Material grade
316
Grade of Stainless Steel. Grades are not interchangeable.
Stainless steel 316 is an austenitic grade with molybdenum, often aligned with EN 1.4401. Buyers select it over 304 when the environment is more corrosive, including many chloride-bearing duties. 316L is the low-carbon grade used for welded parts and has its own page.
Grade overview
316 is a material choice for service conditions, not a finish that can be added later. Machined fittings, valves, marine hardware and process equipment are typical, provided the rest of the specification — surface finish, welding, certificates — matches the duty. It still corrodes in some chemical conditions, so the media and temperature belong in the project when they drive the alloy. Strength and corrosion rates are left to the named standard rather than copied onto this page.
Typical manufacturing routes
Turning, milling, laser cutting and fabrication are all used. Welded equipment should usually be specified as 316L unless the drawing explicitly requires 316 and a qualified weld procedure. Electropolish or passivation is specified as a surface treatment when the surface condition is part of the duty.
Machinability and process constraints
316 work-hardens and is commonly considered less free-cutting than 304 and much less so than 303. Small holes, long threads and thin walls need to be designed with that in mind. Do not switch to 303 for machinability on a corrosion-critical part. Product form — bar, plate or tube — changes both the quote and the achievable geometry.
Typical applications
Typical uses are pump and valve parts, marine fittings, chemical-duty brackets and equipment that 304 does not survive. A medical or food-contact claim needs the surface and the documentation the customer names. 316 alone is not that documentation.
What to include in the manufacturing project
Buyer questions
When do I need 316L instead?
When the part is welded and low carbon is required to protect corrosion resistance at the weld. 316L has its own grade URL. Put the weld in the project either way.
Is 316 marine grade by default?
It is often used in marine fittings, and it is not immune to every marine condition. Describe the exposure — splash, immersion, temperature — if that exposure is why 316 was chosen.
Can the shop substitute 304?
Only if you allow it. 304 is a different alloy with different corrosion behavior. Silence is not approval.
Will this page match a 316 facility automatically?
A match is attempted from facility material data after you start a project. If nothing qualifies, sourcing is the next step. The page itself is not a supplier offer.