Stainless Steel Types 304 and 316

Our commercial HVAC grilles, diffusers, air extractors, dampers, and more are made of either Type 304 or Type 316. Type 304 is the most versatile of austenitic stainless steels, providing for the ease of fabrication, cleaning, and prevention of product contamination.

Type 316 is an austenitic chromium-nickel stainless and heat-resisting steel with superior corrosion resistance. It is durable and easy to clean. The additional 2 percent of molybdenum makes Type 316 more resistant to corrosion and oxidation than the 304 family of alloys.

Stainless Steel and Rust

A passive film coating on the exterior surface of stainless steel resists oxidation or rusting. The film instantaneously forms when exposed to an oxidizing atmosphere.

Chromium is responsible for stainless steel’s non-corrosive properties. It’s created when oxygen combines with the chrome in the stainless to form chrome oxide, or ceramic.

The chromium atoms combine with oxygen to form the film, much like how paint protects your car. If the layer is removed, the base metal is exposed and can begin to corrode.