Flexible hose stainless steel 316

Flexible hose stainless steel 316 is a corrugated metal hose made of stainless steel 316. It is favoured by people because of its excellent corrosion resistance and has a wide range of applications in many chemical fields. It is the most widely used hose after stainless steel 304.

316 VS 304

Chemical Composition

As the two most commonly used stainless steel 304 and 316, the main difference in their chemical composition is that 316 adds about 2% more molybdenum. Different components make them different in performance.

The chemical composition of stainless steel 304 is as follows: C: ≤0.08, Si: ≤1.00, Mn: ≤2.00, Cr: 18.0～20.0, Ni: 8.00～10.50, S: ≤0.030, P: ≤0.035, N≤0.1.

The chemical composition of stainless steel 316L is as follows: C: ≤0.030, Si: ≤1.00, Mn: ≤2.00, Cr: 16.00～18.00, Ni: 10.00～14.00, S: ≤0.030, P: ≤0.045, Mo：2.00～3.00

Performance

Molybdenum is added to stainless steel 316, which has excellent corrosion resistance. For some acidic media and alkaline media, there will be no corrosion. Its corrosion resistance is better than stainless steel 304.

Application

Both stainless steel 304 and 316 are food-grade raw materials. Stainless steel 304 is the most widely used material in daily life. Stainless steel 316 is preferred for some special applications due to its corrosion resistance.

Weight

The density of stainless steel 304 is 7.93 g/cm3, and that of stainless steel 316 is 7.98 g/cm3. The weight difference between stainless steel 304 and 316 is tiny, which can be ignored in actual purchase and use.

Price

The price of flexible hose stainless steel 316 is usually twice that of 304. However, there may be fluctuations in actual procurement due to material specifications or factory inventory quantities.

Identification

The flexible hose stainless steel 316 looks similar to the 304 hose in appearance, and it is impossible to distinguish them by the naked eye.

Especially in most cases, the corrugated metal hose is equipped with a braided mesh outside, and its appearance cannot be glimpsed.

To obtain greater profits, some corrugated metal hose manufacturers will replace 316 hoses with 304 hoses.

Therefore, we recommend requesting a material certificate from the corrugated metal hose supplier when purchasing to ensure you get the right thing.

A sample of China’s stainless steel certificate is as follows:

Disadvantage

The main disadvantage of flexible hose stainless steel 316 hose is the relatively high cost. We must choose whether to use 316 or 304 hose according to the actual application conditions.

Additional Option

For the sake of cost reduction, some customers will request to change the material of the outer stainless steel braid from 316 to 304 when purchasing flexible hose stainless steel 316. This substitution has also become an option.