SS316L Material
SS316L material is one of the many variants of stainless steel material. SS316L is also known as marine grade stainless steel or A4 stainless steel. It primarily contains iron, chromium, nickel, and molybdenum. Stainless steel material consists of iron dominant alloys popularly known for their great corrosion resistance level and ability to withstand a high-temperature environment.
Stainless steel contains elements such as carbon, niobium, molybdenum, copper, sulfur, nickel, silicon, aluminum, and nitrogen. Stainless steel comes in many variants in which some other elements are added to the mixture to increase or reduce one property (as the case may be). SS316L is very similar to the SS316 material, however, they differ in some areas.
The table below shows the major properties of the SS316L material:
1. What is SS316L material?
Steel is one of the oldest materials used for various purposes since 1800 BC. The material is iron-based and comprises mainly iron and carbon. It is also one of the largest used materials worldwide today due to its high tensile strength and corrosion resistance level which makes it durable and fit for use in many corrosive environments. During the production process, other elements are added to the mixture based on the type of application intended to enhance the performance of the materials when used in the production of tools and devices.
Steel is divided into three main types using the crystalline structure. These types further explain the various variants of the materials which are commonly used for definition purposes. The main types of steel are Martensitic Stainless Steel, Ferritic Stainless Steel, and Austenitic Stainless Steel.
They are further explained below:
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Martensitic Stainless Steel: Martensitic Stainless Steel contains a mixture of additional elements such as Boron, Nickel, Molybdenum, and Titanium sometimes. It is one of the unpopular types of steel and only has two variants which are 410 and 420. However, it has a high level of corrosion resistance.
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Ferritic Stainless Steel: Ferritic Stainless Steel contains reduced quantities of nickel and chromium and they have a magnetic feature. The chromium content is 10.5% to 30% with a maximum of 0.20% of carbon. They are applied in various areas such as industries, domestic uses, and other mechanical systems. Ferritic stainless steel contains the 409, 430, 430LI, 434, 439, 442, 444, and 446 stainless steel variants.
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Austenitic Stainless Steel: Austenitic stainless steel is highly recommended for use in many applications due to its high level of corrosion resistance and non-magnetic property. They are also popularly used worldwide and suitable for industrial and domestic purposes. Austenitic stainless contains iron, chromium, carbon, nickel, and other elements in smaller quantities. They are classified into 200 series and 300 series. Amongst the 300 series are 304, 316, and 317.
SS316L is a variant of the austenitic stainless steel widely used for various applications. The “3” in 316L depicts the classification of the material under the 300 series while “L” refers to the lower carbon content in the material. SS316L contains elements such as manganese, chromium, nitrogen, sulfur, carbon, molybdenum, and silicon.
2. What are the differences between SS316 and SS316L?
Both SS316 and SS316L are variants of steel. As explained above, they are classified under austenitic stainless steel which consists of iron, chromium, carbon, nickel, and other preferable elements in lesser quantities. Also, both materials contain molybdenum elements. The major distinguishing factors are traceable to the carbon content in each, level of corrosion resistance, weldability, and its mechanical features.
The carbon content of SS316 is measured as a maximum of 0.08% while SS316L contains reduced carbon content of 0.03%. However, the weldability of SS316L is generally preferred than the latter. Also, to avoid corrosion cracking after welding, SS316 is exposed to a heat treatment which is not applicable for the SS316L materials. Despite these differences, SS316 and SS316L are better when compared to other steel variants such as 310 and 304.
Furthermore, the table below shows the chemical composition between the two variants:
The table below shows the differences between the mechanical properties of the SS316 and SS316L:
SS316L material is common used in several industries as listed below:
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Evaporators
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Pump components
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Paper, pulp, and textile industry
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Marine industries
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Furnace components
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Heat exchangers
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Automobile industry
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Aeronautic and pneumatic industry
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Chemical processing parts, etc.
3. What are the uses of SS316L?