chemicals. Whether it’s used in sheet form or molded into a fuel tank for a car, it’s a very versatile version of stainless steel due to its unique blend of alloys. Similar to 18/8 steel, you’ll find about 18% chromium and 8% nickel in its makeup, but oftentimes, 304 will have other inclusions, such as iron, carbon, silicon, and manganese. When these other small traces aren’t included, the names 304 and 18/8 are often used interchangeably because they have the same composition.

A few other characteristics that make this stainless steel grade so sought after are its corrosion resistance, high tensile strength, and its ability to be welded, molded, and formed. 304 even has its own subcategory of grades, including 304L and 304H, which call out versions of the steel that have low carbon and high carbon, respectively.

Just like 18/8 stainless steel, 304 is made by melting chromium, iron, nickel, and any other trace alloys into a furnace to create a molten mixture. Then it’s funneled into billet, slab, or other forms to harden. The forms can then be hot rolled, annealed, heat treated, polished, and/or cut to size.

 

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