303 Stainless Steel Vs 304

However when comparing 304 to 303 stainless steel you ll notice a similar makeup with a very dissimilar property balance this article provides a brief overview of the two and how to determine which one is right for your application.

303 stainless steel vs 304. Both aisi 303 stainless steel and aisi 304 stainless steel are iron alloys. It also maintains the mechanical and corrosion resistance common to stainless steel. The chromium properties in the metal will only allow corrosion to go so far before stopping the rusting process. The addition of sulfur or selenium to its makeup gives it the best machinability of any austenitic stainless steel.

Below we review the differences between grades 303 vs 304 stainless steel. Stainless steel provides an array of benefits from corrosion resistance to stain and rust durability. Its composition contains at minimum 17 chromium 8 nickel and 0 15 sulfur selenium. 304 stainless steel is among the highest grade used to produce truck parts.

304 stainless steel is the most versatile and widely used austenitic stainless steel in the world due to its corrosion resistance. Now we start to see some differences. Occasionally i detect a burnt odor to the parts after passivating sometimes more than others sometimes no detectable odor. 303 stainless steel is a free machining grade of 304 that has sulfur added to increase its machinability.

The addition of sulfur or selenium increases the machinability. For each property being compared the top bar is aisi 303 stainless steel and the bottom bar is aisi 304 stainless steel. They have a very high 99 of their average alloy composition in common. Type 303 is a free cutting material.

Welding however doesn t work well with 303. It s not as corrosion resistant as 304 stainless steel but it still stands up well and the machinability at least partially makes up for the difference. First the machinability factor. 303 vs 304 vs 316 stainless steel.

304 stainless is also cheaper in cost compared to 316 another reason for its popularity and widespread use. Comprised of 18 chromium 304 grade stainless steel should never rust through to the point that it will jeopardize the integrity of the metal. 303 is a free machining grade of 304 stainless steel that contains added sulfur or selenium. We use passivated ss 303 and ss304 parts in optical and fiber optic assemblies.

It is particularly desired for automatic machining operations for this reason. Accounting for about 50 of all stainless steel in the world 304 is a workhorse for good reason. A discussion started in 2002 but continuing through 2020. Stainless steel is a property notorious for its corrosion resistance and remarkable ability to resist stains.