304 Vs 316 Stainless Steel Food Grade

Generally 304 stainless steel is not food grade and the special processed food grade.

304 vs 316 stainless steel food grade. The most commonly used food grade stainless steel. It is used in food dairy brewing hospital and sanitation applications. Stainless steel is an ideal corrosion resistant material there are variant grades of stainless steel the most common stainless steel grades are 304l and 316l there is no visible difference between 304l and 316l stainless steel both are polished or grained the exact same way you differentiate between them just by looking at them. 304 stainless steel does not.

Similar to 304 grade 316 stainless steel has high amounts of chromium and nickel. As an alloy stainless steel 430 food grade metal is very similar to grade 316 stainless. Stainless 316 is made up of 16 chromium 10 nickel and 2 molybdenum. The two steel grades are comparable in appearance chemical makeup and characteristics.

316 the second most commonly used food grade it has the same uses as above but has better corrosion resistance because it includes more nickel than 304. While grade 304 stainless steel is resistant to most corrosives prolonged exposure to salt can still eat away at it. It has the same chromium content as 316 but only a. The two most common stainless steel grades are 304 and 316.

Stainless 304 usually consists of 18 chromium and 8 nickel. These are the two most common grades of stainless steel used for food preparation and dining also known as type 304 304 grade and are part of the 300 series. Get a quote for a custom food grade 316 ss sheet metal basket or tray here. 304 grade stainless steel is.

The first number 18 refers to the amount of chromium present and the second represents the amount of nickel. 316 stainless steel is expensive and is used in high end equipment such as aerospace and food machinery. 316 stainless steel contains molybdenum. So grade 304 stainless wouldn t be suitable for any process requiring repeated prolonged exposure to salt or saltwater.

Grade 316 stainless on the other hand is much more resistant to salt exposure than grade 304. Though the stainless steel 304 alloy has a higher melting point grade 316 has a better resistance to chemicals and chlorides like salt than grade 304 stainless steel. For example 18 8 stainless steel is comprised of 18 chromium and 8 nickel. Stainless 316 contains more nickel than stainless 304 while 304 contains more chromium than 316.

316 also contains silicon manganese and carbon with the majority of the composition being iron. 316 makes for great food grade stainless steel containers for nearly any food application. The key difference is the addition of molybdenum an alloy which drastically enhances corrosion resistance especially for more saline or chloride exposed environments.