Home - News - Industry News - The performance differences and industry standards of various stainless steel pipes
December 09, 2025
Stainless steel pipes are core piping materials widely used in municipal water supply and drainage, chemical engineering, food and pharmaceutical industries, thanks to their excellent corrosion resistance, high-temperature resistance, and mechanical strength. 304, 316, and 316L are the three most commonly used austenitic stainless steel grades. The subtle differences in their chemical compositions and performance directly determine the suitability of engineering material selection.
1. Corrosion Resistance
· 304 Stainless Steel: It exhibits basic corrosion resistance, capable of withstanding corrosion from atmospheric conditions, freshwater, and neutral salt solutions. Suitable for general clean environments, but prone to pitting corrosion in chloride-containing media.
· 316 Stainless Steel: The addition of molybdenum significantly enhances its resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion. It can tolerate highly corrosive media such as seawater and dilute sulfuric acid, with performance superior to 304 stainless steel.
· 316L Stainless Steel: Its low-carbon characteristic prevents intergranular corrosion caused by carbide precipitation in the welding area. Its corrosion resistance is equivalent to that of 316 stainless steel, and it has stronger stability after welding.
2. Temperature Adaptability
· 304 Stainless Steel: It can be continuously used at temperatures up to 870℃, with good toughness at low temperatures and no low-temperature embrittlement, making it suitable for both conventional high- and low-temperature working conditions.
· 316/316L Stainless Steel: The continuous service temperature is increased to 925℃, with high-temperature strength better than 304 stainless steel. Meanwhile, it can maintain good toughness even at ultra-low temperatures of -270℃, suitable for extreme temperature scenarios.
3. Mechanical Properties
All three grades have a tensile strength of ≥ 520MPa, a yield strength of ≥ 205MPa, and an elongation rate of ≥ 40%. The differences in mechanical strength are minimal, and all can meet the load-bearing and pressure-resistant requirements of most engineering projects.
The application scenarios of different grades need to be precisely matched:
1. 304 Stainless Steel Pipes: With high cost performance, they are suitable for non-corrosive scenarios such as municipal water supply and drainage, building drinking water pipelines, and food processing equipment, and are the preferred choice for civil and general industrial fields.
2. 316 Stainless Steel Pipes: They are suitable for scenarios such as acid-base solution transportation in the chemical industry, seawater desalination pipelines in marine engineering, and shipbuilding, capable of coping with moderately corrosive environments.
3. 316L Stainless Steel Pipes: Benefiting from their welding stability, they are widely used in high-temperature and high-pressure pipelines in the petrochemical industry, sterile fluid transportation pipelines in the pharmaceutical industry, and auxiliary systems in the nuclear power industry, especially suitable for large-scale pipe network projects requiring on-site welding.
Material selection should focus on three core factors: "medium characteristics, environmental conditions, and construction processes". For chloride-containing media, 316/316L should be preferred; for projects requiring welding, 316L should be the first choice; for general clean environments, 304 can be selected to control costs. Meanwhile, it is necessary to ensure that the pipes comply with the corresponding industry standards to avoid potential safety hazards caused by substandard materials.
To sum up, the essential difference among 304, 316, and 316L stainless steel pipes lies in the distinction between "basic grade" and "corrosion-resistant upgraded grade". Precise material selection is the key to achieving a balance between engineering reliability and economy.
