Stainless Steel 316

Stainless Steel 316
Why Stainless Steel 316?

Grade 316 Stainless Steel is the second most commonly used stainless steel, behind 304 stainless. It is an austenitic, corrosion-resistant steel with excellent strength, toughness, fabrication characteristics and weldability. The low carbon version, 316L, may be required for full corrosion resistance when thicker sections are welded. The 316H version has a guaranteed minimum carbon content, which ensures good strength at high temperatures.

316 is a member of the 18/8 chromium nickel family of austenitic stainless steels, with an addition of 2% molybdenum for improved corrosion resistance, particularly to localized corrosion in chloride containing environments. 

The very tough and ductile austenitic structure gives grade 316 excellent formability and fabrication characteristics. In most applications the steel is used where its corrosion resistance gives long-lasting service life and appearance. The ease of cleaning and of maintaining a hygienic surface on the steel make it excellent for many purposes.

The low carbon version, 316L, may be required for full corrosion resistance when sections thicker than about 5 mm are welded. The version with guaranteed high carbon, 316H, may be required for elevated temperature service, such as pressure vessels.

How is recylced?
316 stainless steel can be recycled indefinitely while still retaining its mechanical properties; scrap can be of various qualities and forms, including solid scrap derived from the processing of sheet metal, pipes, billets, etc… or in the form of turnings or ground and granulated by crushing and refining plants; in addition, powders and slag can also be recovered by special treatments.Usually all scrap is melted by large furnaces used by steel mills and foundries.The percentages of metals contained during melting are checked and, if necessary, corrections are made by adding pure metal such as NI/Cr/Fe/Mo….. Eventually the scrap will revert to a finished or semi-finished product ready for use for more special applications

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