• Description

Both 304 and 304L stainless steel are regular use Austenitic stainless steel, they all have 18%Cr and 8% Ni content, which give them excellent corrosion resistance and process abilit.

304 stainless steel, as known as 18/8 stainless steel, suitable for manufacturing food processing, medicine producing, chemical industry and building decoration.

304L stainless steel is low carbon version of 304 stainless steel, it has lower carbon content(≤0.03%), which makes it hard to form carbide during welding, reduced the cracking susceptibility, especially suitable for application that has welding requirement, such as pressure vessel, heat exchanger and pipe system.

In short, although 304 and 304L have similar chemical composition, but 304L has better welding ability, whereas 304 will be a reliable choice in multiple industry and household environment.

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• 304 VS 304L

The main difference between 304and 304L is carbon content:

304 stainless steel: Has higher carbon content. It obtains excellent corrosion resistance, good formulation and weld ability, widely used in daily necessities, kitchen equipment and construction.

304L stainless steel: Is low carbon version of 304 stainless steel. Due to its lower carbon content, it can effectively reduce the risk of intergranular corrosion that may occur after welding. Therefore, 304L stainless steel is more suitable for applications that need to be welded but can not process heat treatment after welding., such as chemical equipment. Its mechanical strength is usually lower than 304 stainless steel.

• Chemical composition

	C	Si	Mn	S	P	Cr
304	0.07 max	1.00 max	2.00 max	0.015 max	0.045 max	17.5-19.5
304L	0.03 max	1.00 max	2.00 max	0.015 max	0.045 max	17.5-19.5

• Grade Specification Comparison

The following table outlines the grade comparisons for 304 and 304L stainless steels:

Grau	AISI	JIS	DIN	EN	BS	ISO
304	304	SUS 304	1.4301	X5CrNi18-10 / 1.4301	304S31	X5CrNi18-10
304L	304L	SUS 304L	1.4307	X2CrNi18-9 / 1.4307	304S11	X2CrNi18-9

• Propriedades mecânicas

Mechanical properties	304 stainless steel（annealed）	304L stainless steel（annealed）
Tensile strength (MPa)	515 – 620	485 – 620
Yield strength (0.2% Proof, MPa)	205 – 310	170 – 240
Elongation  (% in 50mm)	≥ 40	≥ 40
Hardness  (HB)	≤ 201	≤ 187

• Surface Finish

2B

BA

NO.1

NO.4

NO.8

HL

• Delivery Status

Annealed

Solution Annealed / Solution Treated

Cold Drawn / Cold Worked

Cold Worked Condition（Cold Rolled；Cold Drawn）

Pickled Condition

• Features

Commons:

Good corrosion resistance: Not easy to rust in daily environment, water and most of normal chemical products.

Easy to process: Easy to bend, stretch and weld, easy o make various shapes.

Good strength and toughness: Strong and durable, not easy to break.

Hygiene: Smooth surface, easy to clean, suitable for food and medical applications.

Appearance: Available with various surface finishes (e.g., polished, brushed).

Non-magnetic: Generally non-magnetic (may exhibit slight magnetism after cold working).

Shape:

Round bars, coils, plates, flat, pipes/tubes.

• Application:

304 stainless steel: A popular choice of everyday use.

Characteristic: Better quality with competitive price, corrosion resistance, easy to process, weld ability(better annealing after welding).

Usage application:

House: Kitchen sink, pot, knife, washing machine inner drum, refrigerator door panel.

Construction: Building outer wall, elevator.

Food processing factory: Beer tank, milk tank, food pipe.

Medical: Surgery equipment, hospital equipment.

 

304L stainless steel: Welding-grade with improved corrosion resistance

Characteristic: Low carbon content, suitable for welding environment, but soft than 304 stainless steel.

• Usage application:

Chemical industry: Storage tanks, pipelines, and reactors involving extensive welding (as post-weld annealing is not feasible once installed).

Large food processing plants: Massive on-site welded storage tanks and piping systems.

Pharmaceutical factories: Equipment requiring welding, with strict demands on material purity.

Offshore equipment: Certain welded components exposed to highly corrosive environments.