Stainless steel has good corrosion resistance, high plasticity and toughness, and is widely used in machinery, petroleum, chemical, food, medicine and other industries. But stainless steel is also divided into different series, and the characteristics and uses of each series are different. Do you know all of this?

The characteristics and uses of different series of stainless steel are as follows:

200 series stainless steel.

There are mainly 201, 202, etc. There are also models that are as long as water snake eggs, which are actually 200 series. The main characteristics are low content of chromium (ge) and nickel, and weak corrosion resistance. Of course, it also has the characteristic of being non-magnetic and high-strength. The main uses are more extensive: decoration, food, beverage packaging, kitchen supplies, etc.

In fact, 200 series processing applications can also be selected for those with low corrosion resistance, not to mention its good ductility.

This series is used for austenitic grades that contain manganese. These chromium manganese steels have a low nickel content (below 5 per cent).

200 series find use in:

• Washing machines
• Cutlery
• Food & drinks equipment
• Automotive industry
• In-doors equipment, etc.

300 series stainless steel.

This series is accompanied by the growth of stainless steel people, and there are many categories, including 304 that everyone knows, as well as 301, 316, 321 and so on. It has good corrosion resistance, heat resistance, low temperature strength and mechanical properties; good hot workability such as stamping and bending, no heat treatment hardening (non-magnetic, use temperature at minus 196C~800°C) and other properties.

The 300 series is a kind of steel with a very wide range of uses, which is involved in almost all industries, such as building materials, chemistry, food, industry, agriculture, military and so on. 304 in life is actually everywhere, and 304, with its superior performance and the test of time, has properly won a high position.

This series is used to name austenitic stainless steels with carbon, nickel, and molybdenum as alloying elements. The addition of molybdenum improves corrosion resistance in acidic environments while nickel improves ductility.

AISI 304 and 316are the most common grades in this series. AISI 304 is also commonly known as 18/8 steel as it contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel.

300 series stainless steel applications include:

• Food & beverage industry
• Automotive industry
• Structural for critical environments

• Medical instruments

• Jewellery, etc.

400 series stainless steel.

It should be noted that it is not that the higher the number in the series, the better. This series is representative of ferritic steels, such as martensite. The conventional models are 410, 430 and so on. Its characteristic is low thermal expansion rate, although high strength, but poor corrosion resistance. It is generally used for heat-resistant appliances, threaded nuts, mechanical parts, etc., and can also be used for tableware, but 304 is better than it.

Ferritic and martensitic alloys form this series of stainless steel. These grades are available for heat treating. Providing a good combination of strength and high wear resistance. The corrosion-resistance properties are lower than 300 series, though.

Applications for 400 series include:

• Agricultural equipment
• Motor shafts
• Gas turbine parts, etc.