Grade 316 is the standard molybdenum-bearing grade, second in importance to 304 amongst the austenitic stainless steels. The molybdenum gives 316 better overall corrosion resistant properties than Grade 304, particularly higher resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in chloride environments.
Stainless Steel – Grade 316L – Properties, Fabrication and Applications (UNS S31603)
Grade 316L, the low carbon version of 316 and is immune from sensitization (grain boundary carbide precipitation). Thus it is extensively used in heavy gauge welded components (over about 6mm). There is commonly no appreciable price difference between 316 and 316L stainless steel.
The austenitic structure also gives these grades excellent toughness, even down to cryogenic temperatures.
Compared to chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steels, 316L stainless steel offers higher creep, stress to rupture and tensile strength at elevated temperatures.
Key Properties
Stainless Steel – Grade 316L – Properties, Fabrication and Applications (UNS S31603)
These properties are specified for the flat-rolled products (plate, sheet, and coil) in ASTM A240/A240M. Similar but not necessarily identical properties are specified for other products such as pipe and bar in their respective specifications.
Composition
Stainless Steel – Grade 316L – Properties, Fabrication and Applications (UNS S31603)
Table 1. Composition ranges for 316L stainless steel.
| Grade | C | Mn | Si | P | S | Cr | Mo | Ni | N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 316L | Min | - | - | - | - | - | 16.0 | 2.00 | 10.0 | - |
| Max | 0.03 | 2.0 | 0.75 | 0.045 | 0.03 | 18.0 | 3.00 | 14.0 | 0.10 |
Mechanical Properties
Table 2. Mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel.
| Grade | Tensile Str (MPa) min | Yield Str 0.2% Proof (MPa) min | Elong (% in 50 mm) min | Hardness | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwell B (HR B) max | Brinell (HB) max | ||||
| 316L | 485 | 170 | 40 | 95 | 217 |
Physical Properties
Table 3. Typical physical properties for 316-grade stainless steels.
| Grade | Density (kg/m3) | Elastic Modulus (GPa) | Mean Co-eff of Thermal Expansion (µm/m/°C) | Thermal Conductivity (W/m.K) | Specific Heat 0-100 °C (J/kg.K) | Elec Resistivity (nΩ.m) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-100 °C | 0-315 °C | 0-538 °C | At 100 °C | At 500 °C | |||||
| 316/L/H | 8000 | 193 | 15.9 | 16.2 | 17.5 | 16.3 | 21.5 | 500 | 740 |
Grade Specification Comparison
Table 4. Grade specifications for 316L stainless steel.
| Grade | UNS No | Old British | Euronorm | Swedish SS | Japanese JIS | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BS | En | No | Name | ||||
| 316L | S31603 | 316S11 | - | 1.4404 | X2CrNiMo17-12-2 | 2348 | SUS 316L |
Post time: Mar-20-2023