Alloy 316/316L

Sandmeyer Steel Company stocks the largest single-site stainless steel plate inventory in North America with thicknesses from 3/16" through 6" in 1/8" increments. Alloy 316/316L stainless steel plate is also available as E-Z Drill for improved machinability.

Available thicknesses for Alloy 316/316L:

Alloys 316 (UNS S31600) and 316L (UNS S31603) are molybdenum-bearing austenitic stainless steels, which are more resistant to general corrosion and pitting/crevice corrosion than the conventional chromium-nickel austenitic stainless steels such as Alloy 304. These alloys also offer higher creep, stress-to-rupture, and tensile strength at elevated temperatures. In addition to excellent corrosion resistance and strength properties, the Alloys 316 and 316L Cr-Ni-Mo alloys also provide excellent fabricability and formability which are typical of the austenitic stainless steels.

General Properties

Alloy 316/316L (UNS S31600/S31603) is a chromium-nickelmolybdenum austenitic stainless steel developed to provide improved corrosion resistance to Alloy 304/304L in moderately corrosive environments. It is often utilized in process streams containing chlorides or halides. The addition of molybdenum improves general corrosion and chloride pitting resistance. It also provides higher creep, stress-to-rupture and tensile strength at elevated temperatures.

It is common practice for 316L to be dual certified as 316 and 316L. The low carbon chemistry of 316L combined with an addition of nitrogen enables 316L to meet the mechanical properties of 316.

Alloy 316/316L resists atmospheric corrosion, as well as, moderately oxidizing and reducing environments. It also resists corrosion in polluted marine atmospheres. The alloy has excellent resistance to intergranular corrosion in the as-welded condition. Alloy 316/316L has excellent strength and toughness at cryogenic temperatures.

Alloy 316/316L is non-magnetic in the annealed condition, but can become slightly magnetic as a result of cold working or welding. It can be easily welded and processed by standard shop fabrication practices.

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Corrosion Resistance

In most applications Alloy 316/316L has superior corrosion resistance to Alloy 304/304L. Process environments that do not corrode Alloy 304/304L will not attack this grade. One exception, however, is in highly oxidizing acids such as nitric acid where stainless steels containing molybdenum are less resistant. Alloy 316/316L performs well in sulfur containing service such as that encountered in the pulp and paper industry. The alloy can be used in high concentrations at temperatures up to 120°F (38°C).

Alloy 316/316L also has good resistance to pitting in phosphoric and acetic acid. It performs well in boiling 20% phosphoric acid. The alloy can also be used in the food and pharmaceutical process industries where it is utilized to handle hot organic and fatty acids in an effort to minimize product contamination.

Alloy 316/316L performs well in fresh water service even with high levels of chlorides. The alloy has excellent resistance to corrosion in marine environments under atmospheric conditions.

The higher molybdenum content of Alloy 316/316L assures it will have superior pitting resistance to Alloy 304/304L in applications involving chloride solutions, particularly in an oxidizing environment.

In most instances, the corrosion resistance of Alloys 316 and 316L will be roughly equal in most corrosive environments. However, in environments that are sufficiently corrosive to cause intergranular corrosion of welds and heat-affected zones Alloy 316L should be used because of its low carbon content.

	Composition (Weight Percent)				CCT2	CPT3
ALLOY	Cr	Mo	N	PREN1	°F (°C)	°F (°C)
Type 304	18.0	—	0.06	19.0	<27.5 (<-2.5)	— —
Type 316	16.5	2.1	0.05	24.2	27.5 (-2.5)	59 (15.0)
Type 317	18.5	3.1	0.06	29.7	35.0 (1.7)	66 (18.9)
SSC-6MO	20.5	6.2	0.22	44.5	110 (43.0)	149 (65)

¹Pitting Resistance Equivelant, including Nitrogen, PREN=Cr + 3.3Mo + 16N
²Critical Crevice Corrosion Temperature, CCCT, based on ASTM G-48B (6% FeCl3 for 72 hr, with crevices
³Critical Pitting Temperature, CPT based on ASTM G-48A (6% FeCl3 for 72 hr)

Lowest Temperature (°F) at Which the Corrosion Rate Exceeds 5mpy

CORROSION ENVIRONMENT	Type 316L	Type 304	2205 (UNS S32205)	2507
0.2% Hydrochloric Acid	>Boiling	>Boiling	>Boiling	>Boiling
1% Hydrochloric Acid	86	86p	185	>Boiling
10% Sulfuric Acid	122	—	140	167
60% Sulfuric Acid	<54	—	<59	<57
96% Sulfuric Acid	113	—	77	86
85% Phosphoric Acid	203	176	194	203
10% Nitric Acid	>Boiling	>Boiling	>Boiling	>Boiling
65% Niitric Acid	212	212	221	230
80% Acetic Acid	>Boiling	212p	>Boiling	>Boiling
50% Formic Acid	104	≤50	194	194
50% Sodium Hydroxide	194	185	194	230
83% Phosphoric Acid + 2% Hydrofluoric Acid	149	113	122	140
60% Nitric Acid + 2% Hydrocloric Acid	>140	>140	>140	>140
50% Acetic Acid + 50% Acetic Anhydride	248	>Boiling	212	230
1% Hydrochloric Acid + 0.3% Ferric Chloride	77p	68p	113ps	203ps
10% Sulfuric Acid + 2000ppm Cl- + N2	77	—	95	122
10% Sulfuric Acid + 2000ppm Cl- + SO2	<<59p	—	<59	104
WPA1, High Cl- Content	≤50	<<50	113	203
WPA2, High F- Content	≤50	<<50	140	167

ps = pitting can occur
ps = pitting/crevice corrosion can occur

WPA	P2O5	CL-	F-	H2SO4	Fe2O3	Al2O3	SiO2	CaO	MgO
1	54	0.20	0.50	4.0	0.30	0.20	0.10	0.20	0.70
2	54	0.02	2.0	4.0	0.30	0.20	0.10	0.20	0.70

Chemical Analysis

Weight % (all values are maximum unless a range is otherwise indicated)

Mean Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

Temperature Range
°F	°C	in/in °F	cm/cm °C
68-212	20-100	9.2 x 10-6	16.6 x 10-6
68-932	20-500	10.1 x 10-6	18.2 x 10-6
68-1832	20-1000	10.8 x 10-6	19.4 x 10-6

Mechanical Properties

At Room Temperature

NOTE: The information and data in this product data sheet are accurate to the best of our knowledge and belief, but are intended for informational purposes only, and may be revised at any time without notice. Applications suggested for the materials are described only to help readers make their own evaluations and decisions, and are neither guarantees nor to be construed as express or implied warranties of suitability for these or other applications. Stainless Steel, Nickel Alloy and Titanium products are classified as sheet if the thickness of the metals is less than 3/16” (4.7mm). If the thickness of the metal is 3/16” (4.7mm) or more, then it is considered a plate.