Stainless Steel 304 Sheets | SS 304L & 304H Plates

SS 304/304L/304H Sheets & Plates represent the most commonly used grades of austenitic stainless steel and have set the industry standard for performance, versatility, and reliability. These materials are preferred in both domestic and industrial applications due to their exceptional corrosion resistance, ease of fabrication, and clean surface finish. As part of the 300-series stainless steels, they offer a balanced combination of chromium and nickel content that provides robust mechanical properties while also ensuring strong resistance to a wide range of environmental and chemical exposures.

Stainless Steel 304 is often considered the standard "18/8" stainless, referring to its approximate composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel. It is known for its good weldability, excellent drawing characteristics, and outstanding forming properties. This makes it suitable for as-welded applications in industries that involve aggressive corrosion environments. On the other hand, SS 304H contains higher carbon content, which enhances its strength at elevated temperatures, making it ideal for high-temperature and high-pressure applications. These grades are available in various forms, including hot-rolled and cold-rolled sheets, mirror-polished finishes, and custom-cut dimensions, catering to the needs of both standard and highly specific engineering requirements.

Technical Overview

SS 304, 304L, and 304H Sheets & Plates conform to the ASTM A240 standard and possess a fully austenitic microstructure. This microstructure is primarily stabilized by the nickel content, providing superior toughness even at cryogenic temperatures. The chromium content imparts excellent resistance to oxidation and corrosion in a range of atmospheric and mildly aggressive chemical environments. These materials demonstrate good resistance to nitric acid and other oxidizing agents, making them suitable for chemical processing applications.

SS 304 typically contains a maximum carbon content of 0.08%, while SS 304L contains only 0.03% carbon. The reduced carbon level in SS 304L helps mitigate the risk of intergranular corrosion after welding or heat treatment, without the need for post-weld annealing. In contrast, SS 304H contains 0.04% to 0.10% carbon, which provides enhanced mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. The increased carbon content increases tensile and yield strength and improves creep resistance, making SS 304H a preferred material in high-temperature environments such as boilers, heat exchangers, and pressure vessels. All three grades exhibit excellent formability and can be readily machined, welded, and fabricated using conventional techniques.

Applications & Industry Use

304/304L/304H Stainless Steel Sheets and Plates serve a broad spectrum of industries thanks to their robust chemical and mechanical characteristics. In the chemical processing industry, these materials are used in storage tanks, reactors, and piping systems due to their resistance to chemical corrosion and high-temperature performance. The food and beverage industry relies heavily on SS 304 and 304L for equipment such as tanks, pipelines, dairy processing units, and kitchen appliances, as they maintain hygiene, resist staining, and withstand constant washing.

In the pharmaceutical sector, these grades are widely used for their non-reactive surfaces and ease of sterilization, particularly in equipment such as tablet coating machines, fluid bed dryers, and surgical instruments. Power generation facilities make use of SS 304H for its durability under high thermal stress, employing it in heat exchangers, steam piping, and superheaters.

The construction and architecture industries utilize SS 304/304L/304H sheets for interior and exterior cladding, handrails, decorative panels, and structural components due to their aesthetic appeal, corrosion resistance, and long service life. The automotive and transportation sectors employ these materials in exhaust systems, trim parts, and structural reinforcements, leveraging their strength-to-weight ratio and thermal tolerance.

SS 304/304L/304H sheets also play a vital role in marine environments, where exposure to saltwater and moisture demands high resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion. Additionally, these materials are used in desalination plants, oil and gas refineries, and petrochemical plants, where durability under harsh operational conditions is essential.

Our wide supply network ensures the consistent availability of these high-performance stainless steel sheets and plates in India, UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Iran, and Iraq, supporting critical infrastructure and industrial growth across the Gulf and South Asia regions.

304/304L/304H Stainless Steel Sheets and Plates Equivalent Grades

STANDARD	UNS	WNR.	AFNOR	EN	JIS	BS	GOST
SS 304	S30400	1.4301	Z7CN18‐09	X5CrNi18-10	SUS 304	304S31	08Х18Н10
SS 304L	S30403	1.4306/1.4307	Z3CN18‐10	X2CrNi18-9 / X2CrNi19-11	SUS 304L	304S11	03Х18Н11
SS 304H	S30409	1.4301	-	-	-	-	-

SS 253 MA Perforated Sheets

Stainless Steel 253 MA Perforated Sheets, UNS S30815 Perforated Sheets, DIN 1.4835 Perforated Sheets, ASME SA 240 SS 253 MA Perforated Sheets, Stainless Steel S30815 Perforated Sheets

SS 253 MA Chequered Plates

ASME SA240 SS 253MA Chequered Plates, ASTM A240 Stainless Steel 253 MA Chequered Plates, DIN 1.4835 Chequered Plates, UNS S30815 Chequered Plates, SS 253 MA Checkered Plates

SS 253 MA Shim Sheets

Stainless Steel ASTM A240 253 MA Shim Sheets, UNS S30815 / DIN 1.4835 Shim Sheets, ASME SA240 SS 253 MA Shim Sheets, SS 253 MA Shim Sheet, Stainless 253 MA Shim Sheets, SS 253 MA Shim Sheets Supplier

SS 253 MA Coils

DIN 1.4835 Coils, UNS S30815 Coils, ASME SA 240 Stainless Steel 253 MA Coils, ASTM A240 253 MA SS Coils

SS 253 MA Strips

ASTM A240 253 MA Stainless Steel Strips, SS UNS S30815 Strips, Stainless Steel 253 MA Strips, SS 1.4835 Strips

SS 253 MA Foils

UNS S30815 Foils, Stainless Steel 253 MA Foils, ASTM A240 253 MA Stainless Steel Foils, Stainless Steel 253 MA Foils

Stainless Steel Sheets and Plates Specification :

ASTM A240 / ASME SA240

Dimension Standard :

JIS, AISI, ASTM, GB, DIN, EN, etc

Width :

1000mm, 1219mm, 1500mm, 1800mm, 2000mm, 2500mm, 3000mm, 3500mm, etc

Length :

2000mm, 2440mm, 3000mm, 5800mm, 6000mm, etc

Thickness :

0.3 mm to 120 mm

Form :

Coils, Foils, Rolls, Plain Sheet, Shim Sheet, Perforated Sheet, Chequered Plate, Strip, Flats, Blank (Circle), Ring (Flange) etc.

Surface Finishing :

Hot rolled plate (HR), Cold rolled sheet (CR),2B, 2D, BA, NO.1, NO.4, NO.8, 8K, mirror, Chequered, embossed, hair line, sand blast, Brush, etching, SATIN (Met with Plastic Coated) etc.

Chemical Composition of Stainless Steel 304/304L/304H Sheets and Plates

	C	Mn	Si	P	S	Cr	Ni	N
304	0.07max	2.0max	0.75max	0.045max	0.03max	min: 18.0 max: 20.0	min: 8.0 max: 10.5	—
304L	0.03max	2.0max	0.75max	0.045max	0.03max	min: 18.0 max: 20.0	min: 8.0 max: 12.0	0.10 max
304H	min: 18.0 max:20.0	min: 8.0 max: 10.5	min: 0.04 max:0.10	0.75 max	2.0 max	0.045 max	0.03 max	0.10 max

Mechanical Properties Of Stainless Steel 304/304L/304H Sheets and Plates

Grade	Tensile Strength ksi (min)	Yield Strength 0.2% ksi (min)	Elongation %	Hardness (Brinell) MAX	Hardness (Rockwell B) MAX
304	75	30	40	201	92
304L	70	25	40	201	92
304H	75	30	40	201	92

Physical Properties of 304/304L/304H Stainless Steel Round Bar

SS 304/304L
Density lbm/in3	Thermal Conductivity (BTU/h ft. °F)	Electrical Resistivity (in x 10-6)	Modulus of Elasticity (psi x 106	Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (in/in)/ °F x 10-6	Specific Heat (BTU/lb/ °F)	Melting Range (°F)
at 68°F: 0.285	9.4 at 212°F	28.3 at 68°F	28	9.4 at 32 – 212°F	0.1200 at 68°F to 212°F	2500 to 2590
	12.4 at 932 °F	39.4 at 752°F		10.2 at 32 – 1000°F
		49.6 at 1652 °F		10.4 at 32 – 1500°F
SS 304H
Denstiy lbm/in3	Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (min/in)-°F		Thermal Conductivity BTU/hr-ft-°F		Specific Heat BTU/lbm -°F	Modules of Elasticity (annealed)2-psi
at 68 °F	at 68 – 212°F	at 68 – 1600°F	at 212°F	at 932°F	at 32 – 212°F	in tension (E)
0.285	9.2	11.0	9.4	12.4	0.12	29 x 106