Data completeness: partial. Last verified 19 August 2026.
Designations
| Common name | 316 |
| UNS | S31600 |
| EN number | 1.4401 |
| Class | Austenitic stainless steel |
| Specified by | ASTM A240/A240M, EN 10088-2 |
316 and 316L are the same alloy with different carbon ceilings, and on the EN cold rolled row they carry the same proof strength minimum — 240 MPa for both. That surprises people who expect the L grade to be visibly weaker, and it is why dual-certified 316/316L stock exists at all: one heat can satisfy both. The difference shows on plate and on hot rolled product, and it shows in what happens to the heat-affected zone after welding, which is the reason anyone specifies the L in the first place.
Properties, with what each one rests on
| Property | Value | Unit | Condition | Evidence | Source | Retrieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Proof strength Rp0.2, minimum (EN) | 240 | MPa | cold rolled coil and sheet, 20 °C | E3 | EN 10088-2 via Outokumpu Supra range datasheet — molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels | 2026-08-20 |
| Tensile strength Rm, minimum | 530 | MPa | cold rolled; datasheet gives a 530–680 range | E3 | EN 10088-2 via Outokumpu Supra range datasheet — molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels | 2026-08-20 |
| Elongation A, minimum | 40 | % | cold rolled; A and A80 both 40 | E3 | EN 10088-2 via Outokumpu Supra range datasheet — molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels | 2026-08-20 |
| PREN | 24 | — | from typical composition, not from a heat | E3 | Outokumpu Supra range datasheet — molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels | 2026-08-20 |
| Density | 8.0 | g/cm³ | 20 °C | E3 | Outokumpu Supra range datasheet — molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels | 2026-08-20 |
| Modulus of elasticity | 200 | GPa | 20 °C | E3 | Outokumpu Supra range datasheet — molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels | 2026-08-20 |
| Thermal conductivity | 15 | W/(m·K) | 20 °C | E3 | Outokumpu Supra range datasheet — molybdenum-alloyed austenitic stainless steels | 2026-08-20 |
| Carbon maximum | not established | — | — | — | the limit that separates 316 from 316L belongs to the standard, which is paywalled | — |
| Proof strength Rp0.2, minimum (ASTM plate) | not established | — | — | — | ASTM A240 is paywalled and no secondary source was checked for this grade | — |
| Composition limits | not established | — | — | — | ASTM A240 is paywalled; the datasheet gives typical values, which are not limits | — |
7 sourced values, 3 gaps named. Publishing the gaps is more useful than filling them from an aggregator that does not say where its numbers came from. The routes to filling them are the standard itself, a mill datasheet, or a mill certificate for your actual heat — which supersedes both at E5.
Where the numbers come from
Proof strength Rp0.2, minimum (EN). Identical to the 316L row in the same table and the same product form. The two grades part company on Quarto plate, where both drop to 220 MPa, and on carbon, which this page does not carry because the standard that sets it was not opened.
PREN. Reproduces from the datasheet’s own formula and its own typical composition: 17.2% Cr and 2.1% Mo give 24.1. Same as 316L, because the molybdenum is the same and carbon does not enter the formula.
Why we do not just copy an aggregator. Because then this page would be a worse copy of MatWeb with no way for you to tell which rows to trust, and the one thing we have that MatWeb does not is the evidence column. Our coverage and its limits.
What 316 is usually chosen for
Availability and price, when the part is not going to be welded into service or the section is thick enough that a sensitised heat-affected zone does not matter. Bar, machined components and fasteners are the usual home: they are often not welded, and the higher carbon gives slightly better machining behaviour than the L grade.
And what it is usually rejected for
Welding, most of the time. Carbon above roughly 0.03% is enough to precipitate chromium carbides at grain boundaries as a weld cools, and the corrosion resistance of the heat-affected zone goes with it. Where a part is welded and will get wet, the L grade removes the question for almost no money. The other reason is chlorides — at PREN 24 this is a mid-table alloy, not a seawater one.
The number to be more careful with than any of the above is the difference between a specified minimum and a typical value — a floor the standard guarantees, versus what a supplier’s production usually does. The full version, and the most expensive routine mistake in material data.
Compare
What this page does not cover
- The carbon limit, which is the only thing that distinguishes this grade from 316L, is not established here.
- The ASTM plate minima are not established here.
- Elevated and cryogenic temperature behaviour.
- Fatigue, fracture toughness and chloride stress corrosion cracking.
- Welding procedure guidance, filler selection and post-weld treatment.
- Whether 316 or 316L is right for your part. The page next door compares them; neither page decides it.
Generated from data/materials/316.yaml. Regenerate rather than editing this file by hand — edits here are lost on the next build.