Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304?
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Is 316 Stainless Steel
Worth the Extra Cost
over 304?
In Steel Wire Products, Stainless Steel Baskets
Marlin Steel on February 27, 2020
Search Blog Articles
To the layman, the di!erences between one grade of Search...
stainless steel and another are easy to miss. However, to
a manufacturer, the di!erence between stainless steel
alloys such as grade 304 stainless steel and grade 316 Search Blog Articles
can be huge.
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
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What is 316
Stainless Steel?
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Grade 316 is a popular alloy of stainless steel with a
melting range of 2,500 °F – 2,550 °F (1,371 °C – 1,399 °C).
As an austenitic stainless steel alloy, it has qualities such
as high strength, corrosion resistance, and high
concentrations of chromium and nickel. The alloy has a
tensile strength of 579 MPa (84 ksi) and a maximum use
temperature of around 800C̊ (1,472F̊).
Additionally, grade 316 has added molybdenum in its
formulation, which improves the alloy’s resistance to
acids, alkalis, and chloride pitting.
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
316 Stainless Steel
Properties & Applications
Grade 316 steel comes in a close second to 304 stainless
steel in terms of commonality. With similar physical and
mechanical properties to grade 304, it’s nearly
impossible to tell the di!erence between the two with
the naked eye. The primary di!erentiator is in grade 316’s
material composition:
16 percent chromium
10 percent nickel
2 percent molybdenum
The increased nickel content and the inclusion of
molybdenum makes grade 316 stainless steel a bit
costlier than grade 304 per ounce of material. But where
grade 316 stainless proves superior is its increased
corrosion resistance—particularly against chlorides and
chlorinated solutions. This makes grade 316 stainless
particularly desirable for applications where exposure to
salt or other powerful corrosives is an issue.
Some of the more common applications for grade 316
steel are:
Stainless steel baskets
Marine parts
Outdoor electrical enclosures
Medical-surgical instruments
Pharmaceutical equipment
Chemical equipment
What is 304
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
Stainless Steel?
Another popular high-performing alloy, grade 304
stainless steel is a durable material in terms of tensile
strength, durability, corrosion, and oxidation resistance.
The melting point of stainless steel 304 is reached at
temperatures ranging between 2,550 °F – 2,650 °F (1399
°C – 1454 °C). However, the closer grade 304 stainless
steel reaches its melting point, the more tensile strength
it loses.
Grade 304 stainless steel is especially exceptional for its
high tensile strength of about 621 MPa (90 ksi). Stainless
steel 304 alloy has a maximum operating temperature of
about 870C̊.
304 Stainless Steel
Properties & Applications
One of the most common grades of stainless steel used,
304 steel has excellent corrosion resistance due to its
high percentage of chromium. Its chemical makeup
consists of:
18 percent chromium
8 percent nickel
There are small amounts of carbon and manganese
present at times also. These elements make it resistant
to oxidation, which makes for easy cleaning and
sanitization.
Some of the more common applications for grade 304
steel are:
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
Auto moldings and trim
Wheel covers
Storage tanks
Electrical enclosures
Kitchen equipment and appliances
One weakness of 304 stainless steel is its susceptibility
to pitting, localized areas of corrosion, due to exposure
to high chloride solutions or saline environments. As
little as 25 ppm of chlorides can cause pitting corrosion
to begin.
What’s the
Di!erence Between
Grade 316 and
Grade 304 Stainless
Steel?
The most basic di!erence between grade 304 and grade
316 stainless steels is that 316 tends to have more nickel
and a bit of molybdenum in the mix. The general
mechanical properties of the two metals are mostly
comparable.
The increased nickel content and the inclusion of
molybdenum allows for grade 316 stainless steel to have
better chemical resistance than 304 stainless steel. It’s
ability to resist acids and chlorides, including salt, makes
grade 316 ideal for chemical processing and marine
applications.
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
However, the addition of nickel and molybdenum also
makes grade 316 a more expensive alloy than stainless
steel 304 per ounce of material.
Additionally, the melting point of grade 304 stainless
steel is a bit higher than that of grade 316. The melting
range of 316 is 2,500 °F – 2,550 °F (1,371 °C – 1,399 °C),
roughly 50 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the
melting point of grade 304 stainless steel.
Though the stainless steel 304 alloy has a higher melting
point, grade 316 has a better resistance to chemicals and
chlorides (like salt) than grade 304 stainless steel. When
it comes to applications with chlorinated solutions or
exposure to salt, grade 316 stainless steel is considered
superior.
Three Benefits of
Using 316 Stainless
Steel
1. Corrosion Resistant
Properties
Due to the addition of molybdenum, grade 316 stainless
steel is more corrosion resistant than similar alloys, such
as 304 stainless steel. This reduces pitting from
chemical environments and allows grade 316 stainless
steel to be used in highly acidic and caustic
environments that would otherwise eat away at the
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
metal. For instance, grade 316 stainless steel can
withstand caustic solutions and corrosive applications
such as vapor degreasing or many other parts cleaning
processes.
These properties also make grade 316 stainless steel
ideal for pharmaceutical and medical applications. Since
sterilization processes in these industries combine both
strong disinfectants and or with high temperatures to
prevent contamination, a resistant alloy such as grade
316 is ideal.
2. Marine Applications
Seawater and salt air can be especially damaging to
metals. Besides the rough environment of the sea and
marine applications, chlorides, such as salt, can eat away
at even the toughest metals. Salt will even compromise
the protective oxide layer of grade 304 stainless steel,
resulting in rust. For marine applications, or processes
involving chlorides, grade 316 stainless steel is ideal.
Grade 316 has especially better resistance to salt and
chloride pitting. Pitting corrosion can occur when
stainless steel alloys, such as grade 304 stainless steel,
come into contact with salt-rich sea breezes and
seawater. Chloride resistant metals, like grade 16
stainless steel, are essential to use for naval
applications or anything involved with chloride.
3. Lasting Durability
Grade 316 stainless steel is both tough and versatile,
which makes it ideal for custom wire baskets built to last
for years of use. This grade of stainless steel can be used
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
to make durable baskets designed to even survived
repeated exposure to high impact processes. For
instance, Marlin Steel’s team designs custom baskets for
intense parts cleaning processes and shot blasting parts
out of grade 316 stainless steel.
Is It Worth the Extra
Cost?
If you have an application with very powerful corrosives
or relies on chlorides, then paying a premium for grade
316 stainless steel is definitely worth it. In such
applications, 316 stainless will last many times longer
than grade 304 stainless steel would—which can mean
many extra years of useful life.
However, for applications using milder acids or where
salt exposure isn’t a concern, the stainless steel 304
alloy can work just as well.
Just be sure you’ve accounted for all processes and
environmental factors when choosing a material for your
industrial parts baskets. For example, if your
manufacturing plant is located on or near the coast, salty
sea air can corrode metal that isn’t resistant to chlorides.
Overall, 316 can be worth the expense if you need to
have superior corrosion resistance. For many other
applications, grade 304 stainless steel will serve
perfectly fine.
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
Marlin Steel's
Stainless Steel
Solutions
When it comes to providing stainless steel solutions,
Marlin Steel relies on grade 316 stainless steel to
manufacture its in-stock products and custom wire
baskets.
Marlin specializes in manufacturing high-quality steel
products for pharmaceutical, industrial, aerospace, and
many other industries where it is critical that products
have superior corrosion resilience.
For products that will face less harsh corrosives, like for
the food and automotive industries, Marlin is still able to
provide incredible quality and fast delivery to its clients.
Don’t know which metal is the best for your custom wire
basket application? Consult an experienced mechanical
engineer today!
Related Articles:
What is the Temperature Range for 304 Stainless Steel
vs. 316 vs. 330?
Is Grade 317 Stainless Steel Worth the Cost Over 316 &
304?
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Is 316 Stainless Steel Worth the Extra Cost over 304? 6/16/20, 9:49 AM
Author: Marlin Steel
Marlin Steel is a leading manufacturer of custom‐
engineered products from steel wire and sheet metal.
Its industrial material handling containers serve many
industries including aerospace, defense, medical and
automotive.
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