Commonly used stainless steel wire mesh materials, chemical composition and characteristics of application industries

Commonly used stainless steel wire mesh materials, chemical composition and characteristics of application industries

At present, there are many different names for stainless steel materials in the stainless steel wire mesh market. At the same time, because people do not have a deep understanding of various materials, confusion often occurs. The following is a summary and comparison of the stainless steel wire mesh materials: 

1. Ordinary stainless steel wire mesh material: 201 stainless steel 

200 series stainless steel was first developed in the United States during World War II as a substitute for 300 series stainless steel. At that time, due to the war, nickel, as a strategic material, was strictly controlled by relevant countries, and the supply of nickel in the United States was seriously insufficient. In order to solve the problem of stainless steel production and supply under the condition of serious shortage of nickel supply, the United States developed this new series of austenitic stainless steel that uses manganese instead of nickel. 

The detailed chemical composition is as follows: 

(C) Carbon: ≤0.15 (Si) Silicon: ≤0.75 (Mn) Manganese: 5.5～7.50 (Cr) Chromium: 16.0～18.0 (N) Nitrogen: ≤0.25 (P) Phosphorus: ≤0.060 (S) Sulfur: ≤0.030 (Ni) Nickel: 3.50-5.50% (Cu) Copper: Half copper 0.8% High copper 1.5% 

See GB/T 20878-2007 

The disadvantage of this series of materials is that the chromium content below 18% cannot reach a balance with the low nickel content and forms ferrite. For this reason, the chromium content in the 200 series stainless steel is reduced to 13.5% to 15%, and in some cases to 13% to 14%. Its corrosion resistance cannot be compared with 304 and other similar steels. In addition, under the acidic conditions common in the corrosion areas of deposits and crevices, manganese and in some cases copper reduce the effect of repassivation. The destruction rate of 200 series steel under these conditions is about 10-100 times that of 304 stainless steel. 

The above shows that 201 stainless steel cannot replace 304 and other stainless steels under certain environmental conditions. When choosing stainless steel wire mesh, you should also pay attention to the use environment of the wire mesh product to avoid unnecessary losses. 

2. The most widely used stainless steel wire mesh material: 304 stainless steel 

304 stainless steel plate has good corrosion resistance, heat resistance, low temperature strength and mechanical properties, good hot processing properties such as stamping and bending, no heat treatment hardening phenomenon (non-magnetic, use temperature -196°C~800°C). 304L stainless steel plate has a much lower carbon content than 304, and 304L is better than 304 in pitting resistance at welding points or other treated areas.

304 stainless steel grades: 0Cr18Ni9 (0Cr19Ni9) 06Cr19Ni9 S30408 

Chemical composition: C: ≤0.08, Si: ≤1.0, Mn: ≤2.0, Cr: 18.0～20.0, Ni: 8.0～10.5, S: ≤0.03, P: ≤0.035 N≤1.0. 

304 stainless steel plate has beautiful surface and diverse usage possibilities, good corrosion resistance and high strength, so it is widely used in thin plates. It is resistant to high temperature oxidation and has high strength, so it can resist fire and can be processed at room temperature, that is, easy to plastically process. Because no surface treatment is required, it is simple, easy to maintain, has high finish and good welding performance.

Compared with 304 and 304L, 304L is more corrosion resistant and contains less carbon. After welding or stress relief, 304L has excellent resistance to intergranular corrosion; even without heat treatment, it can maintain good corrosion resistance and the operating temperature is -196°C-800°C. 

3. Stainless steel wire mesh with better corrosion resistance: 316 stainless steel 

316 stainless steel is a general term for stainless steel and acid-resistant steel. Due to the addition of Mo, its corrosion resistance, atmospheric corrosion resistance and high temperature strength are particularly good, and it can be used under harsh conditions; it has excellent work hardening properties (non-magnetic). It is generally used in anti-corrosive environments, as well as medical equipment and daily necessities.

Grade C Si Mn PS Ni Cr Mo 

316 ≤0.08 ≤1 2 ≤0.045 ≤0.030 10.0~14.0 6.0~18.0 

The two most commonly used stainless steels are 304 and 316 (or 1.4308 and 1.4408 in German/European standards). The main difference between 316 and 304 in chemical composition is that 316 contains Mo. It is generally recognized that 316 has better corrosion resistance and is more corrosion-resistant than 304 in high temperature environments. Therefore, engineers generally choose 316 parts in high temperature environments. 

4. Uncommon stainless steel wire mesh material: 410 stainless steel 

410, which belongs to martensitic stainless steel, is used after quenching and tempering, and its strength, plasticity and toughness are well matched. It has good corrosion resistance in weak corrosive media with a temperature not exceeding 30°C; it has sufficient corrosion resistance in fresh water, steam and humid atmosphere; it has stable oxidation resistance below 700°C. In order to improve the wear resistance, corrosion resistance and fatigue resistance of parts, carbonitriding or nitriding treatment can be carried out. In the annealed state, it has high plasticity and can be cold-formed by deep rolling, stamping, bending and curling; it has good welding and mechanical cutting processability and can be polished. It is mainly used to manufacture parts that require medium strength and high toughness under the action of corrosive media and impact loads.

410 Chemical composition: Carbon (C): ≤ 0.15 Silicon (Si): ≤ 1.00 Manganese (Mn): ≤ 1.00 Phosphorus (P): ≤ 0.035 Sulfur (S): ≤ 0.030 Nickel (Ni): 0 Chromium (Cr): 11.5--13.5 Molybdenum (Mo): 0 

5. Uncommon stainless steel wire mesh material: 430 stainless steel 

430 stainless steel is a general-purpose steel with good corrosion resistance, better thermal conductivity than austenite, smaller thermal expansion coefficient than austenite, heat fatigue resistance, and good mechanical properties of the weld part with the addition of stabilizing element titanium. 430 stainless steel is used for architectural decoration, fuel burner parts, household appliances, and home appliance parts. 430F is a steel with free-cutting properties added to 430 steel, mainly used for automatic lathes, bolts and nuts, etc. 430LX adds Ti or Nb to 430 steel and reduces the C content, improving the processing and welding properties.

As mentioned above, among the commonly used materials of stainless steel wire mesh, 201, 304 and 316 are the most common, and they are selected according to the pH value, temperature and required strength of the environment in which they are used. Another important point is that the performance difference of each material creates the price difference, so it is important to understand the cost performance when selecting, so as to avoid buying low-quality products just for the sake of low price.