Stainless Steel Properties

Stainless Steel Properties:

Composition

Table 1. Composition ranges for 316 grade of stainless steels.

Grade		C	Mn	Si	P	S	Cr	Mo	Ni	N
316	Min	-	-	-	0	-	16.0	2.00	10.0	-
316	Max	0.08	2.0	0.75	0.045	0.03	18.0	3.00	14.0	0.10
316L	Min	-	-	-	-	-	16.0	2.00	10.0	-
316L	Max	0.03	2.0	0.75	0.045	0.03	18.0	3.00	14.0	0.10
316H	Min	0.04	0.04	0	-	-	16.0	2.00	10.0	-
316H	max	0.10	0.10	0.75	0.045	0.03	18.0	3.00	14.0	-

Mechanical Properties

Table 2. Mechanical properties of 316 grade stainless steels.

Grade	Tensile Str (MPa) min	Yield Str 0.2% Proof (MPa) min	Elong (% in 50mm) min	Hardness
Grade	Tensile Str (MPa) min	Yield Str 0.2% Proof (MPa) min	Elong (% in 50mm) min	Rockwell B (HR B) max	Brinell (HB) max
316	515	205	40	95	217
316L	485	170	40	95	217
316H	515	205	40	95	217

Note: 316H also has a requirement for a grain size of ASTM no. 7 or coarser.

Physical Properties

Table 3. Typical physical properties for 316 grade stainless steels.

Grade	Density (kg/m³)	Elastic Modulus (GPa)	Mean Co-eff of Thermal Expansion (µm/m/°C)			Thermal Conductivity (W/m.K)		Specific Heat 0-100°C (J/kg.K)	Elec Resistivity (nΩ.m)
			0-100°C	0-315°C	0-538°C	At 100°C	At 500°C
316/L/H	8000	193	15.9	16.2	17.5	16.3	21.5	500	740

Grade Specification Comparison

Table 4. Grade specifications for 316 grade stainless steels.

Grade	UNS No	Old British		Euronorm		Swedish SS	Japanese JIS
Grade	UNS No	BS	En	No	Name	Swedish SS	Japanese JIS
316	S31600	316S31	58H, 58J	1.4401	X5CrNiMo17-12-2	2347	SUS 316
316L	S31603	316S11	-	1.4404	X2CrNiMo17-12-2	2348	SUS 316L
316H	S31609	316S51	-	-	-	-	-

Note: These comparisons are approximate only. The list is intended as a comparison of functionally similar materials not as a schedule of contractual equivalents. If exact equivalents are needed original specifications must be consulted.

Possible Alternative Grades

Table 5. Possible alternative grades to 316 stainless steel.

Grade	Why it might be chosen instead of 316?
316Ti	Better resistance to temperatures of around 600-900°C is needed.
316N	Higher strength than standard 316.
317L	Higher resistance to chlorides than 316L, but with similar resistance to stress corrosion cracking.
904L	Much higher resistance to chlorides at elevated temperatures, with good formability
2205	Much higher resistance to chlorides at elevated temperatures, and higher strength than 316

Corrosion Resistance

Excellent in a range of atmospheric environments and many corrosive media - generally more resistant than 304. Subject to pitting and crevice corrosion in warm chloride environments, and to stress corrosion cracking above about 60°C. Considered resistant to potable water with up to about 1000mg/L chlorides at ambient temperatures, reducing to about 500mg/L at 60°C.

316 is usually regarded as the standard “marine grade stainless steel”, but it is not resistant to warm sea water. In many marine environments 316 does exhibit surface corrosion, usually visible as brown staining. This is particularly associated with crevices and rough surface finish.

Heat Resistance

Good oxidation resistance in intermittent service to 870°C and in continuous service to 925°C. Continuous use of 316 in the 425-860°C range is not recommended if subsequent aqueous corrosion resistance is important. Grade 316L is more resistant to carbide precipitation and can be used in the above temperature range. Grade 316H has higher strength at elevated temperatures and is sometimes used for structural and pressure-containing applications at temperatures above about 500°C.

Heat Treatment

Solution Treatment (Annealing) - Heat to 1010-1120°C and cool rapidly. These grades cannot be hardened by thermal treatment.

Welding

Excellent weldability by all standard fusion methods, both with and without filler metals. AS 1554.6 pre-qualifies welding of 316 with Grade 316 and 316L with Grade 316L rods or electrodes (or their high silicon equivalents). Heavy welded sections in Grade 316 require post-weld annealing for maximum corrosion resistance. This is not required for 316L. Grade 316Ti may also be used as an alternative to 316 for heavy section welding.

Machining

A “Ugima” improved machinability version of grade 316 is available in round and hollow bar products. This machines significantly better than standard 316 or 316L, giving higher machining rates and lower tool wear in many operations.

Dual Certification

It is common for 316 and 316L to be stocked in "Dual Certified" form - mainly in plate and pipe. These items have chemical and mechanical properties complying with both 316 and 316L specifications. Such dual certified product does not meet 316H specification and may be unacceptable for high temperature applications.