304 stainless steel is the most widely used chromium-nickel stainless steel. As a widely used steel, it has good corrosion resistance, heat resistance, low temperature strength and mechanical properties; it has good hot processing properties such as stamping and bending, and no heat treatment hardening phenomenon (operating temperature -196℃～800℃). 304 stainless steel is corrosion-resistant in the atmosphere, but when used in industrial atmosphere or heavily polluted areas, it needs to be cleaned in time to avoid corrosion. It is suitable for food processing, storage and transportation, and has good processing performance and weldability. 304 stainless steel is also widely used in the manufacture of household items (1, 2 types of tableware, cabinets, indoor pipelines, water heaters, boilers, bathtubs), automotive accessories (windshield wipers, mufflers, molded products), medical equipment, building materials, chemical equipment, agricultural machinery, ship parts, etc. Among them, 304 stainless steel with strictly controlled content can also be called food grade 304 stainless steel.

For 304 stainless steel, the Ni element in its composition is very important, which directly determines the corrosion resistance and value of 304 stainless steel.

The most important elements in 304 are Ni and Cr, but they are not limited to these two elements. The specific requirements are specified by the product standards. The common judgment in the industry is that as long as the Ni content is greater than 8% and the Cr content is greater than 18%, it can be considered as 304 stainless steel. This is why the industry calls this type of stainless steel 18/8 stainless steel. In fact, the relevant product standards have very clear regulations for 304, and these product standards have some differences for stainless steel of different shapes. The following are some common product standards and tests.

304 stainless steel product composition standard specifications

Stainless steel prices in September 2024

In September, the stainless steel market started weakly. From the market point of view, stainless steel futures fell for three consecutive days this week, with a cumulative decline of more than 3%. The spot market also weakened. Zhuochuang Information (38.000, 0.30, 0.80%) data showed that as of September 3, the mainstream price of TISCO 304 cold coil market in Wuxi area was 14200-14400 yuan/ton, with a cumulative decline of 50 yuan/ton in the month, a decline of 0.35%, and a decline of 11.18% compared with the same period last year.