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What are the raw materials for stainless steel strips

source:www.cnlichao.net  |  Release time:2025年12月29日
      Stainless steel strip is a strip-shaped stainless steel product made from stainless steel billets as the core raw material, processed through processes such as hot rolling, cold rolling, and finishing. Its core raw material is the stainless steel base material, and the composition ratio of the base material determines the key properties of stainless steel strip such as corrosion resistance, strength, and heat resistance, which are suitable for different scene requirements. Stainless steel strip raw materials are mainly classified into chromium nickel series and chromium series according to their composition. They can be classified into conventional universal type, heat-resistant type, corrosion-resistant type, etc. according to their grades. The specific raw material categories, composition characteristics, and suitable scenarios are as follows:
1、 Core raw material foundation: the core alloy composition of stainless steel base material (determining performance)
      The raw material base material of stainless steel strip is composed of key alloy elements added to ordinary carbon steel to form rust and corrosion resistance characteristics. The core alloy components are indispensable, and different ratios are suitable for different working conditions
      Chromium (Cr): The core anti rust element, with a content of ≥ 10.5%, is the criterion for determining stainless steel. Chromium reacts with oxygen to form a dense chromium oxide passivation film, which isolates the corrosive medium. The higher the chromium content, the stronger the corrosion resistance; Chromium can also enhance high-temperature oxidation resistance in heat-resistant scenarios, with a common content of 10.5% -26%.
      Nickel (Ni): improves corrosion resistance and toughness, and when used in conjunction with chromium, can form austenitic stainless steel, greatly enhancing its acid and alkali resistance, low temperature resistance, and making the stainless steel strip more flexible and easy to process, less prone to cracking, with a common content of 2% -30%.
      Carbon (C): Enhances strength and hardness, with lower content resulting in better corrosion resistance (low-carbon/ultra-low carbon stainless steel is suitable for harsh corrosion scenarios). Common content ranges from 0.03% to 0.2%, while ultra-low carbon stainless steel has a carbon content of ≤ 0.03%.
      Auxiliary alloying elements (added as needed): targeted improvement of specific performance
      Molybdenum (Mo): enhances resistance to pitting corrosion and seawater corrosion, suitable for humid, salty, and chemical environments;
      Titanium (Ti) and niobium (Nb): prevent intergranular corrosion, suitable for welding and high temperature working conditions;
      Manganese (Mn): replaces some nickel, reduces costs, improves strength, and is commonly used in economical stainless steel;
      Nitrogen (N): enhances strength and corrosion resistance, assists in stabilizing austenite structure.
2、 Mainstream raw material grades: Stainless steel strip core base material classification (suitable for different needs)
      The raw material base material of stainless steel strip is classified according to metallographic structure, which is a common industry standard. Different structures correspond to different grades, and the performance differences are obvious. It is suitable for the production of stainless steel strip in different scenarios, and is mainly divided into four categories
1. Austenitic stainless steel base material (most commonly used, accounting for over 70%)
      Core components: mainly chromium+nickel, low carbon content, austenitic microstructure, non-magnetic, excellent corrosion resistance and toughness, easy to process and shape, it is the most core raw material for stainless steel strip
      Core grades: 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 310S, 301
      Composition characteristics: 304 (Cr18%+Ni8%), 304L (ultra-low carbon ≤ 0.03%); 316 (Cr18%+Ni10%+Mo2% -3%), 316L (ultra-low carbon); 310S (Cr25%+Ni20%, high chromium nickel)
       Suitable for stainless steel strips: mostly used for precision stamping strips, decorative strips, food grade strips, and chemical corrosion-resistant strips. 304 is a universal type, 316 is suitable for corrosion scenarios, 310S is suitable for high temperature scenarios, and 301 is suitable for stamping strips that require elasticity (such as spring strips)
2. Ferritic stainless steel base material (economical, cost-effective)
      Core components: chromium as the main component (11% -30%), without nickel or with a small amount of nickel, metallographic structure of ferrite, magnetic, good corrosion resistance, lower cost than austenite, moderate strength
      Core grades: 430, 410S, 439, 443
      Composition characteristics: 430 (Cr17%), 443 (Cr18%, corrosion resistance close to 304, lower cost)
      Suitable for stainless steel strips: mostly used for ordinary decorative strips, kitchen and bathroom products, construction strips, low-end stamping strips, suitable for scenarios without severe corrosion, outstanding cost performance, and an economical alternative to austenite
3. Martensitic stainless steel base material (high strength, wear-resistant)
      Core components: mainly chromium (11% -18%), high carbon content, metallographic structure can be adjusted to martensite through heat treatment, magnetic, high strength, high hardness, wear resistance, and weaker corrosion resistance than the previous two
      Core grades: 410, 420, 440C
      Ingredient characteristics: Carbon content of 0.1% -1.2%, the higher the carbon content, the stronger the hardness (440C has a higher carbon content and good hardness)
      Suitable for stainless steel belts: mostly used for high-strength wear-resistant belts, tool belts, spring belts, and mechanical component belts, suitable for working conditions that require wear resistance and impact resistance, such as mechanical blades and precision springs
4. Dual phase stainless steel base material (high-strength+corrosion-resistant, scene)
      Core components: chromium+nickel+molybdenum, metallographic structure of austenite+ferrite dual phase, combining the advantages of both, high strength, high corrosion resistance, excellent resistance to pitting corrosion and stress corrosion
      Core grades: 2205, 2507, 2304
      Ingredient characteristics: 2205 (Cr22%+Ni5%+Mo3%), balanced biphasic ratio, good performance
      Suitable for stainless steel strips: commonly used in chemical, marine engineering, and oil and gas extraction zones, suitable for harsh corrosion and heavy load conditions, such as chemical pipeline strips and seawater treatment strips
3、 Classified by raw material purity/processing requirements: specially adapted for stainless steel strip production
      In addition to core grades, stainless steel strip raw materials are also classified according to purity and billet form, and are specifically adapted to different specifications and uses of stainless steel strips to ensure production adaptability and finished product quality
1. Classified by purity: ordinary purity, high-purity stainless steel base material
      Ordinary purity: meets the requirements of conventional scenarios, contains a small amount of impurities (sulfur, phosphorus ≤ 0.03%), and is suitable for general stainless steel strips;
      High purity stainless steel base material: sulfur and phosphorus ≤ 0.02%, low impurity content, suitable for precision electronic tapes, food grade tapes, medical grade tapes, to avoid impurities affecting performance and safety.
2. Classified by billet shape: hot-rolled billet, cold-rolled billet (raw material processing stage)
      Hot rolled billet: thick plate/strip billet made by hot rolling stainless steel ingots, used as raw material for medium thick stainless steel strips (thickness ≥ 0.3mm), with low cost, suitable for heavy-duty and wear-resistant scenarios;
      Cold rolled billets: Thin slabs made from hot-rolled billets through cold rolling, used as raw materials for ultra-thin stainless steel strips (thickness ≤ 0.3mm) and precision strips, with smooth surfaces and high precision, suitable for precision machining and decoration scenes.
3. Classified by special needs: customized alloy base material
      Heat resistant base material: high chromium nickel (such as 310S), suitable for high temperature environments (≤ 1200 ℃), used for heat-resistant stainless steel belts (such as furnace belts and high-temperature conveyor belts);
      Corrosion resistant base material: high molybdenum (such as 316L, 2205), suitable for acid-base and salt containing scenarios, used for corrosion-resistant stainless steel strips (such as chemical and marine strips);
      Elastic base material: 301, 420, with excellent elasticity after quenching and tempering treatment, used for stainless steel spring bands and spring bands.
4、 The core adaptation principle of stainless steel strip raw materials (key selection according to demand)
      General scenario selection of 304 base material: high cost-effectiveness, balanced corrosion resistance and processability, suitable for most scenarios such as decoration, kitchen and bathroom, and ordinary stamping;
      Corrosion scenario selection of 316/2205 base material: containing molybdenum or biphasic structure, acid and alkali resistant, seawater resistant, suitable for chemical, marine, oil and gas and other scenarios;
     430 base material for economic scenarios: nickel free, low cost, corrosion resistance meets ordinary needs, suitable for low-end decoration and construction scenes;
High strength and wear-resistant selection of 410/420/440C base material: high hardness, wear-resistant, suitable for cutting tools, mechanical components, springs and other scenarios;
     Choose 310S base material for high temperature scenarios: high chromium nickel, resistant to high temperature and oxidation, suitable for furnace use, high temperature transmission and other scenarios;
      Select 304L/316L base material for precision/food/medical scenarios: ultra-low carbon, high purity, no impurities, suitable for precision processing and hygiene requirements.
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