Versatile austenitic grades
304 / 304L Stainless Steel
304 and 304L are widely specified austenitic stainless steels for fabricated equipment, architectural work and general industrial components. The lower-carbon 304L variant is often selected for welded fabrication where the governing specification and service conditions support its use.
Final material selection remains the responsibility of the project design authority. Confirm product form, governing standard and current availability with sales.
Specification overview
| Material standard | Confirm with sales |
|---|---|
| Product form and dimensions | Confirm with sales |
| Surface and edge | Confirm with sales |
| Material documents | Confirm with sales |
Selection note
Choose between 304 and 304L using the governing material standard, welding requirements and service conditions; do not treat the suffixes as interchangeable without review.
Characteristics
- General-purpose corrosion resistance
- Good formability for many fabrication routes
- Commonly used for welded and formed equipment
- Non-hardenable by heat treatment in the conventional sense
Available forms
Common finishes
Typical applications
- Food equipment
- General process equipment
- Architectural metalwork
- Tanks, panels and enclosures
- General fabricated components