| Alloy
304
Sandmeyer Steel Company stocks the largest single-site
stainless steel plate inventory in North America with
thicknesses from 3/16" through 6-1/2" in 1/8"
increments. Alloy 304 stainless steel plate is also
available as E-Z Drill for improved machinability and
VSP quality to assure the highest possible internal
cleanliness.
304 合金(UNS S30440)不锈钢是18%铬、8%镍的奥氏体合金变形产品,是不锈
钢系列中的最常用的产品。这个不锈钢合金可以用于广泛的领域,具有良好的很
好的抗腐蚀能力、较易装配、出色的成形性及高强度、低重量。
Specs:
304 Chromium - Nickel
General Properties
Chemical Composition
Resistance to Corrosion
Physical Properties
Mechanical Properties
Welding
Heat Treatment
Cleaning
General Properties
Alloys 304 (S30400), 304L (S30403), and 304H (S30409)
stainless steels are variations of the 18 percent chromium
– 8 percent nickel austenitic alloy, the most
familiar and most frequently used alloy in the stainless
steel family. These alloys may be considered for a wide
variety of applications where one or more of the following
properties are important:
- Resistance to corrosion
- Prevention of product contamination
- Resistance to oxidation
- Ease of fabrication
- Excellent formability
- Beauty of appearance
- Ease of cleaning
- High strength with low weight
- Good strength and toughness at cryogenic
temperatures
- Ready availability of a wide range
of product forms
Each alloy represents an excellent combination
of corrosion resistance and fabricability. This combination
of properties is the reason for the extensive use of
these alloys which represent nearly one half of the
total U.S. stainless steel production. The 18-8 stainless
steels, principally Alloys 304, 304L, and 304H, are
available in a wide range of product forms including
sheet, strip, and plate. The alloys are covered by a
variety of specifications and codes relating to, or
regulating, construction or use of equipment manufactured
from these alloys for specific conditions. Food and
beverage, sanitary, cryogenic, and pressure-containing
applications are examples.
Alloy 304 is the standard alloy since
AOD technology has made lower carbon levels more easily
attainable and economical. Alloy 304L is used for welded
products which might be exposed to conditions which
could cause intergranular corrosion in service.
Alloy 304H is a modification of Alloy
304 in which the carbon content is controlled to a range
of 0.04-0.10 to provide improved high temperature strength
to parts exposed to temperatures above 800糉.
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Chemical
Composition
Chemistries per ASTM A240 and ASME SA-240:
| Element |
Percentage by
Weight
Maximum Unless Range is Specified |
| |
304 |
304L |
304H |
| Carbon |
0.08 |
0.030 |
0.04-0.01 |
| Manganese |
2.00 |
2.00 |
2.00 |
| Phosphorus |
0.045 |
0.045 |
0.045 |
| Sulfur |
0.030 |
0.030 |
0.030 |
| Silicon |
0.75 |
0.75 |
0.75 |
| Chromium |
18.00
20.00 |
18.00
20.00 |
18.00
20.00 |
| Nickel |
8.0
10.50 |
8.0
12.00 |
8.0
10.5 |
| Nitrogen |
0.10 |
0.10 |
0.10 |
Data are typical and should not be construed
as maximum or minimum values for specification or for
final design. Data on any particular piece of material
may vary from those shown herein.
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Resistance
to Corrosion
General Corrosion
The Alloys 304, 304L, and 304H austenitic stainless
steels provide useful resistance to corrosion on a wide
range of moderately oxidizing to moderately reducing
environments. The alloys are used widely in equipment
and utensils for processing and handling of food, beverages,
and dairy products. Heat exchangers, piping, tanks,
and other process equipment in contact with fresh water
also utilize these alloys.
The 18 to 19 percent of chromium which
these alloys contain provides resistance to oxidizing
environments such as dilute nitric acid, as illustrated
by data for Alloy 304 below.
| % Nitric Acid |
Temperature
糉 (糃) |
Corrosion Rate
Mils/Yr (mm/a) |
| 10 |
300 (149) |
5.0 (0.13) |
| 20 |
300 (149) |
10.1 (0.25) |
| 30 |
300 (149) |
17.0 (0.43) |
Alloys 304, 304L, and 304H are also resistant
to moderately aggressive organic acids such as acetic
and reducing acids such as phosphoric. The 9 to 11 percent
of nickel contained by these 18-8 alloys assists in
providing resistance to moderately reducing environments.
The more highly reducing environments such as boiling
dilute hydrochloric and sulfuric acids are shown to
be too aggressive for these materials. Boiling 50 percent
caustic is likewise too aggressive.
In some cases, the low carbon Alloy 304L
may show a lower corrosion rate than the higher carbon
Alloy 304. The data for formic acid, sulfamic acid,
and sodium hydroxide illustrate this. Otherwise, the
Alloys 304, 304L, and 304H may be considered to perform
equally in most corrosive environments. A notable exception
is in environments sufficiently corrosive to cause intergranular
corrosion of welds and heat-affected zones on susceptible
alloys. The Alloy 304L is preferred for use in such
media in the welded condition since the low carbon level
enhances resistance to intergranular corrosion.
Intergranular Corrosion
Exposure of the 18-8 austenitic stainless steels to
temperatures in the 800糉 to 1500糉 (427糃 to 816糃)
range may cause precipitation of chromium carbides in
grain boundaries. Such steels are "sensitized"
and subject to intergranular corrosion when exposed
to aggressive environments. The carbon content of Alloy
304 may allow sensitization to occur from thermal conditions
experienced by autogenous welds and heat-affected zones
of welds. For this reason, the low carbon Alloy 304L
is preferred for applications in which the material
is put into service in the as-welded condition. Low
carbon content extends the time necessary to precipitate
a harmful level of chromium carbides but does not eliminate
the precipitation reaction for material held for long
times in the precipitation temperature range.
| Intergranular
Corrosion Tests |
ASTM
A262
Evaluation
Test |
Corrosion
Rate, Mils/Yr (mm/a) |
| 304 |
304L |
Practice
E Base Metal Welded |
No Fissures on Bend
Some Fissures on Weld
(unacceptable) |
No Fissures
No Fissures |
Practice
A Base Metal Welded |
Step Structure
Ditched
(unacceptable) |
Step Structure
Step Structure |
Stress Corrosion Cracking
The Alloys 304, 304L, and 304H are the most susceptible
of the austenitic stainless steels to stress corrosion
cracking (SCC) in halides because of their relatively
low nickel content. Conditions which cause SCC are:
(1) presence of halide ions (generally chloride), (2)
residual tensile stresses, and (3) temperatures in excess
of about 120¢XF (49糃). Stresses may result from
cold deformation of the alloy during forming or by roller
expanding tubes into tube sheets or by welding operations
which produce stresses from the thermal cycles used.
Stress levels may be reduced by annealing or stress
relieving heat treatments following cold deformation,
thereby reducing sensitivity to halide SCC. The low
carbon Alloy 304L material is the better choice for
service in the stress-relieved condition in environments
which might cause intergranular corrosion.
| Halide (Chloride
Stress Corrosion Tests) |
| Test |
U-Bend (Highly
Stressed) Samples |
| 304 |
33%
Lithium
Chloride, Boiling |
Base
Metal
Welded |
Cracked,
14 to 96 hours
Cracked, 18 to 90 hours |
26%
Sodium
Chloride, Boiling |
Base
Metal
Welded |
Cracked,
142 to 1004 hours
Cracked, 300 to 500 hours |
40%
Calcium
Chloride, Boiling |
Base
Metal |
Cracked,
144 hours
-- |
| Ambient
Temperature Seacoast Exposure |
Base
Metal
Welded |
No Cracking
No Cracking |
Pitting/Crevice Corrosion
The 18-8 alloys have been used very successfully in
fresh waters containing low levels of chloride ion.
Generally, 100 ppm chloride is considered to be the
limit for the 18-8 alloys, particularly if crevices
are present. Higher levels of chloride might cause crevice
corrosion and pitting. For the more severe conditions
of higher chloride levels, lower pH, and/or higher temperatures,
alloys with higher molybdenum content such as Alloy
316 should be considered. The 18-8 alloys are not recommended
for exposure to marine environments.
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Physical
Properties
Density:
0.285 lb/in3 (7.90 g/cm3)
Modulus of Elasticity in Tension:
29 x 106 psi (200 GPa)
Linear Coefficient of Thermal Expansion:
| Temperature Range |
Coefficients |
| 糉 |
糃 |
in/in/糉 |
cm/cm/糃 |
| 68-212 |
20-100 |
9.2 x 10-6 |
16.6 x 10-6 |
| 18 - 1600 |
20 - 870 |
11.0 x 10-6 |
19.8 x 10-6 |
Thermal Conductivity:
| Temperature Range |
Btu/hr/ft/糉 |
W/m/K |
| 糉 |
糃 |
| 212 |
100 |
9.4 |
16.3 |
| 932 |
500 |
12.4 |
21.4 |
The overall heat transfer coefficient
of metals is determined by factors in addition to the
thermal conductivity of the metal. The ability of the
18-8 stainless grades to maintain clean surfaces often
allows better heat transfer than other metals having
higher thermal conductivity.
Specific Heat:
| 糉 |
糃 |
Btu/lb/糉 |
J/kg/K |
| 32-212 |
0-100 |
0.12 |
500 |
Magnetic Permeability:
The 18-8 alloys are generally non-magnetic in the annealed
condition with magnetic permeability values typically
less than 1.02 at 200H. Permeability values will vary
with composition and will increase with cold work.
| Percent
Cold Work |
Magnetic
Permeability |
| 304 |
304L |
| 0 |
1.005 |
1.015 |
| 10 |
1.009 |
1.064 |
| 30 |
1.163 |
3.235 |
| 50 |
2.291 |
8.480 |
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Mechanical
Properties
Room Temperature Mechanical Properties
Minimum mechanical properties for annealed Alloys 304
and 304L austenitic stainless steel plate as required
by ASTM specifications A240 and ASME specification SA-240
are shown below.
| Property |
Minimum
Mechanical Properties
Required by ASTM A240 & ASME SA-240 |
| 304 |
304L |
304H |
0.2% Offset
Yield
Strength, psi MPa |
30,000
205 |
25,000
170 |
30,000
205 |
Ultimate
Tensile
Strength, psi MPa |
75,000
515 |
70,000
485 |
75,000
515 |
Percent
Elongation in
2 in. or 51 mm |
40.0 |
40.0 |
40.0 |
Hardness,
Max., Brinell RB |
201
92 |
201
92 |
201
92 |
Low and Elevated Temperature Properties
Typical short time tensile property data for low and
elevated temperatures are shown below. At temperatures
of 1000糉 (538糃) or higher, creep and stress rupture
become considerations. Typical creep and stress rupture
data are also shown below.
Test
Temperature |
0.2% Yield
Strength |
| 糉 |
糃 |
psi |
(MPa) |
| -423 |
-253 |
100,000 |
690 |
| -320 |
-196 |
70,000 |
485 |
| -100 |
-79 |
50,000 |
354 |
| 70 |
21 |
35,000 |
240 |
| 400 |
205 |
23,000 |
160 |
| 800 |
427 |
19,000 |
130 |
| 1200 |
650 |
15,500 |
105 |
| 1500 |
815 |
13,000 |
90 |
Tensile
Strength |
Elongation |
| psi |
(MPa) |
Percent in
2" or
51mm |
| 250,000 |
1725 |
25 |
| 230,000 |
1585 |
35 |
| 150,000 |
1035 |
50 |
| 90,000 |
620 |
60 |
| 70,000 |
485 |
50 |
| 66,000 |
455 |
43 |
| 48,000 |
330 |
34 |
| 23,000 |
160 |
46 |
Impact Resistance
The annealed austenitic stainless steels maintain high
impact resistance even at cryogenic temperatures, a
property which, in combination with their low temperature
strength and fabricability, has led to their use in
handling liquified natural gas and other cryogenic environments.
Typical Charpy V-notch impact data are shown below.
| Temperature |
Charpy V-Notch Energy Absorbed |
| 糉 |
糃 |
Foot - pounds |
Joules |
| 75 |
23 |
150 |
200 |
| -320 |
-196 |
85 |
115 |
| -425 |
-254 |
85 |
115 |
Fatigue Strength
The fatigue strength or endurance limit is the maximum
stress below which material is unlikely to fail in 10
million cycles in air environment. The fatigue strength
for austenitic stainless steels, as a group, is typically
about 35 percent of the tensile strength. Substantial
variability in service results is experienced since
additional variables influence fatigue strength. As
examples – increased smoothness of surface improves
strength, increased corrosivity of service environment
decreases strength.
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Welding
The austenitic stainless steels are considered to be
the most weldable of the high-alloy steels and can be
welded by all fusion and resistance welding processes.
The Alloys 304 and 304L are typical of the austenitic
stainless steels.
Two important considerations in producing
weld joints in the austenitic stainless steels are:
1) preservation of corrosion resistance, and 2) avoidance
of cracking.
A temperature gradient is produced in
the material being welded which ranges from above the
melting temperature in the molten pool to ambient temperature
at some distance from the weld. The higher the carbon
level of the material being welded, the greater the
likelihood that the welding thermal cycle will result
in the chromium carbide precipitation which is detrimental
to corrosion resistance. To provide material at the
best level of corrosion resistance, low carbon material
(Alloy 304L) should be used for material put in service
in the welded condition. Alternately, full annealing
dissolves the chromium carbide and restores a high level
of corrosion resistance to the standard carbon content
materials.
Weld metal with a fully austenitic structure
is more susceptible to cracking during the welding operation.
For this reason, Alloys 304 and 304L are designed to
resolidify with a small amount of ferrite to minimize
cracking susceptibility.
Alloy 309 (23% Cr – 13.5% Ni) or
nickel-base filler metals are used in joining the 18-8
austenitic alloys to carbon steel.
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Heat
Treatment
The austenitic stainless steels are heat treated to
remove the effects of cold forming or to dissolve precipitated
chromium carbides. The surest heat treatment to accomplish
both requirements is the solution anneal which is conducted
in the 1850糉 to 2050糉 range (1010糃 to 1121糃). Cooling
from the anneal temperature should be at sufficiently
high rates through 1500-800糉 (816糃 - 427糃) to avoid
reprecipitation of chromium carbides.
These materials cannot be hardened by
heat treatment.
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Cleaning
Despite their corrosion resistance, stainless steels
need care in fabrication and use to maintain their surface
appearance even under normal conditions of service.
In welding, inert gas processes are used.
Scale or slag that forms from welding processes is removed
with a stainless steel wire brush. Normal carbon steel
wire brushes will leave carbon steel particles in the
surface which will eventually produce surface rusting.
For more severe applications, welded areas should be
treated with a descaling solution such as a mixture
of nitric and hydrofluoric acids, and these should be
subsequently washed off.
For material exposed inland, light industrial,
or milder service, minimum maintenance is required.
Only sheltered areas need occasional washing with a
stream of pressurized water. In heavy industrial areas,
frequent washing is advisable to remove dirt deposits
which might eventually cause corrosion and impair the
surface appearance of the stainless steel.
Stubborn spots and deposits like burned-on
food can be removed by scrubbing with a non-abrasive
cleaner and fiber brush, a sponge, or pad of stainless
steel wool. The stainless steel wool will leave a permanent
mark on smooth stainless steel surfaces.
Many of these uses of stainless steel
involve cleaning or sterilizing on a regular basis.
Equipment is cleaned with specially designed caustic
soda, organic solvent, or acid solutions such as phosphoric
or sulfamic acid (strongly reducing acids such as hydrofluoric
or hydrochloric may be harmful to these stainless steels).
Cleaning solutions need to be drained
and stainless steel surfaces rinsed thoroughly with
fresh water.
Design can aid cleanability. Equipment
with rounded corners, fillets, and absence of crevices
facilitates cleaning as do smooth ground welds and polished
surfaces.
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