Stainless Steel 316L Plates (S31600)

Stainless Steel 316L Plates (S31600)

Austenitic, or nonmagnetic stainless steels, are classified in the 200 and 300 series, with 16% to 30% chromium and 2% to 20% nickel for enhanced surface quality, formability and increased corrosion and wear resistance, and are nonhardenable by heat treating. These steels are the most popular grades of stainless produced due to their excellent formability and corrosion resistance. All austenitic steels are nonmagnetic in the annealed condition. (Depending on the composition, mainly the nickel content, austenitics do become slightly magnetic when cold worked.) Austenitic stainless steel grades include: Type 201, NITRONIC 30, 301, 304, 305, 309S, 316, 316L, and 321. Austenitics are used for automotive trim, cookware, food and beverage equipment, processing equipment, and a variety of industrial applications.

Austenitic stainless steels are the most weldable of the stainlesses and can be divided rather loosely into three groups: common chromium-nickel (300 series), manganese-chromium-nickel-nitrogen (200 series) and specialty alloys. Austenitic is the most popular stainless steel group and is used for numerous industrial and consumer applications, such as in chemical plants, power plants, food processing and dairy equipment. Austenitic stainless steels have a face-centered cubic structure. Though generally very weldable, some grades can be prone to sensitization of the weld heat-affected zone and weld metal hot cracking. 

Austenitic stainless steels are non-magnetic. When nickel is added to stainless steel in sufficient amounts the crystal structure changes to "austenite". The basic composition of austenitic stainless steels is 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This enhances their corrosion resistance and modifies the structure from ferritic to austenitic. Austenitic grades are the most commonly used stainless steels accounting for more than 70% of production (type 304 is the most commonly specified grade by far). They are not hardenable by heat treatment.

Super austenitic grades have enhanced pitting and crevice corrosion resistance compared with the ordinary austenitic or duplex types. This is due the further additions of chromium, molybdenum and nitrogen to these grades.

Austenitic Stainless Applications

Applications for austenitic stainless steel include:

• Kitchen sinks

• Architectural applications such as roofing and cladding

• Roofing and gutters

• Doors and Windows

• Balustrading

• Benches and food preparation areas

• Food processing equipment

• Heat exchangers

• Ovens

• Chemical tanks