Stainless steel, as an indispensable material in modern industry, comes in a wide variety of types and has different characteristics. Against the backdrop of rising costs of 300 series stainless steel due to the soaring nickel prices, 200 series stainless steel emerged. Among them, 204 stainless steel, as a low-nickel austenitic stainless steel, strikes a balance between performance and cost and has been widely applied in many fields.
Composition Analysis of 204 Stainless Steel
The chemical composition of 204 stainless steel is carefully designed to ensure performance while reducing costs. Basic ingredients include: carbon (C) content of 0.10% or less, silicon (Si) content of 1.00% or less, manganese (Mn) content is 8.00 10.00%, phosphorus (P) content of 0.06% or less, the sulfur content of 0.03% or less (S).
Compared with traditional 304 stainless steel, the nickel content of 204 stainless steel is significantly reduced (from 8-10% to 1-3%), which greatly lowers the cost of raw materials.
Analysis of Physical Properties of 204 Stainless Steel
Mechanical properties
The mechanical properties of 204 stainless steel are quite outstanding. Its tensile strength can reach over 700MPa, the yield strength is no less than 300MPa, the elongation is ≥55%, and the hardness is ≤210HV.
Compared with 304 stainless steel, 204 stainless steel shows obvious advantages in both strength and ductility. The high strength is mainly attributed to the strengthening effect of nitrogen, while the high ductility makes the material easier to process and shape.
Corrosion resistance performance
204 stainless steel has excellent corrosion resistance and can meet the general requirements for stainless steel.
204 stainless steel has a unique corrosion resistance to H₂SO₄, and its resistance to HCl and HNO₃ corrosion is superior to that of 304 stainless steel.
Physical properties and processing performance
204 stainless steel is an austenitic structure, non-magnetic and highly corrosion-resistant.
It has a low work hardening rate and good cold working performance, making it particularly suitable for cold forming operations.
Application fields range from kitchenware to construction
Kitchenware and tableware: 204 stainless steel can be used for a type of tableware (such as knives and forks) as well as kitchenware (such as sinks, refrigerators, gas stoves, etc.).
Electrical appliances: In household appliances such as washing machines and dryers, 204 stainless steel offers a good performance-cost balance.
Building materials: Suitable for anti-theft doors and Windows, stair railings and other building components.
Industrial materials: It can be used for steel pipe products such as decorative pipes, structural pipes, and exhaust pipes, as well as transportation equipment such as containers and railway vehicles.
The development and market of 204 stainless steel
China is a country with relatively scarce nickel resources. Under the circumstances of high international nickel prices, the development of low-nickel stainless steel varieties holds significant strategic importance.
As the market's familiarity with 204 stainless steel continues to increase, its application scope is constantly expanding, and it may replace 304 stainless steel in some fields in the future.
From a performance perspective, 204 stainless steel possesses the inherent wear resistance of 200 series steel, a low cold working hardening rate, and good cold forming performance. All these advantages have promoted its application in various fields.
Post time: Nov-19-2025
