The 304 stainless steel is one of the widely used steel. They also are very versatile. The chemical composition of 304 stainless steel comprises 8 percent nickel and 18 percent chromium. Because of these elements that are present in the 304 stainless steels chemical composition, they offer a large number of properties. One of the few properties that these 304 stainless steel offer is corrosion resistance. Along with being resistant to corrosion, these 304 stainless steel are also resistant to oxidation.
The 304 stainless steel also has the property of fabricability, and therefore they can be fabricated very easily. These 304 stainless steel are also very durable in nature. The 304 stainless steel could be available in a number of forms, shapes, and sizes. Cleaning the 304 stainless steel is an easy process. Other elements that are present in the composition of the 304 stainless steel include manganese and silicon, along with nitrogen, phosphorus, carbon, and sulfur.
The presence of these elements in the chemical composition of these 304 stainless steel enables them to offer better and enhanced performance. These 304 stainless steel can be available depending upon the demands and the specifications that the user provides. Also, they can be made depending upon the application’s needs.
304 VS 310 Stainless Steel
| Points | 304 stainless steels | 310 stainless steels |
| 1. Heat Treatment | The heat treatment does not affect the 304 stainless steel’s hardness. After heating to 1010-1120 degrees Celsius, you can do annealing or solution treatment by rapidly cooling the material. | The solution annealing process for Heat Treatment Type 310/310S involves heating to temperatures between 1040 and 1065 degrees Celsius, maintaining that temperature until the material is completely saturated, and then quenching it in water. |
| 2. Welding | The performance of fusion welding for stainless steel 304 is outstanding, regardless of whether or not fillers are used. The use of grade 308 stainless steel for filler rods and electrodes is recommended for use with stainless steel 304. Heavy welded areas may need post-weld annealing. | Welding Grades 310 require matched electrodes and filler metals to be successfully welded. The SMAW (manual), GMAW (MIG), GTAW (TIG), and SAW welding processes all work well with the alloys. Electrodes to the specifications of AWS A5.4 E310-XX and A 5.22 E310T-X, as well as filler metal to the specifications of AWS A5.9 ER310, are utilized. The gas argon serves as a shield. There is no need for preheating or post-heating. Still, a complete post-weld solution annealing treatment is necessary if the material is exposed to liquids that may cause corrosion. To restore total aqueous corrosion resistance after welding, it is necessary first to pickle and then passivates the surface. High-temperature oxides must be removed before either process can begin. This treatment is not necessary for use in environments with high temperatures; nonetheless, all traces of welding slag must be eliminated. |
| 3. Machinability | It is essential to keep the cutting edges sharp. Overdone work might become more difficult because of dull edges. Cuts should be shallow yet deep enough to prevent the task from becoming more difficult due to riding on the material’s surface. Chip breakers are recommended to ensure that the swarf is kept from operation. Because austenitic alloys have a low thermal conductivity, heat tends to concentrate along the cutting edges of the material. Because of this, coolants and lubricants are required, and it is essential to utilize a substantial amount of them. | Machinability Grades 310 are comparable to Type 304 in terms of machinability. Work hardening can be an issue, and it is customary to remove the work-hardened layer by employing moderate speeds and heavy cuts with sharp tools and enough lubrication. The work is done with mighty machinery and ponderous, stiff instruments. |
| 4. Fabrication | Any material made of stainless steel should only be fabricated with tools specifically designed for use with stainless steel. Before beginning work, all of the tools and work surfaces need to be meticulously cleaned. These safety measures are obligatory to prevent the corroding of stainless steel by other metals more susceptible to corrosion, which might result in the product’s surface taking on a discolored appearance. | Forging temperatures for Fabrication Grades 310 fall between 975 and 1175 degrees Celsius. A mild finish is applied to the bottom of the range, and heavy work is carried out to 1050 degrees Celsius. It is advised that annealing take place after the forging process to remove any strains caused by it. The alloys are easily cold-formable using a variety of standard techniques and pieces of machinery. |
| 5. Applications | Sinks and splashbacks Saucepans Cutlery and flatware Architectural panelling Sanitaryware and troughs Tubing Brewery, dairy, food and pharmaceutical production equipment Springs, nuts, bolts and screws | Applications More Commonly Employed The grade 310/310S is utilized in fluidized bed combustors, muffles, lead pots, burners and combustion chambers, kilns, annealing covers, and cryogenic structures, thermowell, food processing equipment, coal gasifier internal components, radiant tubes, retorts, saggers, refractory anchor bolts, tube hangers for petroleum refining and steam boilers. |
The 310 stainless steel also has an excellent chemical composition. Because of this chemical composition, they are able to offer a number of features. Their chemical composition includes nickel and chromium in a higher amount. The 310 stainless steel has the property of being resistant to corrosion, and these 310 stainless steel are also resistant to oxidation.
These 310 stainless steel are utilised in cryogenic temperature-bound environments. These 310 stainless steel also have the property of toughness to -450 degrees Fahrenheit and low magnetic permeability.
Because of the properties that these 310 stainless steel have, they are widely utilised in a vast number of applications. Therefore to offer excellent performance in these applications, they have to be of an excellent quality.
Therefore, in order to improve and enhance their quality, these 310 stainless steel have to undergo a series of testing processes. This is done in order to improve the quality of the 310 stainless steel and to improve their performance.
Both 304 and 310 stainless steel are manufactured by keeping the rules and regulations in mind so that the products that are manufactured are produced according to the client’s specifications. Therefore, both these 304 and 310 stainless steel are manufactured by considering the industrial norms and standards.