Stainless Steel - AISI 316 (Fe/Cr18/Ni10/Mo 3) - Material Information

Stainless Steel AISI 316 is a molybdenum-bearing, austenitic chromium-nickel alloy designed for superior corrosion resistance, especially in chloride-rich and marine environments. Its enhanced resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion distinguishes it from the widely used AISI 304 grade, making it an essential material for chemical, medical, and marine industries.

Material Overview

AISI 316 stainless steel typically contains 16–18% chromium (Cr), 10–14% nickel (Ni), and 2–3% molybdenum (Mo), with iron (Fe) as the balance. The addition of molybdenum improves the material’s resistance to localized corrosion caused by chloride ions. Its austenitic microstructure (?-Fe phase) ensures high ductility and toughness over a broad temperature range. According to Zhang et al. (2024), the inclusion of 3% Mo stabilizes the passive oxide film, significantly reducing corrosion current density to below 0.21 µA·cm?², indicating excellent electrochemical stability. In its annealed state, AISI 316 demonstrates tensile strengths around 515–620 MPa and elongation exceeding 40%, maintaining these properties even after moderate cold working.

Applications and Advantages

AISI 316’s outstanding resistance to corrosion in chloride and acidic environments makes it ideal for use in desalination plants, marine equipment, heat exchangers, surgical implants, and food processing systems. In aggressive chloride environments, studies have shown that 316 steel exhibits a pitting potential (E?) above 0.6 V, offering superior protection compared to 304L (Loto, 2017). Furthermore, its performance remains robust under combined thermal and mechanical stresses. Lieth et al. (2024) optimized the corrosion and mechanical performance of 316 under varying heat treatment and cold work conditions, revealing a balance between hardness improvement and minimal corrosion rate when appropriately annealed. The presence of molybdenum and nickel ensures stability against stress corrosion cracking, a common issue in other stainless steels, particularly in chloride-laden or high-temperature systems.

Goodfellow Availability

Goodfellow supplies AISI 316 stainless steel in research-grade purity with customizable dimensions for industrial and laboratory applications. This alloy is a reliable choice where mechanical strength must coexist with chemical durability. Custom specifications and small-batch orders are available upon request, ensuring high quality and consistency across supplied materials.

Explore Stainless Steel - AISI 316 (Fe/Cr18/Ni10/Mo3) and other advanced materials in Goodfellow’s online catalogue: Goodfellow product finder.

References

• Zhang, P., Jian, H., Yin, L., Liu, J., Cai, Z., & Tong, Y. (2024). Corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of Cr-rich 316 stainless steel coatings fabricated by TIG process using flux-cored wires. *Molecules, 29*(8), 1785. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules29081785
• Lieth, H. M., Munahi, B. S., & Mohammad, H. M. (2024). Optimize the corrosion behaviour and mechanical properties of AISI 316 stainless steel under heat treatment and previous cold working. *Nonlinear Engineering.* https://doi.org/10.1515/nleng-2022-0374
• Loto, R. T. (2017). Study of the corrosion resistance of type 304L and 316 austenitic stainless steels in acid chloride solution. *Oriental Journal of Chemistry, 33*(3), 1305–1313. https://doi.org/10.13005/OJC/330304
• Zatkalíková, V., Markovi?ová, L., & Chalupová, M. (2016). Corrosion resistance of Cr-Ni-Mo stainless steel in chloride and fluoride containing environment. *Materials and Technology, 50*(5), 1193–1201. https://doi.org/10.21062/UJEP/X.2016/A/1213-2489/MT/16/5/1193
• Pak, S. J. (2020). Stress corrosion cracking behaviour of cold worked AISI316L stainless steel in chloride environment. *Novel Research in Sciences, 4*(3), 000592. https://doi.org/10.31031/nrs.2020.04.000592