Stainless steel

General-fabrication austenitic stainless steels. 304L has a lower carbon limit to reduce susceptibility to intergranular corrosion after welding; 304 and 304L remain distinct designations.

UsesFood equipment, sheet-metal fabrication, tanks and fabricated parts.

Dual certification must be requested and confirmed on the material certificate.

Molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels for greater corrosion demands than common molybdenum-free grades. 316L has a lower carbon limit, useful for welded fabrication.

UsesProcess equipment, valves and welded assemblies.

The 316/316L label guarantees neither dual certification nor universal seawater resistance.

Chromium-nickel stainless steel with sulfur added to improve machining. It prioritizes production of mechanical parts; this choice must not automatically be treated as 304 for corrosion or welding.

Martensitic precipitation-hardening stainless steel, strengthened by thermal aging. It combines mechanical strength and corrosion resistance; the selected treatment controls the strength–toughness balance.

Specify the required condition, such as Condition A, H900 or H1150; they are not interchangeable.