PROPERTIES
It contains between 16 and 24% chromium and up to 35% nickel, as well as small amounts of carbon, silicon, and manganese. The remainder of the chemical composition is primarily iron.
Because of the high percentage of chromium contained in 304 grade stainless steel, 304 can withstand corrosion from most oxidizing acids.
That durability makes 304 easy to sanitize, and therefore ideal for kitchen and food applications.
304 stainless steel does have one weakness: it is susceptible to corrosion from chloride solutions, or from saline environments like coastal regions.
Chloride ions can create localized areas of corrosion, called “pitting,” which can spread beneath protective chromium barriers to compromise internal structures.
The high amounts of chromium and nickel give 304 stainless steel excellent corrosion resistance (except against chloride).
APPLICATIONS
Common applications of 304 stainless steel include:
Appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers
Commercial food processing equipment
Fasteners
Piping
Heat exchangers
Structures in environments that would corrode standard carbon steel