STAINLESS STEEL 310, 310L, 310H, 310S,
Stainless 310 and its variants offer excellent high-temperature performance combined with good ductility and weldability.
310H provides the best performance at high temperature, 310S is useful at temperatures not generally considered as "high" when exposure to moist corrosives is likely. 310L is useful when dealing with certain specific corrosives.
All have good low temperature performance but other grades are generally used for cryogenic applications
Stainless steel 310 is an austenitic steel with excellent high-temperature performance.
It has high chromium and medium nickel content, up to 26% and 22% respectively, which make it highly resistant oxidation and sulfidation at high temperatures. It maintains both strength and toughness at elevated temperatures and offers good performance at cryogenic temperatures.
It continues to perform well in intermittent temperatures up to 1035oC and in continuous use up to 1150oC.
It is generally used in environments where the working temperatures exceed 800oC where 304H and 321 become inappropriate.
310's high chromium and nickel content make it suitable for use in a wide range of high-temperature applications.
Stainless 310 is widely used in:
- Furnace components
- Burner components
- Heat Exchangers
- Heat treatment baskets
- Heat treatment jigs Welding wire and electrodes
- Welding wire and electrodes
The high Chromium content also makes it resistant to salt water corrosion giving it a performance in the marine environment similar to 316
Corrosion Resistance
The high chromium content, which is designed to produce excellent high-temperature performance, also gives it excellent resistance to saltwater corrosion similar to that of 316.
It also displays good resistance to oxidising and carburising conditions. While carburising steel in many circumstances can be a useful treatment, carburising 310 has been shown to make it very brittle.
310 is resistant to fuming nitric acid at ambient temperatures and fused nitrates up to 325oC.
Heat Resistance
310 resists oxidation well in intermittent exposure to temperatures up to 1040oC and in continuous exposure to temperatures to 1150oC. It has good resistance to thermal fatigue from cyclic heating.
It also has good resistance to corrosion where it meets sulphur dioxide at elevated temperatures.
While it performs well at higher temperatures but is not recommended for continuous use in the temperature range 425-860oC and is prone to sigma phase embrittlement in the temperature range 650-900oC
Welding
310 has good welding characteristics and 310S is frequently specified electrodes for fusion welding.
The higher carbon content of 310, 310H and 310S result in them being prone to sensitisation.
Stress Corrosion Cracking
Austenitic stainless steels can be subject to stress corrosion cracking but 310 is generally more resistant than either 304 or 316.
Heat Resistance
In the range of 425oC to 860oC carbide precipitation is likely and if the application is likely to be subject to aqueous corrosion this will represent a problem.
Between 650oC and 900oC sigma phase embrittlement is likely. To overcome this problem it is recommended that annealing should be done after every 1000 hours of use at temperatures above 650oC. This should be done by heating to between 1040oC and 1150oC and quenching rapidly.
The main differentiator of 310 stainless steel is its high chromium and nickel content. 316 contains 24 - 26% Chromium (Cr). and 19 - 22% Nickel (NI)
In addition a number of other chemicals may be present but these are expressed as maximum permited levels with the exception of the increased quantity of carbon required in 316H - i.e. a minimum of .04% and a maximum of 0.10%
Due to the "overlap" in carbon content it is not uncommon to find dual certification of 310S and 310H.
| Grade | C | Mn | Si | P | S | Cr | Mo | Ni | N | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 310 | min. max. | - 0.25 | - 2.0 | - 1.50 | - 0.045 | - 0.030 | 24.0 26.0 | 19.0 22.0 | - | |
| 310S | min. max. | - 0.08 | - 2.0 | - 1.50 | - 0.045 | - 0.030 | 24.0 26.0 | 19.0 22.0 | - | |
| 316H | min. max. | 0.04 0.10 | - 2.0 | - 0.75 | - 0.045 | - 0.030 | 24.0 26.0 | 19.0 22.0 | - |
Metric |
English | |
Density |
7.750g/cc |
0.28 lb/in³ |
Mechanical Properties
Hardness, Brinell |
217 |
217 |
Converted from Rockwell B hardness. |
Hardness, Rockwell B |
95 |
95 | |
|
Tensile Strength, Ultimate |
515 MPa |
74694 psi | |
|
Tensile Strength, Yield |
215 MPa |
29733 psi |
at 0.2% offset |
Elongation at Break |
40 % |
40 % |
in 50 mm |
Modulus of Elasticity |
200 GPa |
29000 ksi |
Electrical Properties
Electrical Resistivity |
7.2e-005 ohm-cm |
7.2e-005 ohm-cm |
at 20°C (68°F); 1.16E-04 at 650°C (1200°F) |
Thermal Properties
CTE, linear 20°C |
15.9 µm/m-°C |
|
from from 0-100°C |
CTE, linear 250°C |
16.2 µm/m-°C |
F |
at 0-315°C (32-600°F) |
CTE, linear 500°C |
17.0 µm/m-°C |
|
at 0-650°C |
Specific Heat Capacity |
0.5 J/g-°C |
0.12 BTU/lb-°F |
from 0-100°C (32-212°F) |
Thermal Conductivity |
14.2 W/m-K |
|
at 0-100°C, 21.5 W/m°C at 500°C |
Melting Point |
1455 °C |
2650 °F |
303 stainless is also available in a variant 303Se. This employs Selenium as opposed to Sulphur to achieve the better machining properties.
The Selenium improves the forming performance, both hot and cold over the sulphur variant and also provides a smoother finish on the machined surface. In certain environments, this may also improve the resistance to corrosion.
- Tube
- Pipe
- Fittings
- Flanges
- Special Sections
- Sheet
- Plate
- Flat Bar
- Round Bar
- Hollow Bar
- I Beam
- U Channel
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