Stainless Steel Snapshot:

Austenitic Steel

The 200 Series are commonlyused in washing machine tubsand structural applications.

The 300 Series are typicallyused in pots and pans, foodequipment, chemical equipment,and architectural applications.  

Austenitic steels, specificallygrade 304, are easy to machinebut must be measured to precisethickness specifications byprocessing the material througha cold rolling mill.

Type 304, the most widelyused austenitic steel hasapplications in the industrial,architectural, and transportationfields. This grade is the materialof choice in drawn stainlessparts such as sinks, hollow-waparts such as sinks, hollow-wareand saucepans. 

Did you know there are more than 100 grades of stainless steel? Stainless steel is made by adding varying amounts of chromium (Cr) and other alloying elements such as nickel (Ni) to iron and carbonto create a corrosion-resistant product. There are five primary grades of stainless steel: austenitic,ferritic, martensitic, duplex, and precipitation hardening.

Austenitic stainless steels, named after the UK metallurgist Sir W. C. Roberts-Austen, contain highamounts of chromium and nickel and are the most corrosion resistant, ductile, and weldable typeof stainless steel. Heof stainless steel. Here are some facts about austenitic stainless steels:

Type 316 is the second mostpopular austenitic stainless steel,distinguished from 304 by theaddition of molybdenum (Mo) forincreased corrosion resistanceand strength.

ItIt’s used to make surgicalimplants and food processingequipment. It’s also used inmarine environments becauseit resists pitting corrosion betterthan other grades of steel.

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Get reliable elemental analysis for accurate steel grade identification and metal alloyverification for manufacturing quality assurance with a handheld X-ray fluorescence instrument.

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Austenitic steel has excellentcorrosion and heat resistance.