Best Grade Of Stainless Steel For Saltwater

In a marine environment it must be made clear as to whether the stainless steel is submerged in seawater or is simply near enough to the seashore such that it can be attacked by the chloride present in seawater.

Best grade of stainless steel for saltwater.

The 304 option has proven to be resistant to corrosion and oxidation and offers a variety of appearances and finishes. Clinton offers sae 304 stainless steel which can also be found under the name a2 stainless steel or 18 8 stainless steel. Selection of 316 304 and 303 types of stainless steels for seawater applications introduction. 18 10 stainless often corresponds to this.

Meanwhile 304 stainless steel is the overall most popular grade regardless of application type. Stainless steel has many different grades and lower grades are not suitable for marine applications. It has more molybdenum than other austenitic stainless steels which helps it to resist pitting and other corrosive effects of salt water. Most watches that are made of stainless steel are made of this grade.

Marine grade stainless steel is a misunderstood description. Rolex is an exception in that they use type 904l. 316 stainless steel is composed of 2 to 3 molybdenum boosting its corrosion resistance. Also known as marine grade stainless steel due to its increased resistance to chloride corrosion compared to type 304.

This grade is the most commonly used for coastal applications. 304 is commonly used in kitchen equipment storage tanks. Ss316 is often used for building nuclear reprocessing plants. It is an austenite steel meaning that it is non magnetic in nature.

Grade 316 is probably the most common grade of stainless steel used in marine applications. The 316 types are used widely in marine applications but their corrosion resistance in contact with seawater is limited and they cannot be considered corrosion proof under all situations. 304 stainless steel is made up of low carbon and chromium nickel content which makes it extremely versatile and widely used out of all the stainless steel options. 304 is the most popular stainless steel alloy available on the market.

There is no industry recognized definition for a marine grade stainless steel though it is routinely used by many end users.