The nickel content in stainless steel 304 is approximately around 10%, specifically ranging from 8% to 10.5%.
Stainless steel 304 is widely used due to its nickel-chromium content. It possesses the following characteristics: corrosion resistance, oxidation resistance, ease of fabrication, prevention of product contamination, attractive appearance, ease of cleaning, high strength-to-weight ratio, and good strength and toughness at cryogenic temperatures.
With 8% nickel content (Ni), it can resist neutral to weak reducing environments, such as cold dilute sulfuric acid. With 18% chromium content (Cr), it can withstand neutral to moderately oxidizing solutions, such as dilute nitric acid, moderate concentration of acetic acid, and other organic acids.
Stainless Steel Structural Components
The corrosion resistance of stainless steel decreases with increasing carbon content. Therefore, most stainless steels have low carbon content, typically not exceeding 1.2%. In some steels, the carbon content (C) can be as low as 0.03% (e.g., 00Cr12).
The primary alloying element in stainless steel is chromium (Cr). Only when the chromium content reaches a certain level, the steel exhibits corrosion resistance. Therefore, stainless steel generally has a minimum chromium content of 10.5%. Stainless steel also contains other elements such as nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), manganese (Mn), nitrogen (N), niobium (Nb), molybdenum (Mo), silicon (Si), copper (Cu), etc.