Stainless Steel 430 vs 304 – What’s the Difference?

430 stainless steel and 304 stainless steel are two common metal materials that are widely used in many applications. Although they both belong to the category of stainless steel, there are some important differences between them. So, stainless steel 430 vs 304 – what’s the difference? In this article, we will explore the differences between 430 stainless steel and 304 stainless steel, helping you better understand the properties and applications of these two materials.

Stainless Steel 430 vs 304 – What’s the Difference?

Stainless Steel 430 vs 304 – 1. Chemical Compositions

Stainless steel 430:

• Chemical composition: 430 stainless steel is a ferritic stainless steel with a main composition of chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe). The content of chromium is about 16% to 18%, which is the main alloying element of 430 stainless steel. In addition to chromium and iron, 430 stainless steel also contains small amounts of nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S).

Stainless steel 304:

• Chemical composition: 304 stainless steel is an austenitic stainless steel, with the main components also being chromium (Cr) and iron (Fe). However, compared to 430 stainless steel, the alloy element content in 304 stainless steel has increased. Specifically, it contains about 18% chromium and about 8% nickel (Ni). In addition, 304 stainless steel also contains a small amount of carbon (C), silicon (Si), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and other elements.

Stainless Steel 430 vs 304 – 2. Properties

1. Corrosion resistance: 430 stainless steel contains 16.00-18.00% chromium and is basically free of nickel metal, while 304 stainless steel contains more chromium and nickel metal, so the corrosion resistance of 430 stainless steel is not as good as that of 304 stainless steel.
2. Stability: 430 stainless steel is in the form of ferrite, while 304 stainless steel is in the form of austenite. 304 stainless steel is more stable than 430 stainless steel;
3. Toughness: 304 stainless steel has strong toughness, which is stronger than that of 430 stainless steel;
4. Thermal conductivity: The thermal conductivity of ferrite in 430 stainless steel is better than that of austenite in 304 stainless steel;
5. Mechanical properties: 430 stainless steel is added with stable chemical element titanium, and the mechanical properties of the weld area are better than that of 304 stainless steel;

Stainless Steel 430 vs 304 – 3. Applications

430 stainless steel application areas:

1. 430 stainless steel is mainly used for architectural decoration, fuel burner components, household appliances, and home appliance components.
2. Adding the easy-to-cut steel grade 430F to 430 steel, mainly used for automatic lathes, bolts, nuts, etc.
3. Adding Ti or Nb to 430 steel and reducing the C content to become 430LX improves the processing and welding performance. It is mainly used for hot water tanks, hot water supply systems, sanitary appliances, household durable appliances, bicycle flywheels, etc.

304 stainless steel application fields:

1. 304 stainless steel has the characteristics of high-temperature resistance, good processing performance, and high toughness, and is widely used in the industrial and furniture decoration industries as well as the food and medical industries.
2. 304 stainless steel has strong corrosion resistance and is widely used in the production of equipment and parts that require good comprehensive performance (corrosion resistance and formability).

Conclusion

304 stainless steel and 430 stainless steel each have their own advantages. 430 stainless steel has better thermal conductivity and mechanical properties, and is better used in architectural decoration, fuel burner components, household appliances, home appliance components, etc. 304 stainless steel has strong toughness and corrosion resistance, and is better used in industries such as industry and food and medical industries that require corrosion resistance.

Thank you for reading our article and we hope it can help you to have a better understanding of the difference between stainless steel 430 vs 304. If you want to learn more about stainless steel, we would advise you to visit Sino Stainless Steel for more information.

As a leading supplier of stainless steel products across the world, Sino Stainless Steel provides customers with high-quality stainless steel strips, stainless steel coils, stainless steel plates, stainless steel sheets, stainless steel bars, and stainless steel tubes at an extremely competitive price.