430 vs 304 Stainless Steel: Difference Between 430 and 304 Stainless Steel

1. Properties

– Corrosion resistance. 430 stainless steel contains 16.00-18.00% chromium and basically contains no nickel metal. 304 stainless steel contains more chromium and nickel metal, so 430 stainless steel has better corrosion resistance than 304 stainless steel.

– Stable performance. 430 stainless steel is ferritic, 304 stainless steel is austenitic, and 304 stainless steel is more stable than 430 stainless steel.

– Toughness. 304 stainless steel has very strong toughness, which is stronger than 430 stainless steel.

– Thermal conductivity. The ferrite of 430 stainless steel has better thermal conductivity than that of 304 stainless steel. 430 has superior thermal conductivity to austenitic stainless steel and is currently mainly used in building decoration, some household appliance parts, fuel burner parts, and other normal or high-temperature scenarios.

– Mechanical properties. The stable chemical element titanium is added to 430 stainless steel, and the mechanical properties of the weld are better than 304 stainless steel.

– Hardness. Because the chromium content of 430 stainless steel is much less than that of 304, it is not as good as 304 in hardness. 430 stainless steel is not food-grade stainless steel.

2. Applications

1) 430 Stainless steel applications

– 430 stainless steel is mainly used for building decoration, fuel burner parts, household appliances, and household appliance parts.

– The steel grade 430F with easy cutting performance is added to 430 stainless steel, which is mainly used for automatic lathes, bolts, and nuts.

– Adding Ti or Nb to 430 stainless steel, reducing the content of C and turning it into 430LX, improving the processing performance and welding performance, mainly used for hot water tanks, hot water supply systems, sanitary appliances, household durable appliances, bicycle flywheels, etc.

2) 304 stainless steel applications

– 304 stainless steel has the characteristics of high-temperature resistance, good processing performance, and high toughness, and is widely used in industry, furniture decoration industry and the food and medical industry.

– 304 stainless steel has a strong corrosion resistance and is widely used to make equipment and parts requiring good comprehensive performance (corrosion resistance and formability).

430 stainless steel has good thermal conductivity and mechanical properties. It is better for building decoration, fuel burner parts, household appliances, home appliance parts, and other fields. 304 stainless steel has strong toughness and corrosion resistance. In industries requiring corrosion resistance such as industry and food and medical treatment, 304 stainless steel is better.