What Is The Advantage Of Stainless Steel 316L?

//What Is The Advantage Of Stainless Steel 316L?

What Is The Advantage Of Stainless Steel 316L?

Grade 316 is the regular molybdenum-bearing grade second in importance to SS 304 among the austenitic stainless steels. Molybdenum provides 316 better overall corrosion-resistant properties than Grade 304, particularly higher pitting resistance and chloride crevice corrosion.

Stainless Steel 316 Pipe is resistant to sensitisation (precipitation of grain boundary carbide), a low carbon variant of 316. It is therefore widely used in high-gage (over 6 mm) welded parts. Usually, there is no significant price difference between 316 and 316L stainless steel.

Grade 316L is resistant to sensitization (precipitation of grain boundary carbide), a low carbon variant of 316. It is therefore widely used in high-gage (over 6 mm) welded parts. Usually, there is no significant price difference between 316 and 316L stainless steel.

Qualities of Type 316L Steel

Due to welding, the lower carbon content in 316L decreases harmful carbide precipitation (carbon is stripped from the metal and reacts due to heat with chromium, decreasing corrosion resistance). 316L is used when welding is needed to ensure maximum corrosion resistance.

316L, however, is a better choice for a project that requires a lot of welding because 316 is more susceptible to weld decay than 316L (corrosion within the weld). However, 316 can be annealed to resist weld decay. 316L also is a great stainless steel for high-temperature, high-corrosion uses, which is Stainless Steel 316L Pipes are so popular for use in construction and marine projects.

Properties 316L Steels

  • Density: 0.799g/cubic centimeter
  • Electrical resistivity: 74 microhm-centimeters (20 degrees Celsius)
  • Specific Heat: 0.50 kiloJoules/kilogram-Kelvin (0–100 degrees Celsius)
  • Thermal conductivity: 16.2 Watts/meter-Kelvin (100 degrees Celsius)
  • Modulus of Elasticity (MPa): 193 x 103 in tension
  • Melting Range: 2,500–2,550 degrees Fahrenheit (1,371–1,399 degrees Celsius).

Hot and Cold Working

With most conventional hot working techniques, 316L stainless steel can be treated cold. Optimum hot working temperatures should be between 1150-1260 degrees C and should certainly not be less than 930 degrees C. Post-work annealing should be done to cause maximum resistance to corrosion.

Many common cold operations can be conducted on 316L stainless steel, such as shearing, drawing and stamping. To remove internal stresses, post-work annealing should be performed.

Applications

Typical applications include:

  • Food preparation equipment particularly in chloride environments.
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Marine applications
  • Architectural applications
  • Medical implants, including pins, screws and orthopedic implants like total hip and knee replacements.
  • Stainless Steel 316L Coils for Chemical plants, food industry equipment particularly in chloride environments
By | 2023-10-11T01:43:58-05:30 January 18th, 2020|Stainless Steel|0 Comments