Everyone should know that there are many materials for stainless steel pipes, such as 304, 316 and 316L. Among them, many people who don't understand will think that 316 and 316L are the same, and they don't know what they mean. Today we will talk about the difference between 316L stainless steel pipe and 316 stainless steel pipe.
1. The difference in production cost
316 L stainless steel has low carbon content and is easy to weld, so the price of 316 L stainless steel pipe is more expensive than that of 316 stainless steel pipe, but the difference is not big. In addition, 316 L stainless steel can also be called ultra-low carbon steel 316 stainless steel.
2. Differences in the strength of stainless steel pipes
The tensile strength of 316 stainless steel pipe is higher than that of 316 L stainless steel pipe. The tensile strength of 316 stainless steel pipe is higher than that of 520 MPa~(316 L) stainless steel pipe. The tensile strength of 316 stainless steel pipe is only more than 480 Mpa. This is because carbon is a strong austenite-forming element, which can significantly improve the strength of stainless steel pipes.
3. Differences in specific applications
The cost difference between 316 L stainless steel and 316 stainless steel is not large, and the corrosion resistance and weldability of 316 L stainless steel are significantly better than ordinary 316 stainless steel. From the manufacturer's point of view, stainless steel plants are reluctant to produce because the requirements for general 316 stainless steel are very low. Therefore, the actual circulation in the market is basically low-carbon 316 L stainless steel. Generally, 316 stainless steel is rarely sold unless there are special requirements.
4. The difference of welding treatment
Carbon has a negative effect on the corrosion resistance of stainless steel pipes. Especially for stainless steel that needs to be welded, the corrosion resistance of low carbon 316 L stainless steel after welding is lower than that of 316 stainless steel. The welded section of 316 stainless steel needs to be solution annealed after welding. Solution annealing after welding is not required if 316 L stainless steel is used.
5. The difference in corrosion resistance
316 L stainless steel pipe has stronger corrosion resistance and is suitable for strong corrosion areas such as seaside. In addition to this, 316 stainless steel pipe is not recommended to consider previous conditions.
6. Differences in the scope of use
In most cases, 304 stainless steel pipe is sufficient for the application. Because the price of 316L stainless steel pipe is relatively expensive, from the perspective of material cost, the usage of 316L stainless steel pipe is about 1.5 times that of 304 stainless steel pipe, so the usage amount of 316L steel pipe should be customized.