With the increasing maturity of domestic steelmaking technology, the total use of stainless steel pipes is increasing exponentially. The insulation cups we use in daily life are made of stainless steel. But do you know what material you are using? There are currently two types of food grade stainless steel on the market: 304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel. Which is better, 304 stainless steel or 316 stainless steel? Please refer to the editor’s detailed explanation.
From the nickel content data, the nickel content of 304 is less than 316. In theory, the higher the nickel content, the better the corrosion resistance of the material itself. However, the current price of nickel alloys is relatively expensive, so the price of nickel is basically the main factor affecting the price of stainless steel. This is the law of the entire market, so each model will have specific product standards.
In the industry, the content of alloy elements in materials is usually used to determine whether a product is qualified. For example, 304 stainless steel is generally considered qualified as long as the nickel content is greater than 8% and the chromium content is greater than 18%. Therefore, 304 stainless steel is also known as “18/8 stainless steel”.
Compared with 304 stainless steel, the significant addition of molybdenum element in 316 stainless steel can effectively improve the corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance of 316 stainless steel. It can be said that 316 can achieve what 304 can do, while 316 can achieve what 304 cannot. To put it bluntly, 316 stainless steel is actually an enhanced version of 304 stainless steel.
So putting these two types of steel together, 304 stainless steel has a slightly lower price advantage than 316 stainless steel in other aspects. From the perspective of consumers, 316 stainless steel is definitely the choice for food machinery, kitchenware, and medical equipment, but the premise is that we can accept the relatively high price of 316; From the manufacturer’s perspective, 304 stainless steel is a cost conscious choice, and related stainless steel products must also meet national production standards, killing two birds with one stone.
Generally speaking, even if the current circulation of 304 on the market is relatively large, it is impossible to affect the true and correct answer. Therefore, there is no need to supplement the results, and naturally 316 stainless steel will win.