303 Stainless Steel VS 304 Steel

The corrosion resistance of 304 stainless steel is better than that of 303 stainless steel. 304 stainless steel has good corrosion resistance in the atmosphere, water and other environments, and can resist the erosion of common chemicals such as acids, alkalis and salts. However, due to the high sulfur content of 303 stainless steel, the passivation film on its surface is destroyed, which reduces its corrosion resistance.

304 stainless steel has high strength and toughness, and can withstand large external forces and deformation without breaking. The strength of 303 stainless steel is similar to that of 304 stainless steel, but due to the addition of sulfur, its cutting performance is better, and it is easier to cut and shape during processing, which can improve processing efficiency and reduce processing costs.

Both of 303 steel and 304 steel has certain high temperature resistance.But 304 stainless steel is slightly more stable at high temperatures. 304 stainless steel can be used for a long time in the temperature range of -196 degree to 800 degree , and is suitable for various applications in high temperature environments, such as industrial furnaces, heat exchangers, etc. The use temperature range of 303 stainless steel is relatively narrow, which limits its application in some high temperature occasions.

303 stainless steel adds sulfur, which reduces the friction between the tool and the material during processing, making it easy to cut, drill, turn and other processing operations, and can obtain good surface finish. High processing efficiency can reduce processing costs, and is particularly suitable for large-scale production of parts with complex shapes.
Compared with 303 stainless steel, 304 stainless steel has poor cutting performance, faster tool wear during processing, low processing efficiency, and relatively high processing costs.