316L Stainless Steel Flat Bar

Designed for use in tanks, supports and frames, enclosures, housings, engine, machinery components, and marine applications.

Description

The 316L stainless steel flat bar is an austenitic chromium-nickel alloy. Its composition includes a high content of nickel and molybdenum, which gives it a higher resistance to corrosion compared to 304 stainless steel. It also has better resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion when placed in environments with chloride. This 316 alloy also has great elevated tensile and stress-rupture and creep strengths. It’s considered having excellent weldability and formability.

The applications commonly used for this alloy include food prep equipment, lab equipment, heat exchangers, boat fittings, condensers, tanks and evaporators. It is commonly used in industries like food, beverage, pharmaceutical, textile, marine and architecture. When placed in atmospheric environments, 316 alloys have a better resistance to corrosion than 304 steel because it has a higher content of chromium and molybdenum. When in temperatures above 122 degrees F and in warm chloride environments, this metal is subject to stress corrosion cracking. However, it is considered to be a marine grade stainless steel because it has great resistance in warm sea water.

316 stainless steels are also resistant to oxidation when being serviced at temperatures up to 1600 degrees F and when continuously serviced at temperatures up to 1700 degrees F. If higher resistance to carbide precipitation is needed, 316L grade steel can be used instead.

All standard fusion methods of welding can be used for this metal, either without or with filler metals. When welding heavier sections of metal, it’s recommended that post-weld annealing is done to maintain max resistance to corrosion. This isn’t a requirement for 316L grades of steel. The temperature for annealing should be between 1900 and 2100 degrees F. Heat treatment cannot be used to harden it.