How Many Stainless Steel Types?

Corrosion resistance, high strength, and high temperature resistance are the most commonly used characteristics of stainless steel, which is why it can be applied in multiple fields. There are also many types of stainless steel, and the characteristics of these types determine the scope of its application.

What types of stainless steel are there?

Types of Structure of Stainless Steel

Austenitic stainless steel

Austenitic stainless steel is the most popular among all stainless steels due to its excellent corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and formability.

Its composition contains chromium and nickel elements. The main common grades are: 304, 316 and 316L, which are widely used in chemical industry, food filtration and other fields.

Ferritic stainless steel

Ferritic stainless steel has magnetism, with chromium as its main component and zero nickel content. Therefore, its corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance are not particularly outstanding.

Common grade: 430, mostly used for economical stainless steel wire mesh, stainless steel powder sintered porous plates, etc.

Duplex stainless steel

Duplex stainless steel is an austenitic + ferritic double-structured structure with extremely high strength and excellent corrosion resistance. It is often used in petrochemical and marine fields. It can make high-end stainless steel filter elements and industrial-grade stainless steel powder sintered porous plates.

Martensitic stainless steel

High strength and hardness are the most significant characteristics of martensitic stainless steel, followed by high chromium content, which is magnetic, but not strong in corrosion resistance. Therefore, it is used to make surgical instruments, knives, etc.

Types of grades of stainless steel

Type 304 stainless steel

It is corrosion-resistant, easy to process, and relatively affordable. It is commonly used to make stainless steel powder sintered porous plates, stainless steel mesh, stainless steel filter elements, etc. It is especially widely used in the field of food processing.

Type 316/316L stainless steel

It has good corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and low temperature resistance. It is widely used in marine, chemical and medical devices.

Type 430 stainless steel

Corrosion resistance and ease of forming are good. It is commonly used in home appliances and car decoration.

Other special grades (e.g. 2205 duplex)

2205 duplex steel has excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical strength, and is usually widely used in the marine and chemical fields.

Factors affecting the type of stainless steel

The factors that affect the type of stainless steel are mainly chemical composition and metallographic structure.

The chemical components that make up stainless steel are mainly chromium, nickel, molybdenum, and carbon. These chemical elements are of great significance to the characteristics of stainless steel, such as corrosion resistance, hardness, strength, and other properties.

For example, 316L has a higher molybdenum content than type 304 stainless steel, so it is more resistant to corrosion.

Metallographic structure usually refers to austenitic stainless steel, ferritic stainless steel, martensitic stainless steel, etc. These often determine the strength, plasticity, and magnetism of stainless steel. For example, type 304 stainless steel is not magnetic, but type 430 stainless steel is magnetic.

How Stainless Steel Types Affect Sintered Porous Plates, Wire Mesh & Filter Elements？

Stainless steel mesh

Stainless steel mesh has good corrosion resistance, temperature resistance and screening accuracy. These properties are affected by the type of stainless steel.

Usually, 304 stainless steel mesh, 316L stainless steel mesh, and 430 stainless steel mesh are more commonly used.

Among them, 304 stainless steel mesh is generally used in tap water filtration or building fences. It is characterized by uniform arrangement and simple processing.

316L type stainless steel mesh is very popular in the food and medical fields. Because it has no burrs on its surface, it has good corrosion resistance and can meet the requirements of hygienic grades.

Type 430 stainless steel mesh is a more economical choice. It can often be applied in simple filtering and filtering.

We can customize the corresponding grade of stainless steel mesh according to your needs, and the customized content includes: material, size, weaving process, etc.

Stainless steel sintered porous plates

The types of stainless steel commonly used in stainless steel sintered porous plates are 316L and 304 stainless steel.

The processing performance of 316L stainless steel sintered porous plate is very good, and its corrosion resistance and strength can be applied to many fields. It is commonly used in filtration in the chemical, food and medical fields.

304 stainless steel porous plate is more cost-effective than 316L stainless steel, but its corrosion resistance is average, and it is usually used for tap water filtration, air drying or building enclosures.

Stainless steel filter element

The service life, filtration accuracy, and corrosion resistance of stainless steel filter elements are all related to the type of stainless steel. Let’s compare the most widely used type 316L stainless steel and type 304 stainless steel.

The 316L stainless steel filter element is highly corrosion-resistant and can meet hygiene standards, and is commonly used in chemical and pharmaceutical filtration.

The filtration accuracy of the 304 stainless steel filter element is very high, and it is also very easy to clean, and is often used for the filtration of ordinary liquids and gases.

Baoji Taihengte’s stainless steel filter elements, which can achieve filtration accuracy from 0.2 to 80 microns, can be customized in size, pore size, and titanium porous filter elements are also available.

How to choose the appropriate type of stainless steel for you?

The main basis for choosing the right type of stainless steel is where you want to use it, everything depends on your needs. There are usually three aspects to pay attention to:

Environments where stainless steel is used

Because stainless steel is usually resistant to corrosion, high temperature or low temperature, you can choose the right type of stainless steel according to the environment you are using. For example, in high-temperature and corrosive environments, 316L stainless steel filter cartridges and perforated plates can be used.

The industry standard for stainless steel

The industry standards for stainless steel are divided into: food grade, industrial grade and medical grade. You can choose according to your industry. For example, 304 stainless steel or 316 stainless steel is usually used for food stainless steel.

Your key needs

The most important thing is to choose the corresponding stainless steel type depending on what characteristics you want from stainless steel. For example, if you want high filtration accuracy, you can choose the 316L stainless steel filter element.

If you are still unsure when choosing, then you can always contact us, we can recommend the most suitable type of stainless steel for you according to your application.

Our stainless steel products

Baoji Taihengte Metal Co., Ltd. has been committed to the field of titanium and other metal products for several years, in addition to titanium products, stainless steel products are also very good. We can provide powder sintered perforated plates, stainless steel mesh, and filter elements made of 304, 316, 316L, 430, duplex steel, etc.

Conclusion

There are many different types of stainless steel, and each has different characteristics, so when you make your choice, you can choose the right material for you based on your core needs and industry standards. If you need stainless steel mesh, stainless steel porous plate and stainless steel porous filter element or other titanium products, you can also contact us at any time to help you choose.

FAQ

6.1 I want stainless steel mesh for tap water filtration, which type should I choose?

The answer is type 304 stainless steel.

6.2 Which stainless steel type is non-magnetic?

Austenitic stainless steels such as type 304 and type 316 are generally non-magnetic.

6.3 What type of stainless steel for food?

Priority should be given to 316 stainless steel and 304 stainless steel for food use. They all meet food industry standards.

6.4 What stainless steel material is your stainless steel filter element typically made of?

It depends on your needs, we can customize according to your needs. Usually, customers purchase more type 304 and 316 stainless steel filter elements.

6.5 What is the difference between type 316 stainless steel and type 316L stainless steel?

The most critical difference between 316L and 316 stainless steel is the carbon content in the chemical composition, the carbon content of 316L stainless steel is much lower than that of 316 type, and the content of other impurity elements is the same. Low-carbon 316L stainless steel is often used in welding, corrosive, and extreme environments, while 316 stainless steel is commonly used in general environments.