Welding
Type 304/304L is readily welded by a full range of
conventional welding procedures (except oxyacetylene).
AWS E308L/ER308L filler metals should be used with Type
304/304L steel, but the molybdenum-containing austenitic
stainless steel filler metals may also be considered.
Machinability
Type 304/304L is a tough austenitic stainless steel subject
to work hardening during deformation and, unless modified for
improved machining response, is resistant to chip breaking.
The best machining results are achieved with slower speeds,
heavier feeds, excellent lubrication, sharp tooling, and
powerful, rigid equipment.
Corrosion performance
of stainless steels
Table 4 compares Type 304 with other stainless steels in
a variety of common corrosive environments. The table shows
the lowest temperature at which the corrosion rate exceeds
5 mpy. All testing was done in accordance with the
requirements of the Materials Technology Institute of the
Chemical Process Industries (MTI).