316L Stainless Steel Properties and Uses

316L is a derivative of 18-8 austenitic stainless steel, contain 2 to 3% Mo. It is widely used in the chemical industry because of its excellent corrosion resistance.

Most of the existing 316L in market is produced according to the American Standard. The American standard stipulates that the Ni content of 316L is 10-14%, while the Japanese standard stipulates that the Ni content of 316L is 12-15%. According to the minimum standard, there is a 2% difference in Ni content between the American Standard and the Japanese Standard, which is quite huge when reflected in the price. Therefore, when purchasing 316L products, customers have to clearly whether the products refer to ASTM or JIS standards.

The Mo content of 316L makes it have excellent pitting corrosion resistance, and can be safely used in environments containing halogen ions such as Cl-. Since the main application of 316L is its chemical properties, steel mills have slightly lower requirements for surface inspection of 316L (compared to 304), and customers with higher surface requirements should do surface inspection.

316L stainless steel application: production equipment for sea water equipment, chemical, dye, papermaking, oxalic acid, fertilizer etc.; photography, food industry, coastal area facilities, ropes, CD rods, bolts, nuts.