TYPES 304 AND

304L STAINLESS
STEELS FOR LOW
TEMPERATURE
SERVICE
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE USE
OF NICKEL-CONTAINING ALLOYS
NO 328

Distributed by
Produced by NICKEL
INCO INSTITUTE
TYPES 304 AND 304L
STAINLESS STEELS FOR
LOW TEMPERATURE SERVICE

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO THE USE

OF NICKEL-CONTAINING ALLOYS
NO 328

Originally, this handbook was published in 1964 by INCO, The

International Nickel Company Inc. Today this company is part
of Vale S.A.
The Nickel Institute republished the handbook in 2021. Despite
the age of this publication the information herein is considered
to be generally valid.
Material presented in the handbook has been prepared for
the general information of the reader and should not be used
or relied on for specific applications without first securing
competent advice.
The Nickel Institute, INCO, their members, staff and consultants
do not represent or warrant its suitability for any general or
specific use and assume no liability or responsibility of any kind
in connection with the information herein.

Nickel Institute
communications@nickelinstitute.org
www.nickelinstitute.org
 Low Temperature Data Sheet
TYPES 304 AND 304L STAINLESS STEELS
Types 304 and 304L stainless steels offer excel-
lent combinations of mechanical and corrosion
resisting properties for equipment to operate at
subzero temperatures. As temperature is lowered,
their strengths increase rapidly; they retain good
ductility and do not become brittle. They are
particularly well suited for equipment handling
liquid gases, as well as other liquids, at low tem-
peratures when corrosion resistance is required
or product contamination must be held to a mini-
mum.
Specifications
ASTM Specification A 240 is widely used for
plate, sheet and strip for cryogenic service. The
compositional requirements of this specification
Eire:
Carbon ...................... .O8% max for Type 304
and .03% max for Type 304L
Manganese .......................................... 2.00 max
Phosphorus .......................................... .045 max
Sulfur .,................................................ .030 max
Silicon .................................................. 1.00 max
Nickel .................................................. 8.00-12.00
Chromium .......................................... 18.00-20.00
P
To meet other requirements of the specification,
including the intergranular corrosion test, this
material is ordinarily furnished in the quench-
annealed condition (cooled rapidly from a tem-
perature range of 1850-2050 F).
The room temperature mechanical property re-
quirements of this specification for Types 304 and
304L are as follows: · tures. Weldments, while having lower impact
Type Type
304 304L
Tensile Strength, psi, min 75,000 70,000
Yield Strength (0.2°/, offset), psi, min 30,000 25,000
Elongation (in 2 in.), %, min 40 40
Brinell Hardness, max 202 202
Rockwell Hardness, max B-88 B-88
According to paragraph UHA-51 of the 1959 Edi-
tion of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code,
Section VIII, Unfired Pressure Vessels no impact
tests are required on these grades for use down to
—325 F. Below this temperature a minimum
Charpy keyhole value of 15 ft-lb is required at
the temperature of use.
ASTM specifications for Type 304 in other
shapes employed in construction of cryogenic
equipment and which have chemical and mechan-
ical requirements similar to A 240 are as follows:
Seamless tubing ..........................................A 213
Welded tubing ..........................................A 249
Forgings ......................................................A 182
Bolting ........................................................A 193
Tensile Properties
The tensile properties of annealed and full-hard
material are shown in Figure 1. Yield and ten-
sile strengths increase for both materials with
decreasing temperature. However, there is no
serious loss of ductility in annealed material at
low temperatures, and the full-hard material ac-
tually increases in ductility.
Table I gives the properties of a we1dment made
by welding a Type 302 (.09 C, 19.0 Cr, 8.2 Ni)
base material with a Type 304 (.07 C, 18.7 Cr,
9.0 Ni) electrode. Since the rupture occurred in
the Type 304 weld metal, these data should be
applicable to Type 304 weldments as well.
Impact Properties
The range of impact properties for annealed
Types 304 and 304L is shown in Figure 2. As
depicted in Table II, cold-worked materials re-
tain these impact properties at very low tempera-
values than the base metal, are not embrittled by
low temperatures. (See Tables III, IV and V)
Fatigue
« effect of subzero temperatures on the fatigue
The
strength of full-hard (210,000 psi tensile strength
at room temperature) Type 304 is shown in
Figure 3. The fatigue strengths of annealed Types
304 and 304L also increase at subzero tempera-
tures.
ASME Boiler and
Pressure Vessel Code Provisions
Although the strength of Types 304 and 304L
(and other austenitic stainless steels) shows
marked improvement at subzero temperatures,
the allowable design stress permitted by the
ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for pres-
sure vessels operating at subzero temperatures is
based on the room temperature properties of the
material. For all forms except welded pipe and
tubes, the maximum allowable stress for Type
304 at all temperatures below 100 F, according
to Table UHA-23, is 18,750 psi. This same table
allows a stress of 17,500 psi for Type 304L plate
or seamless pipe or tubes. For welded pipe or
tubes, the maximum allowable stress is 16,000 psi
for Type 304 and 14,900 psi for Type 304L.
Physical Properties
The specific heat and thermal expansion charac-
teristics of Type 304 stainless steel are given in
Figures 4 and 5. Emissivity data are shown in
Table VI. Electrical resistivity and thermal con-
ductivity are shown in Figures 6 and 7.
Availability
Types 304 and 304L stainless steels have been
produced in the form of plates, strip, sheets, bars,
tubing, pipe, shapes and forgings, and any such
forms are readily available directly from the
producers. These materials have an additional
advantage that all these forms may also be ob-
tained from local Steel Service Centers.
Similarly, casting grades, Types CF-B and CF-3,
of chemical compositions comparable to Types
304 and 304L, are readily available from various
foundries.
Information as to current sources for the various
products may be obtained through the offices of
The International Nickel Company, Inc., in prin-
cipal cities.

Table I
Low Temperature Tensile Properties of a Type 304 Weldment

Test Temperature 70 F -108 F -320 F

Tensile Strength, psi 92,000 139,000 223,000
Elongation (in 2 in.), % 50 22 21

Table ll
Impact Properties of Type 304
Cold Rolled to a Room Temperature Tensile Strength of 210,000 psi
(Average of Three Tests)

Charpy Impact (Keyhole Notch), ft-lb at:

Room Temp. -108 F -320 F -423 F

25 35 30 26

2
 Table Ill
Charpy Keyhole Notch Impact Properties of Welds
(Average of Several Tests)

Impact, ft-lb at:

Type Type of Heat
of Plate Electrode Treatment Room Temp -105 F -320 F
304 304 As Welded 35 26 21
Annealed 39 33 26
304 308 As Welded 32 23 17
Annealed 44 40 36

Table IV
Low Temperature Charpy V-Notch Impact Properties
of Inert-gas Welds in 31/2" Plate
(Average of Several Tests)
(Values in ft-lb)

Heat Affected Zone

Test Distance from Notch to Fusion Line
Temperature Weld Base
Type F Metal 1/16" '/8" '/2" Metal

304 -320 38.5 51.5 63. 64.5 90.

-421 22.5 53. 62. 60. 87.
304L -320 48.5 58.5 56. 65.5 68.5
-421 45. 53. 45. 64. 67.5

Table V
Impact Properties of Welded Type 304L at MO F
(Average of Several Tests)
(Values in ft-lb)

Charpy V-Notch Charpy Keyhole Notch

Weld Metal 24.5 17.5

Heat Affected Zone 69. 58.5
Base Metal (Longitudinal) 108. 69.
Base Metal (Transverse) 110. 71.

3
 Table VI
Emissivity of Type 304 Stainless Steel
(Average of Several Tests)

Temperature Emissivity Value

K F (Black Body = I)
77 -320 .048
300 80 .08 '

300
"%b'%b, T
280 —

::: : :,"°:;, ,,,,,,,,,,, "<2'%'°:2'L?::"~, 6

,_ ::: ' "" g'S2':,,

2180 k, "·% YS. rype 304 R,//
Cl
CJ ¶4 "~~ ,
S2. 160 — X\ """"".2?,
£, 140 — X
mg; Xb
6 120 — "6
2 X
Z 100 — r,

? 80 — '\6
t3

; 60 —" Y·S. Type 3Q'j Annea|ed

40 — _ _ Y.S. Type 304L Anneoled

20 — 70

0— I 60
~.0pepjjj _ 50 Z
,9

%EJ. Typc 304L pmnealed

" " """""

·1, E\. Type 304 Anneo\ed
—
_
40 2i
S

""""":"·~., _ 30 S CJ
O
°E/· Ty,, ;0:"f:;7:,""~.~ _ :: "

1 I ! I
-400 -300 -200 -100 0 100
Temperature, F

Fig. 1. Relation of tensile properties to temperature for

annealed Types 304 and 304L and full-hard Type 304.

4
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160

140

120 —

\ Chorp V-Notch
350 i
e 100 —
t,
300 : Composltlon,%
e
~
qO
) _£ 1!'~ SL NL £'_
D
4
£ 80—
j I I

·G 25j
,'
1

;. .054 0.49 Q42 8.82 18.50

Charpy Keyhole Notch 4 r"" Cold Drown to 210,000 psi """
Z200~ __. ~ .,_, ._. : Tensile Strength

,, l^
Ob

cn i
# ; I
-320F
= 150 ! ------—--'
" i
C

i Smooth + 77 F
I
40 —
100 , — :
i :
i ) Notched
20 _ 50" ) -- - -320F-
i, +77 F , ,
0 l03 10' 105 |06
I I 1 I I Cycles to FaHure
-400 -300 -200 -too 0 too

Temperature, F Fig. 3. Results of vibrating beam tests of notched

Fig. 2. Probable range of Charpy impact and unnotched stainless steel Type 304.
prc!perties of annealed Types 304 and 304L
stainless steels.

.012

r
i
- 1" -- _Fxpansion
,100 .OIl
P
i

.010 I
b
curve
Ll.
Q
^ .009 1 Ins"onMeous 12.0 g"
^ U
0
~
= ,075 ·E 008 , I :0ef ] 1( .0 "
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m S .007 1
q
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~~~~~~~ " " 10.0 !2
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,:"='", '
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0 F .006 -Meoic::j1?7:2,,t,j°^ |I|(m,j| Coef From 70 F—— 9.0 .a
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I
,003
CJ

.025 .002 5.0 iz

4,0 8©
.001
0 -34-200 -100 0 200 400 600 800 1000

Tempemfuro, F
-400 -300 -200 -100 0 100
Temuroture, F Fig. 5. Thermal expansion of Type 304 stain-
Fig. 4. Specific heat of Type 304 stainless steel at less steel from -300 F to 1000 F.
subzero temperatures.

Temperature, K
Temperature, K
ll00 50 100 150 200 250 300 |200 50 100 150 2(X) 250 30C
I I I j I I 'r" =""r" " I """ "'" "= i " I o040
108 — .036
100 —
96 — — ,032 3¢
E
," 84 — _ .028 ;
e 90 _ .

'O
i
8 72 — —.024 S
E 80 — X 60 — — 020 g
D
b. g 48 _ ".016 'J
ej E
Z 70 —
e
2 36 — " .012 jg
m
60 _ 24 — - .008

I2— _ .004
50 I I I I I I %9 -4j0 -90 -2d) -do t ,\.000
-4E9 -400 -200 -300 -100 0 RT
Tempero1ure,F Temperolure, F
Fig. 6. Electrical resistivity of Type 304 stainless Fig. 7. Thermal conductivity of Type 304
steel. stainless steel.