What is the difference between SUS301 stainless steel and SUS304?

When choosing stainless steel, SUS 304 and SUS 301 are commonly used austenitic stainless steels. Although both have good corrosion resistance and are widely used, they are suitable for different scenarios due to differences in composition and mechanical properties. This article will compare the two in terms of composition, strength, durability, mechanical properties and applications to help you clarify their applicable needs and accurately select the appropriate material.

 

SUS301 stainless steel vs. SUS304 Equivalent Grades:

	304 Stainless Steel	301 Stainless Steel
	S30400	S30100
	1.4301	1.4310
	SUS 304	SUS 301
	304	301

 

SUS301 stainless steel vs. SUS304 chemical composition

The cost of SUS301 stainless steel is about 15-20% lower than that of SUS304 due to its lower nickel content, but its higher carbon content leads to slightly higher sensitivity to intergranular corrosion, and the risk needs to be controlled through solution treatment.

301	0.15	2.00	0.045	0.030	0.75	16.00 – 18.00	6.00 – 8.00	0.10
304	0.08	2.00	0.045	0.030	0.75	18.00 – 20.00	8.00 – 12.00	0.10

 

SUS304 stainless steel is a low-carbon design (C<=0.08%), with low risk of intergranular corrosion after welding, and can be used for a long time at -196℃~800℃.
The corrosion resistance of SUS301 stainless steel is only 60-70% of 304, and it can be used in humid atmosphere and weak alkaline environment. It has a high carbon content and needs solid solution treatment (1010-1150℃ water cooling) after welding. Otherwise, Cr23C6 is easily precipitated in the sensitization range of 450-850℃, resulting in intergranular corrosion.

SUS301 stainless steel vs. SUS304 : Mechanical Properties

	304 Stainless Steel	301 Stainless Steel
	515-720	515-1380
	205	275-960
	<= 201	<= 235
	40	40-60

 

SUS301 has excellent cold formability and is suitable for stretching, stamping, and rolling forming (such as automobile door frames and electronic equipment housings), but the deformation needs to be controlled to prevent cracking;
SUS304 can be used for deep drawing (such as stainless steel cookware) and spinning, and the surface quality is more uniform after cold processing.

 

SUS301 stainless steel vs. SUS304: Physical Properties

	304 Stainless Steel	301 Stainless Steel
	7.93	7.86
	1400-1450	1400-1450
	16.2	16.3
	7.2×10⁻⁷	7.1×10⁻⁷

 

SUS301: ER308L welding wire is recommended. Annealing is required to eliminate stress after welding, otherwise the weld may crack due to work hardening;
SUS304: The welding process is mature (conventional 308 welding rod), no additional heat treatment is required, and it is suitable for batch welding parts (such as pipelines and storage tanks).

 

At Gnee, we offer full size stock and surface customization services of SUS304 2B stainless steel plates, thickness from 0.3mm to 6.0mm, width up to 1500mm, custom cutting, laser services and export packaging, 100% PMI, mechanical testing, surface roughness control before delivery.
In addition, we also offer a wide range of stainless steel plates, SUS304 brushed stainless steel plate, SUS304 polished stainless plate, SUS304 8K mirror finish steel sheet, SUS304 Stainless Steel Bright Annealed Plate, SUS304 stainless steel checker plate, SUS304 stainless steel perforated plate.

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