How to visually distinguish between 304 stainless steel and 316 stainless steel?

　　Stainless steel is a very common product material in our daily lives. Stainless steel pots and pans are often used in daily life. Stainless steel has a wide range of uses, from small stainless steel objects to stainless steel building materials, but stainless steel is only a general term for one type of material. Generally speaking, the most common types of stainless steel are stainless steel 304 and stainless steel 316, but what are the differences between the two? Is there a way to distinguish between the two?

　　The first thing to talk about is the issue of food grade. In daily life, people often encounter humanities professionals who purchase stainless steel items. Is 304 food grade? According to the material, stainless steel 304 has indeed reached food grade. There are three common types of food grade in the market, namely 304, 316, and 430 stainless steel. 304 is usually a small household appliance or water cup, 316 is used for medical equipment, and 430 is made of stainless steel for cutting tools. But it is worth noting that the so-called food grade not only means that the material has reached food grade, but also includes the standards of its production process.

　　The second thing to talk about is the issue of corrosion resistance. For different stainless steel materials, there must be certain differences in corrosion resistance, otherwise 304 can only be used for daily household appliances, while 314 can be used for medical equipment. So does 306 or 314 stainless steel have better corrosion resistance? Generally speaking, there is not much difference between them, but if the content of chloride ions in the medium is high, 316 stainless steel will be better than stainless steel. 304 stainless steel is slightly better and more suitable. This is why 316 stainless steel was chosen to be added to medical equipment.

　　So what method can identify the type of stainless steel?

　　1. Distinguish colors

　　The surface color of pickled stainless steel is silver white, very smooth, while stainless steel without pickling has a slightly darker color, and the colors presented by different materials of stainless steel are also different.

　　2. Use magnets to identify

　　Because stainless steel contains chromium, it can be attracted to magnets in any state; But stainless steel with high manganese content is non magnetic; Therefore, different types of stainless steel are still easily distinguishable.

　　From this, we can know that the components contained in different types of stainless steel are different and not exactly the same. The occasions in which different types of stainless steel are used are also different, and their functions are also greatly different.