We, in an effort to
try and distinguish ourselves from our
competition are promoting the fact
that we use 316 surgical stainless
steel rather than 304 surgical
stainless steel. In the chart below is
a direct comparison between 304 and
316 surgical stainless steel.
|
304
|
316
|
Carbon |
0.08% max.
|
0.08% max.
|
Chromium |
18.0 to 20.0%
|
16.0 to 18.0%
|
Manganese |
2.0% max.
|
2.0% max.
|
Silicon |
1.0% max.
|
1.0% max.
|
Nickel |
8.0 to 10.5%
|
10.0 to 14.0%
|
Tensile Strength
(Ksi) |
84-185
|
84-185
|
Yield Strength
(Ksi) |
42-140
|
42-140
|
Summary
of differences:
1. 304 may
have a higher Chromium content than 316
but not necessarily.
2. 316 may
have a higher Nickel content but not
necessarily.
What is
316 better for than 304? 316 is
preferred over 304 for marine hardware
where it is exposed to extreme harsh sea
salt conditions 24 hours a day 7 days a
week. It lasts longer than 304 in this
application.
Anywhere
where there is exposure to concentrated
sodium chloride conditions 316 is
preferred over 304. If you are going to
put 1 cup of sodium chloride (table salt)
in your cookware with 4 oz. of water on a
daily basis you may benefit from using 316
over 304.
We have
established over 500,000 clients over the
last 45 years with 304-T surgical steel
cookware and have now upgraded to 316T
surgical steel with Titanium.
Instead
of Molybdenum, our cookware uses
Titanium as a hardening alloy.
Titanium is about six times as
expensive as stainless steel. |
 |
Originally
designed to produce strong lightweight
alloys for aerospace, the two most useful
properties of the metal form are corrosion
resistance and the highest
strength-to-weight ratio of any metal.
Stronger than steel but 45% lighter.
<<
back to Cookware page <<
|