Stainless steel 304 is an austenitic stainless steel with a high nickel concentration of 8 to 10.5 percent by weight and a high chromium content of 18 to 20% by weight. Because grade 304 stainless steel has a lower carbon content, it is less prone to chromium carbide precipitation during welding and to intergranular corrosion.

Cold processing 304 stainless strip results in increased hardness and strength. Type 304 stainless steel strip is particularly ductile in the annealed condition, and it can be cold worked readily using roll forming, deep drawing, bending, and other standard industrial techniques. The strong ductility, good drawing, forming, and spinning qualities of stainless steel 304 strip make it a popular choice for these applications. Although the alloy work hardens quickly, annealing throughout the manufacturing process is sometimes required to recover appropriate ductility and decrease hardness.


Stainless steel grade 304 is regarded to be more corrosion resistant than Type 302. When it comes to magnetic qualities, 304 stainless steel is basically non-magnetic, becoming somewhat magnetic only when cold wrought. Because the 304 alloys include 9 to 11 percent nickel, they are resistant to moderately strong organic acids. Because of the 18 to 19 percent chromium content in the 304 alloys, type 304 stainless steel strip is resistant to corrosion in oxidising situations.

Even at cryogenic temperatures, the alloy has exceptional toughness. On the other hand, in terms of oxidation resistance, this stainless steel alloy can withstand continuous scaling at temperatures of around 1650F.