Difference between 430 and 304 Stainless Steel

Find The Difference Between Stainless Steel 304 and 430?

The 430 grade is one of the most used ferritic stainless steel with magnetic properties. The 304 grade is the most used of all stainless steels with non-magnetic properties. The 430 composition includes carbon, manganese, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur, up to 18% chromium and iron in the composition with less than 1% nickel. The 304 has 8% nickel in the composition with 18% chromium, carbon, manganese, silicon, phosphorus, sulfur nitrogen and iron. This chemical composition provides the 304 materials with 215MPa minimum yield strength and 505MPa minimum tensile strength. The 430 material has up to 260MPa minimum yield strength and up to 600MPa minimum tensile strength. The melting point of 430 can range up to 1510 degrees Celsius. The 304 material is denser than the 430 material.

430 And 304 Stainless Steel Machinability

The 430 material is highly machinable compared to the 304 grade of stainless steel. The lack of nickel also provides with higher ductility to the 430 material. It can be machined with faster speeds than the 304 material. The 430 material is used in food grade applications as well. The 304 material is used alike in barbeques and grills but the corrosion resistance of the 304 is higher than that of the 430. The 430 material is resistant to nitric acid components but has less corrosion resistant to other corrosive agents. The 304 material has a general corrosion resistance to most reducing and oxidizing agents including mild acids.

Magnetic Properties of 304 and 430 Stainless Steel

The 430 material is ferritic and is magnetic. It could be demagnetized easily so it is classified as a soft ferritic material. The 304 material is austenitic and is non-magnetic. The magnetic and non-magnetic natures of these materials are useful in dealing with electric and magnetic fields. Heat treatment, heat hardening or elevated temperatures can affect the magnetic properties of the 430 material but not the 304 material; it always remains non-magnetic.

Price of 430 Vs 304 Stainless Steel

The 304 evaluation is normally more costly than the 430 evaluation for two reasons. One, the 304 material has higher nickel content. Nickel being an expensive material, the 304 becomes more expensive than 430 material. The second reason is the wide usage or commonality of the materials. 304 is the most widely used of all stainless steel grades. This makes it demanding for the price as well. However, there are expensive versions of 430 with slight compositional variations but still, the 304 is the most expensive of the two.

Stainless Steel 304 Vs 430 Weldability

The 430 material can be easily welded, machined and formed as it has low nickel content. The 304 material is harder than 430 and is harder to weld and form compared to the 430 material. The 430 is also a strain hardenable material; meaning it could be heat treated after welding to allow higher strength. The 304 cannot be heat treated to improve the strength. However, certain heat treatment methods can improve the hardness of 304 material.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Oxidation resistance & heat up to 1500 °F (816 °C) 
• Good corrosion resistance

 

 

• Dish washer linings
• Utensils
• Automotive trim
• Range hoods
• Refrigerator cabinet panels
• Chimney liners
• Stove trim rings
• Formed / Drawn parts
• Handling equipment for mining
• Industrial roofing & wall cladding
• Grade 430F used in machined parts
• and other Heat-resisting applications

 

 

 

Most 430 is used in the BA of N4 finishes. Flat products surface are protected with a white polyethylene (PE) film.

• BA (bright annealed)
• N4 (polished)
• 2B (cold rolled, skin passed)