304 Stainless Steel
Marco Specialty Steel offers the following products in type 304 stainless steel:
- Wire Cloth
- Perforated Metal
- Expanded Metal
- Bar Grating
- Safety Grating
- Hex Metal
We also offer FRP grating and custom fabrication of all of our products.
Principal Design Features: 304 stainless steel is one of the most widely used and oldest of the stainless steels. This was originally called 18-8 which stood for its chromium and nickel content. 304 steel possesses an excellent combination of strength, corrosion resistance, and is easily fabricated. 304 is available in the widest variety of forms and sizes of any stainless steel.
Applications: The list of 304 stainless steel applications is endless. Almost every conceivable industry uses some of this material in some way. Everything from catwalks to infill panels to heat exchangers to stair treads to grating fasteners to chemical process vessels has been fabricated from 304 stainless steel.
Machinability: Slow speeds and heavy feeds will minimize this alloys tendency to work harden. Due to long stringy chips, the use of chip breakers is advisable. Many companies now offer premium machinability grades, such as CarTech with their Project 70 and 7000 series.
Welding: All fusion and resistance processes have been successfully employed in welding 304. AWS E/ER308 or 312 filler metal is recommended. For cleaner, stronger welds, may users choose 304L stainless steel which has a controlled low carbon content designed to reduce carbide precipitation at the weld boundaries.
Rust and Stainless Steel
To get the information you need, read our blog about metals that don’t rust.
304 vs 316 Stainless Steel
Find out the difference between 304 and 316 Stainless Steel in our blog.
304SS Chemistry
| Carbon | 0.08 max |
| Chromium | 18 - 20 |
| Iron | Balance |
| Manganese | 2 max |
| Nickel | 8 - 10.5 |
| Phosphorus | 0.045 max |
| Silicon | 1 max |
| Sulphur | 0.03 max |
304SS Physical Data
| Density (lb / cu. in.) | 0.285 |
| Specific Gravity | 7.9 |
| Specific Heat (Btu/lb/Deg F - [32-212 Deg F]) | 0.12 |
| Electrical Resistivity (microhm-cm (at 68 Deg F)) | 432 |
| Melting Point (Deg F) | 2650 |
| Modulus of Elasticity Tension | 28 |
Disclaimer
This information is provided “as is” and MSS makes no warranty of any kind with respect to the subject matter or accuracy of the information contained herein. Marco Specialty Steel specifically disclaims all warranties, expressed, implied or otherwise, including without limitation, all warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose.
In no event shall Marco Specialty Steel be liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, profits, whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising out of or in connection with the use of the information contained herein.
This publication may include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes may be periodically made to the information herein.