Krompa
CATALOGUE

GRADE COMPARISON

Stainless Steel Grades: 304 · 316 · 430 · 201 ComparedWhich grade should you buy? Composition, corrosion resistance, strength and price difference in one table — taken from EN 10088 and ASTM A240, with sources.

GradeStructureMagneticC %Cr %Ni %Mo %Mn %N %PRENPrice (304=100)
304AusteniticNo≤ 0.0717.5–19.58–10.5—≤ 2≤ 0.1117.50100
304LAusteniticNo≤ 0.0317.5–19.58–10.5—≤ 2≤ 0.1117.50105–110
316AusteniticNo≤ 0.0716.5–18.510–132–2.5≤ 2≤ 0.1123.10130–145
316LAusteniticNo≤ 0.0316.5–18.510–132–2.5≤ 2≤ 0.1123.10135–150
321AusteniticNo≤ 0.0817–199–12—≤ 2≤ 0.1117.00115–125
430FerriticYes≤ 0.0816–18——≤ 1—16.0060–70
201AusteniticNo≤ 0.1516–183.5–5.5—5.5–7.5≤ 0.2516.0075–85
202AusteniticNo≤ 0.1517–194–6—7.5–10≤ 0.2517.00—
410MartensiticYes0.08–0.1511.5–13.5≤ 0.75—≤ 1.5—11.50—
2205DuplexYes≤ 0.0321–234.5–6.52.5–3.5≤ 20.1–0.2230.85180–220

PREN = %Cr + 3.3 × %Mo + 16 × %N. It indicates resistance to pitting corrosion; the higher it is, the better the material tolerates chlorides. Here it is calculated from the lower limit the standard GUARANTEES — figures derived from typical composition look higher but do not hold for every sheet.

The price index is approximate, based on August 2026 market ratios; it moves weekly with nickel and molybdenum exchange prices. Not binding.

Austenitic grades are non-magnetic when annealed but can become slightly magnetic after cold forming or welding. A magnet therefore tells 430 apart, but it will not tell 304 from 201.

Pick the right grade with three questions

Choosing a grade is not a matter of taste; the answers to these three questions almost entirely determine what you should buy.

1

Where will the material sit?

For dry interiors where only appearance matters, 430 or 201 is enough. For kitchens, food and general fabrication, 304. Near the sea, at a pool, with chlorinated cleaning or chemicals you need 316 — saving money with 304 here is the most expensive decision available.

2

Will it be welded?

For heavily welded or thick-section work choose the low-carbon L series (304L / 316L). It prevents chromium carbide precipitation in the weld zone; without it, corrosion starts right alongside the weld bead.

3

Will it carry load?

For cladding and panels, strength is not the deciding factor. For load-bearing structures look at yield strength: duplex 2205 has roughly twice the yield strength of 304, carrying the same load in a thinner section and cutting total weight.

An honest warning about 201

201 is visually indistinguishable from 304 and noticeably cheaper — which is exactly why it is so often supplied in place of 304. But its nickel is 3.5–5.5% (against 8–10.5% in 304) and its chromium is lower; the passive layer is not as stable. Outdoors, near the sea, in wet areas and in chloride environments it develops surface rust quickly. Choosing 201 deliberately for a dry interior is sound; buying it believing it is 304 is expensive.

Grade data sheets

AISI 304 / EN 1.4301

EN 10088-2
Density
7.9 g/cm³
PREN
17.50
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 230 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
540–750 MPa
Max. continuous temperature
925 °C

Condition the values apply to: Cold rolled sheet (EN 10088-2)

Where it is used

Commercial kitchens, food processing, dairy and beverage lines, interior architecture, general fabrication. When in doubt, this is usually the right answer.

Where it must not be used

Pits in chloride environments such as coastal air, pool halls or hydrochloric cleaning — use 316 there.

AISI 304L / EN 1.4307

EN 10088-2
Density
7.9 g/cm³
PREN
17.50
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 220 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
520–700 MPa
Max. continuous temperature
925 °C

Condition the values apply to: Cold rolled sheet (EN 10088-2)

Where it is used

Heavily welded fabrication, thick-section welds, assemblies that cannot be heat treated after welding. Low carbon prevents chromium carbide precipitation in the weld zone.

AISI 316 / EN 1.4401

EN 10088-2
Density
8 g/cm³
PREN
23.10
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 240 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
530–680 MPa
Max. continuous temperature
800 °C

Condition the values apply to: Cold rolled sheet (EN 10088-2)

Where it is used

Coastal sites, swimming pools, chemical plants, pharmaceutical and cosmetics production, kitchens cleaned with saline or acidic agents. Molybdenum stops pitting corrosion.

AISI 316L / EN 1.4404

EN 10088-2
Density
8 g/cm³
PREN
23.10
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 240 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
530–680 MPa
Max. continuous temperature
800 °C

Condition the values apply to: Cold rolled sheet (EN 10088-2)

Where it is used

Welded corrosive service: chemical piping, pharmaceutical and food process tanks, marine structures. The version of 316 that stays corrosion-resistant after welding.

AISI 321 / EN 1.4541

EN 10088-2
Density
7.9 g/cm³
PREN
17.00
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 220 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
520–720 MPa
Max. continuous temperature
900 °C

Condition the values apply to: Cold rolled sheet (EN 10088-2)

Where it is used

Exhausts, flues, furnace parts, heat exchangers — anything running continuously between 550–900 °C. Titanium ties up carbon and prevents intergranular corrosion.

AISI 430 / EN 1.4016

EN 10088-2
Density
7.75 g/cm³
PREN
16.00
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 260 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
450–600 MPa
Max. continuous temperature
815 °C

Condition the values apply to: Cold rolled sheet (EN 10088-2)

Where it is used

Dry interiors: appliance panels, lift cabins, decorative cladding, cabinet bodies. Contains no nickel, which makes it the cheapest stainless.

Where it must not be used

Not suitable for wet areas, food contact or outdoor use; weldability is also below that of 304.

AISI 201 / EN 1.4372

ASTM A240
Density
7.86 g/cm³
PREN
16.00
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 260 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
≥ 515 MPa

Condition the values apply to: Annealed sheet (ASTM A240)

Where it is used

Dry indoor decoration, display units, signage, furniture bodies — looks identical to 304 at a noticeably lower cost.

Where it must not be used

Must NOT be used outdoors, near the sea, in wet areas or in chloride environments. Lower nickel and chromium make the passive layer less stable than 304's; it develops surface rust quickly in damp conditions.

AISI 202 / EN 1.4373

ASTM A240
Density
7.86 g/cm³
PREN
17.00
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 260 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
≥ 515 MPa

Condition the values apply to: Annealed sheet (ASTM A240)

Where it is used

Same duty as 201; slightly higher chromium makes it a little more resistant than 201.

Where it must not be used

Same limits as 201: not for outdoor or chloride environments.

AISI 410 / EN 1.4006

EN 10088-2
Density
7.75 g/cm³
PREN
11.50
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 450 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
650–850 MPa
Max. continuous temperature
650 °C

Condition the values apply to: Quenched and tempered +QT650 (EN 10088-2)

Where it is used

Wear-duty parts: blades, shafts, pump components, valve seats. The only common stainless that can be hardened by heat treatment.

Where it must not be used

Low corrosion resistance (only 11.5–13.5% chromium); not a choice for food contact or wet areas.

Duplex 2205 / EN 1.4462

EN 10088-3
Density
7.8 g/cm³
PREN
30.85
Yield (Rp0.2)
≥ 450 MPa
Tensile (Rm)
650–880 MPa

Condition the values apply to: Solution annealed (EN 10088-3)

Where it is used

Seawater, chemical process, pressure vessels, bridges and port structures. Nearly twice the yield strength of 304 — carries the same load in a thinner section.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the standards and mill data sheets below. The date is the day the data was verified.

Not sure which grade you need?

Tell us where it will be used — we will name the right grade for the environment, welding and load, then send you a price.

Ask on WhatsAppWeight ChartsBrowse Products