Ulbrinox | Types of Stainless Steel

Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, chromium, and carbon, which depending on the customer's needs, can be complemented with other elements, mainly nickel. It is the addition of chromium that gives these steels their stainless characteristic. In oxidizing environments such as air, chromium forms a very thin and compact oxide layer that insulates the material from corrosive attacks. Stainless steels are classified based on the different elements and the relative amounts of each one that are involved in their composition.

In our Ulbrinox blog: What are stainless steels? We mention the different families of stainless steels.

Today we will delve into austenitic stainless steels series 300.

Austenitic Stainless Steels

This type of steel is part of the family with the highest number of available alloys, it consists of the 200 and 300 AISI series. They have various alloys thanks to their good corrosion resistance and formability.

300 AISI Series

They are chromium-nickel alloys. It is the most complete series, maintaining a high nickel content and approximately up to 2% manganese. It often contains aluminum, copper, molybdenum, silicon, and titanium, added to provide certain characteristics according to the desired product. In some types, selenium or sulfur can be used to increase its malleability.

At Ulbrinox we offer a wide selection of 300 series stainless steel:

Stainless Steel Series	Characteristics	Properties	Applications
301	Lower corrosion resistance Good for welding Easy to process	Density: 8.02 g/ml Typical hardness: 85 Rb max	springs, bolts, screws, fasteners, clips, computer parts, springs, clamps, electrical connectors, ornamentation.
302	High mechanical strength Non-magnetic Not hardenable by heat treatment	Density: 8.02 g/ml Typical hardness: 92 Rb max	parts of electrical equipment, accessories, ornamentation, springs, springs, bolts and fasteners.
304	Magnetic duality Good formability High corrosion resistance Low hardening	Density: 8.02 g/ml Typical hardness: 92 Rb max	surgical and medical tools, jewelry, seals, computer parts, flexible hoses, ornamentation, architectural structures.
310	Good resistance to oxidation Resistance to high temperatures	Density: 8.02 g/ml Typical hardness: 95 Rb max	heat treatment equipment, air heaters, chemical process equipment, furnace parts, heat exchangers, turbine equipment, fuel refining equipment.
316	High corrosion resistance Good for welding Resistance to various aggressive chemicals	Density: 8.02 g/ml Typical hardness: 95 Rb max	food processing equipment, ornamentation, in the pharmaceutical, textile and photographic industry, chemical equipment, storage and transport tanks, flexible hoses.
321	Similar to 304 High corrosion resistance Low hardening Ideal for parts with welds	Density: 8.02 g/ml Typical hardness: 95 Rb max	automotive parts, aeronautical parts, flexible hoses, pressure vessels, handling of hot gases, pipes.

If you want more information about our 300 series stainless steel products or any other series of stainless steel, visit our catalog, check the technical sheets and contact us to request a quote on this website.