304 Stainless Steel Coil

ASTM A240 · UNS S30400 · EN 1.4301

Cold Rolled & Hot Rolled
2B · BA · No.1 · No.4 · Hairline
Custom Slitting · Cut to Length · MTC 3.1

Shaanxi Shangyou Stainless Steel Co., Ltd. supplies 304 stainless steel coil for forming, fabrication, food-processing equipment, storage tanks, kitchen equipment and general architectural applications.

Select the required thickness, width, coil ID, surface finish, edge condition and inspection documentation for a project-specific quotation.

Primary CTA: Request 304 Coil Quote
Secondary CTA: Send Your Specification

RFQ Prompt

Send the required standard, grade, thickness, width, coil weight, surface finish, edge condition, quantity and destination port for technical review and quotation.

304 stainless steel coil is a chromium-nickel austenitic stainless flat product commonly described as “18/8 stainless steel." It combines corrosion resistance, formability, weldability and surface-finish flexibility, making it one of the most widely specified stainless grades for general fabrication.

The coil form supports continuous processing such as roll forming, stamping, deep drawing, laser cutting, tube production and automatic feeding. Compared with purchasing individual sheets, correctly specified coil can improve material utilization and production efficiency.

Annealed 304 is normally non-magnetic, but cold working, forming and welding may introduce slight magnetic response. A magnet test must therefore not be used as the sole method of confirming the grade.

304 performs well in many indoor, atmospheric, food-processing and mildly corrosive industrial environments.

Its austenitic structure provides high ductility for bending, stamping, roll forming and drawing. Severe deep-drawing projects should specify a suitable DDQ quality rather than relying only on the grade name.

304 can be welded by common fusion-welding processes. For heavily welded components where post-weld solution annealing is impractical, 304L is usually the safer grade choice.

The material can be ordered in industrial mill finishes or processed into brushed, hairline and mirror surfaces for equipment, appliance and architectural applications.

Custom slitting, cut-to-length and protective-film application help buyers reduce downstream processing and handling requirements.

Buyer Note: SUS304, EN 1.4301 and UNS S30400 are commonly compared designations, but they should not be treated as automatically interchangeable. The purchase order must state the governing standard, required edition, dimensions, tolerances and test documentation.

Mechanical requirements may be affected by product form, thickness, processing condition and the specified standard edition. Cold-worked or temper-rolled material must be ordered using separately agreed mechanical-property requirements.

Physical values are typical engineering references and are not acceptance criteria unless included in the purchase specification.

304L is not automatically “more corrosion resistant" than 304 in normal service. Its main advantage is reduced susceptibility to chromium-carbide precipitation after welding or thermal exposure.

316L generally offers better pitting and crevice-corrosion resistance than 304, but it is not universally resistant to seawater, brine or every marine environment.

For No.4, hairline or mirror finishes, buyers should specify the reference sample, grain direction, grit or roughness requirement, protective film and acceptable visual criteria. Finish names alone may not define an identical appearance between mills or polishing lines.

304 coil can be slit into narrower coils or stainless steel strip. The RFQ should identify:

• Required slit width
• Width tolerance
• Number of slit coils
• Coil ID and maximum OD
• Maximum coil weight
• Burr direction and permissible burr height
• Edge requirement
• Packing orientation

Coils can be processed into sheets according to the required length, diagonal tolerance, flatness and surface-protection requirements.

304 has good bending, stamping and drawing capability but work-hardens rapidly. Tooling, lubrication, forming sequence and intermediate annealing should be reviewed for high-deformation components.

304 is weldable using standard fusion processes. Filler selection, heat input, shielding gas and post-weld cleaning should follow the fabrication code and service environment. 308 or 308L filler metals are commonly considered, but the final selection belongs to the welding procedure.

304 cannot be hardened by conventional heat treatment. Solution annealing is generally performed around 1010–1120°C followed by rapid cooling, subject to the governing procedure and product geometry.

304 is suitable for many atmospheric, food-processing, potable-water and mildly corrosive applications. However, its use should be reviewed carefully when the operating environment contains:

• Warm chloride-bearing water
• Brine or seawater
• Coastal salt deposition
• Crevices or stagnant solution
• Strong reducing acids
• High-temperature chloride exposure
• Residual tensile stress combined with chlorides

Pitting, crevice corrosion and chloride stress-corrosion cracking are possible under unsuitable conditions. Surface finish, cleaning frequency, temperature, chloride concentration, pH and crevice design all affect performance.

For coastal, pool, desalination, marine or concentrated chloride service, consider 316L, duplex or a higher-alloy grade after reviewing the actual medium.

A project-specific inspection plan may include:

1. Purchase-order and standard review
2. Heat number and coil identity verification
3. MTC chemical-composition review
4. Thickness, width and coil-weight inspection
5. Surface finish and defect inspection
6. Edge, burr, telescoping and coil-shape inspection
7. Tensile or hardness verification when required
8. Final marking and packing inspection
9. Optional third-party inspection before shipment

Handheld XRF can identify major alloying elements such as chromium and nickel and is useful for material-family verification. However, XRF does not reliably measure carbon and cannot independently distinguish 304 from 304L.

Where low-carbon grade verification is contractually required, use the original heat documentation together with an appropriate carbon-analysis method such as laboratory combustion analysis or suitable OES equipment.

• Chemical analysis
• Tensile test
• Hardness test
• Dimensional inspection
• Surface roughness measurement
• Intergranular corrosion testing when specified
• Independent third-party inspection

ASTM A262 or other corrosion tests must include the required practice, specimen condition and acceptance criteria. “Corrosion tested" is not a complete purchase requirement.

Available packing should be selected according to coil weight, surface finish and transport route:

• Moisture-resistant wrapping
• Protective paper or plastic film
• Inner- and outer-diameter steel protectors
• Edge-protection rings
• Steel strapping
• Wooden skids or reinforced supports
• Coil eye-to-sky or eye-to-side orientation
• Heat number and specification labels
• Container blocking and anti-movement reinforcement

Polished and film-coated surfaces require additional protection against scratches, film damage and moisture entrapment.

• Grade, standard and finish selection support
• Cold-rolled and hot-rolled coil supply options
• Custom slitting and cut-to-length processing
• Mill edge and slit edge selection
• Material traceability and MTC documentation
• Optional third-party inspection coordination
• Surface and dimensional inspection before packing
• Export packing designed for long-distance transportation

304 is widely used in food and beverage equipment, but suitability depends on the food medium, cleaning chemicals, chloride concentration, temperature and hygienic design. The finished equipment may also need to satisfy separate food-contact regulations.

304L has a lower maximum carbon content, reducing the risk of sensitization after welding. Choose 304L for heavily welded components when post-weld solution annealing is impractical.

Annealed 304 is generally non-magnetic. Cold rolling, forming and welding may create partial magnetism. Magnetic response alone cannot confirm or reject the grade.

2B is the most common general-purpose cold-rolled finish. BA provides a brighter surface, while No.1 is used for hot-rolled industrial applications. No.4 and hairline are selected for decorative or visible components.

Custom slitting is available subject to starting-coil width, thickness, minimum slit width, width tolerance, edge requirement and coil-weight limitations.

No. XRF can verify major alloying elements but does not reliably measure carbon. MTC traceability and an appropriate carbon-analysis method are required to confirm the low-carbon grade.

304 is not the default choice for direct seawater, brine or severe coastal exposure. These environments require a corrosion review and may need 316L, duplex or a higher-alloy stainless grade.

An EN 10204 3.1 MTC can be provided when included in the order. Additional inspection or third-party documentation should be agreed before production.

Price is affected by grade, thickness, width, coil weight, finish, edge, slitting requirements, protective film, testing, packing, quantity and destination.

Send the standard, grade, thickness, width, coil ID, coil weight, finish, edge, quantity, inspection requirements, packing method, destination port and required delivery date.

Send your purchasing specification to receive a technically matched quotation.

Required RFQ Information

• Standard and required edition
• Grade or UNS number
• Cold-rolled or hot-rolled condition
• Thickness and tolerance
• Width and width tolerance
• Coil ID, OD or maximum coil weight
• Surface finish and protective film
• Mill edge or slit edge
• Quantity
• Testing and MTC requirements
• Packing orientation
• Destination port

Shaanxi Shangyou Stainless Steel Co., Ltd.

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