How to choose 316 stainless steel and 304 stainless steel?

Based on cost-effectiveness

When choosing 304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel, cost-effectiveness is an important consideration. If it is just for daily use, such as pots, pans, water cups and other daily necessities in ordinary households, or stoves and kitchen utensils used in ordinary restaurants and canteens, as well as decorative pipes, handrails, curtain walls, etc. in the construction field, these scenes have relatively less stringent requirements on the corrosion resistance and heat resistance of stainless steel, and 304 stainless steel can meet the basic needs well. And its price is relatively cheap, between 15,000 and 20,000 yuan per ton, which allows us to spend less money to achieve the purpose of use, and it is very cost-effective.

However, if the usage scenario is special, such as some situations where it needs to be used for a long time and is often in contact with highly corrosive substances such as seawater and chemical raw materials, such as seaside dock facilities, seawater aquaculture equipment, chemical plant reactors, tanks for storing chemical raw materials, pipelines for transporting corrosive liquids, etc., or medical instruments with extremely high safety requirements, such as scalpels, surgical forceps, infusion stands, etc., then 316 stainless steel is more worthy of choice due to its excellent corrosion resistance, heat resistance and stability in special environments. Although its price per ton is more than 20,000 yuan, the cost is higher, but in the long run, it can better guarantee the use effect and life of equipment or instruments. In these scenarios with high performance requirements, its cost performance is highlighted.

Consider the usage scenario

When choosing 304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel, we must also fully consider the specific usage scenarios. For example, if we use a cup for drinking water every day in an ordinary living environment and the chloride content in tap water is not high, a 304 stainless steel cup is completely sufficient. It can resist general acid and alkali corrosion, is not easy to rust, and is relatively affordable. But if you live in a coastal area or often use a cup in an environment with high chloride content such as a swimming pool, then a 316 stainless steel cup is a better choice, because it contains molybdenum, can better withstand these environments containing corrosive substances, is not easy to rust, and can ensure the health of our drinking water.

For example, in the kitchen, if it is only used to hold ordinary food, 304 stainless steel tableware can meet daily needs and is economical. But if it is often used to hold drinks containing acidic ingredients such as coffee, milk, carbonated drinks, or used in the food processing industry, and is exposed to various food raw materials that may affect the stability of stainless steel, then 316 stainless steel can rely on its stronger corrosion resistance to better maintain the performance and appearance of tableware or processing equipment and avoid corrosion.