How to distinguish between 201 and 304 stainless steel
1. Specification: Commonly used stainless steel plates are divided into two types: 201 and 304. In fact, the composition is different. 304 has better quality, but the price is expensive, and 201 is slightly worse. 304 is an imported stainless steel plate, and 201 is a domestic stainless steel plate.
2. 201 is composed of 17Cr-4.5Ni-6Mn-N, which is a Ni steel grade and a substitute for 301 steel. After cold processing, it has magnetism and is used in railway vehicles.
3. 304 is composed of 18Cr-9Ni and is a widely used stainless steel and heat-resistant steel. Used in food production equipment, Xitong chemical equipment, nuclear energy, etc.
4. 201 has a high manganese content, with a bright surface with a dark luster, and is prone to rusting due to its high manganese content. 304 contains a lot of chromium, with a matte surface and no rusting. Putting the two together makes a comparison. The important thing is that the corrosion resistance is different. The corrosion resistance of 201 is very poor, so the price is much cheaper. And because 201 contains low nickel, its price is lower than 304, so its corrosion resistance is not as good as 304.
5. The difference between 201 and 304 is the issue of nickel content. Moreover, the price of 304 is relatively expensive now, but at least it can ensure that it will not rust during use. (Stainless steel potion can be used for experiments)
6. Stainless steel is less prone to rusting due to the formation of chromium rich oxides on the surface of the steel body, which can protect the steel body. Material 201 belongs to high manganese stainless steel, which has higher hardness, higher carbon and lower nickel than 304.
7. Different compositions (mainly distinguishing 201 and 304 stainless steel from carbon, manganese, nickel, and chromium)
Steel grade: carbon (C) silicon (Si) manganese (Mn) phosphorus (P) sulfur (S) chromium (Cr) nickel (Ni) molybdenum (Mo) copper (Cu)
AISI（304） ≤0.08 ≤1.00 ≤2.00 ≤0.045 ≤0.03 18-20 8-10
AISI（201） ≤0.15 ≤1.00 5.5-7.5 ≤0.05 ≤0.03 16-18 3.5-5.5
