What is stainless steel 304, 316 on water heaters? Their pros and cons

Stainless steel 304, 316 are the materials used on water heaters, hand basins, … to help limit rust, leakage, and safety for users. The following article, lassho.edu.vn will help you better understand these two types of 304 and 316 stainless steel as well as their advantages and disadvantages!

What is 304 stainless steel?

Ingredient

Stainless steel 304 (also known as austenitic stainless steel) with the main composition is Chromium (Cr) and Nickel (Ni).

Advantage

304 stainless steel has hardness, high strength, shiny surface, no rust. In particular, stainless steel 304 has good corrosion resistance and heat resistance, ensuring food safety and hygiene, so it is widely applied in many fields such as traffic, architecture, industry, consumption, etc. …

In addition, 304 stainless steel is easy to process, low cost of production, so it is widely used today such as making solar water heater tanks, hand wash basins, …

Defect

Despite its high corrosion resistance, in specific environments such as sea salt and highly acidic environments, the corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel has not been met for a long time. Over time, the surface will no longer be shiny and prone to tarnishing.

What is stainless steel 316?

Ingredient

Stainless steel 316 (also known as SuperAustenitic stainless steel) with the main composition of Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni) and with additional Molybdenum.

In addition to the standard 316 stainless steel, there are: 316-L stainless steel (low-carbon type) and 316-H stainless steel (high-carbon type).

Advantage

316 stainless steel also has the same properties as 304 stainless steel such as hardness, high strength, no rust, very high corrosion resistance (higher than 304 stainless steel) and can withstand heat up to 500 degrees Celsius, so it is widely applied. widely used in many fields today such as: aircraft engines, medical equipment, marine tools, …

Some properties of 316 stainless steel are higher than 304 stainless steel because 316 has 2% – 3% molybdenum and 304 does not. Molybdenum is added because it is resistant to chlorides (like salt in seawater). So 316 stainless steel has very high strength, hardness and corrosion resistance even in salted environments.

Stainless steel 316 is widely used in harsher environmental conditions such as coastal areas, salt melt, salt water solutions, chemicals. For that reason, 316 stainless steel is widely used in laboratory and medical instruments, all kinds of acid and alkaline tanks; tools in life such as: coating the inside of the hot tub (water heater), indirect water heater tank, ..

Defect

316 stainless steel is a commonly used material, but it is still behind 304 stainless steel because of disadvantages such as: higher production cost than 304 stainless steel, higher melting temperature, so the cost of forming products is large, resistance The strength of Inox 316 is lower.

How to distinguish stainless steel 304 and stainless steel 316

In general, these two types of stainless steel are difficult to distinguish from the outside because they have the ability to polish, chrome plated, fine grain, and relatively easy-to-see color. To distinguish them, we can rely on the composition, structure as well as the specific properties of each type. Specifically:

304 . stainless steel	Stainless Steel 316
– The main chemical composition is only Chromium and Nickel. – Used in normal environment, shiny surface. – Meet food safety and hygiene standards. – Has a high level of corrosion resistance, but is prone to tarnishing. – Small heat resistance 500 degrees C	– In addition to the main components are Chromium and Nickel, there is also Molybdenum accounting for about 2-3%. – High corrosion resistance, more than 304. – Meet safety standards in healthcare. – Retains durability in harsh environments such as acid, sea salt, … – High heat resistance (greater than 500 degrees Celsius).

Hopefully the above sharing can help you know more information about two types of stainless steel 304 and 316 materials that are widely used around us. Any comments and suggestions, please leave them below the comment section to be answered.