304 is the most popular and the most widely used stainless steel grade in the world. Considering its price, it has great corrosion resistance, mechanical properties and weldability. Due to its Austenitic structure in room temperature, it can not be hardened.

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The reason for the 304 grade stainless steel’s wide use is its easy production and its various applications in different industries. Even though it can’t be used on the toughest environments, due to its high price/performance rating it is very common in numerous aspects of the daily life.

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304L is the low carbon version of 304. The 304L grade has a slightly better machinability due to its low carbon value.