ASTM A312 ASTM A269 ASME SA 213 / ASTM A213  TP304, EN 10216-5 1.4301 stainless steel is a variation of the 18% chromium – 8% nickel austeniticstainless steel tube, the most familiar and most frequently used alloy in the stainless steel family. This stainless steel be considered for a wide variety of application on good corrosion resistance, ease fabrication, excellent formability, and high strength with low weight.
304 Stainless Steel is the standard “18/8” stainless steel; it is the most versatile and most widely used stainless steel, available in a wider range of products, forms and finishes than any other. It has excellent forming and welding characteristics. The balanced austenitic structure of Grade 304 enables it to be severely deep drawn without intermediate annealing, which has made this grade dominant in the manufacture of drawn stainless steel part such as sink, hollow-ware and saucepan. For these application it is common to use special “304DDQ” (Deep Drawing Quality) variants.
Grade 304 is readily brake or roll formed into a variety of components for application in the industrial, architectural, and transportation fields. Grade 304 also has outstanding welding characteristic. Post-weld annealing is not required when welding thin sections.
Grade 304L, the low carbon version of 304, does not require post-weld annealing and so is extensively used in heavygauge component (over about 6mm). Grade 304H with its higher carbon content finds application at elevated temperature. The austenitic structure also gives these grades excellent toughness, even down to cryogenictemperature.