304 stainless steel equivalents
304 stainless steel is nearest to EN 1.4301 (X5CrNi18-10), JIS SUS304 and China GB 06Cr19Ni10. These are nearest equivalents, not identical grades: the governing standard or mill certificate decides.
- AISI / ASTM / SAE US
- 304
- EN steel number EN 10027-2
- 1.4301
- EN steel name EN 10027-1
- X5CrNi18-10
- JIS Japan
- SUS304
- GB China
- 06Cr19Ni10
- Family
- Austenitic stainless
About 304
Austenitic stainless. General characteristics; check the standard and the supplier for anything critical.
What it is
The standard austenitic chromium-nickel stainless steel and the most widely used stainless grade. It is non-magnetic in the annealed condition, can become slightly magnetic after cold work, and cannot be hardened by heat treatment, only by cold working.
Typical uses
Food, dairy and brewing equipment, sinks and catering equipment, tanks, architectural trim, general sheet-metal fabrication and A2 stainless fasteners.
Machining notes
Work-hardens quickly. Keep the tool cutting with sharp edges, positive rake and a steady feed; never let it dwell or rub. Chips are stringy, so use chip breakers and plenty of coolant.
Related grades
Grades people often compare with this one.
Fasteners and tapping
Stainless fasteners
Stainless bolts are graded to ISO 3506 (for example A2 and A4 austenitic), not to the ISO 898-1 classes in the bolt torque chart. Do not use those torque values for stainless fasteners; stainless threads also gall easily, so use an anti-seize and the fastener maker's figures.
Bolt torque chartTapping stainless
Stainless work-hardens and grips the tap. Aim for about 60–70 % thread: one size larger than the usual tap drill is common. The tap drill chart shows the percentage each drill leaves.
Tap drill chartAll stainless steel grades
Nearest equivalents across the five designation systems.
| AISI / ASTM | EN name | EN number | JIS | China GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 304 | X5CrNi18-10 | 1.4301 | SUS304 | 06Cr19Ni10 |
| 304L | X2CrNi18-9 | 1.4307 | SUS304L | 022Cr19Ni10 |
| 316 | X5CrNiMo17-12-2 | 1.4401 | SUS316 | 06Cr17Ni12Mo2 |
| 316L | X2CrNiMo17-12-2 | 1.4404 | SUS316L | 022Cr17Ni12Mo2 |
| 321 | X6CrNiTi18-10 | 1.4541 | SUS321 | 06Cr18Ni11Ti |
| 303 | X8CrNiS18-9 | 1.4305 | SUS303 | Y12Cr18Ni9 |
| 310S | X8CrNi25-21 | 1.4845 | SUS310S | 06Cr25Ni20 |
| 201 | X12CrMnNiN17-7-5 | 1.4372 | SUS201 | 12Cr17Mn6Ni5N |
| 430 | X6Cr17 | 1.4016 | SUS430 | 10Cr17 |
| 410 | X12Cr13 | 1.4006 | SUS410 | 12Cr13 |
| 420 | X20Cr13 | 1.4021 | SUS420J1 | 20Cr13 |
| 440C | X105CrMo17 | 1.4125 | SUS440C | 108Cr17 |
| 17-4PH (630) | X5CrNiCuNb16-4 | 1.4542 | SUS630 | 05Cr17Ni4Cu4Nb |
| 2205 duplex | X2CrNiMoN22-5-3 | 1.4462 | SUS329J3L | 022Cr23Ni5Mo3N |
Common questions
What is the European equivalent of 304 stainless steel?
The nearest EN grade is 1.4301, steel name X5CrNi18-10.
What is the JIS equivalent of 304 stainless steel?
The nearest Japanese grade is SUS304.
What is the Chinese GB equivalent of 304 stainless steel?
The nearest Chinese GB grade is 06Cr19Ni10.
Is 1.4301 the same as 304?
1.4301 (X5CrNi18-10) is the nearest European equivalent of 304, not an identical grade. Composition limits and required properties differ in detail, so check the governing standard or the mill certificate when it matters.
What is 304 used for?
Food, dairy and brewing equipment, sinks and catering equipment, tanks, architectural trim, general sheet-metal fabrication and A2 stainless fasteners.