Nine grades, one family — the default choice for chemical processing, food, and pharmaceutical service, offering general corrosion resistance without the cost of duplex or nickel alloys.
See All Grades ↓The stainless grades used for tube sheets are almost entirely austenitic — chromium-nickel alloys that stay in a stable, non-magnetic crystal structure across a wide temperature range, which is what gives them their combination of corrosion resistance, ductility, and weldability. Within that family, the grades differ mainly in molybdenum content (which drives pitting resistance), carbon content (which affects weld sensitization), and stabilizing elements like titanium or niobium (which resist carbide precipitation at high temperature).
304 and 304L are the baseline — general corrosion resistance without molybdenum. 316 and 316L add molybdenum for meaningfully better chloride and pitting resistance. 321 and 347 are stabilized grades for elevated-temperature service where carbide precipitation would otherwise be a risk. 310 and 310S sit at the high-temperature end of the family, well beyond what 316 can handle.
| Grade | Molybdenum | Best For | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | No | General mild service, lowest cost of the family | View → |
| 304L | No | Same as 304, welded joints | View → |
| 316 | Yes | Moderate chlorides, non-welded joints | View → |
| 316L | Yes | Moderate chlorides, welded joints — most-ordered grade | View → |
| 316Ti | Yes | Elevated temperature, titanium-stabilized | View → |
| 321 | No | High temperature, titanium-stabilized | View → |
| 347 | No | High temperature, niobium-stabilized | View → |
| 310 | No | Very high temperature, oxidation resistance | View → |
| 310S | No | Same as 310, lower carbon for welding | View → |
When chloride concentration and temperature combine to put you at meaningful risk of pitting or stress-corrosion cracking — a rough rule of thumb is above roughly 200 ppm chlorides at elevated temperature, though this should always be checked against a proper pitting resistance equivalent number (PREN) calculation for the specific fluid.
Both resist carbide precipitation at high temperature through stabilization, 321 with titanium and 347 with niobium. 347 is generally preferred where post-weld heat treatment isn't practical, since niobium carbides are more stable during welding than titanium carbides.
304, 304L, 316, and 316L are typically ex-stock in common sizes. The stabilized and high-temperature grades (321, 347, 310, 310S) are more often sourced to order — send your specification for confirmed availability.
Every enquiry is checked against governing code, material compatibility and manufacturing feasibility before a quote is issued. Use our product, material, grade and standards guides to freeze the RFQ — then confirm with engineering.
Send your fluid composition and temperature — our engineering team will confirm the right grade.
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