304 Austenitic Stainless Steel Coil Cold Rolled 2B Finish 0.3mm-6mm Food Grade 18Cr-8Ni Corrosion Resistant SS Coil

Our 304 (UNS S30400) austenitic stainless steel coil represents the most widely specified stainless steel grade globally, accounting for over 50% of total stainless steel production. With over 15 years of metallurgical manufacturing expertise, we produce these coils through a precisely controlled cold rolling process that transforms hot rolled annealed and pickled (HRAP) input material into finished coils with exceptional surface quality, tight thickness tolerances, and optimized mechanical properties. The 304 grade features a nominal composition of 18% chromium and 8% nickel, which creates a self-healing passive chromium oxide layer on the surface that provides outstanding corrosion resistance in a wide range of atmospheric environments and many corrosive media. The austenitic FCC microstructure remains stable from cryogenic temperatures to elevated service temperatures, ensuring consistent mechanical properties and eliminating ductile-to-brittle transition concerns that plague ferritic and martensitic grades. Our 2B finish is produced through a final light cold rolling pass on polished rolls after bright annealing, resulting in a smooth reflective surface with average roughness Ra 0.1-0.5um that is the industry standard for general-purpose applications. Each coil undergoes 100% online thickness gauging, surface inspection, and mechanical property verification per heat with full traceability from original steelmaking heat through to finished coil ID. Our facility is ISO 9001:2015 certified with compliance to ASTM A240/A240M, EN 10088-2, and JIS G4305, supported by an in-house laboratory equipped with OES for chemical analysis, universal tensile testing machines, hardness testers, and surface profilometry equipment.

• Superior Corrosion Resistance: The 18% chromium forms a stable self-healing passive Cr2O3 oxide film that provides excellent resistance to atmospheric corrosion, fresh water, diluted acids, alkaline solutions, and many organic chemicals. This passive layer regenerates instantly when mechanically damaged, ensuring continuous protection throughout the product service life. Salt spray testing per ASTM B117 demonstrates over 500 hours to first red rust in 5% NaCl neutral fog conditions, significantly outperforming lower-chromium ferritic grades such as 430.
• Outstanding Formability and Deep Drawability: The fully austenitic microstructure with low stacking fault energy provides exceptional work hardening characteristics enabling severe forming operations including deep drawing, stretch forming, and hydroforming. With elongation of 50-60% (A50) in the annealed condition and an n-value of approximately 0.45, 304 can be formed into complex geometries without intermediate annealing steps. The low yield strength (minimum 205 MPa) combined with high ductility makes it the preferred material for demanding stamping across appliance, automotive, and food processing industries.
• Excellent Weldability Without Post-Weld Treatment: 304 stainless steel exhibits outstanding weldability with all common fusion welding processes including GTAW (TIG), GMAW (MIG), SMAW (stick), SAW, and resistance welding. The low carbon content (max 0.08%) minimizes intergranular chromium carbide precipitation in the HAZ for sections up to 6mm thickness, eliminating the requirement for post-weld solution annealing in most fabrication scenarios. For thicker sections or applications with extended sensitization exposure, 304L (max 0.03% C) is recommended and also available.
• Wide Service Temperature Range: 304 retains excellent mechanical properties across an exceptionally wide temperature spectrum. At cryogenic temperatures down to -196C (liquid nitrogen), the austenitic structure maintains full ductility and toughness without ductile-to-brittle transition. Tensile strength actually increases at low temperatures while maintaining useful elongation. At elevated temperatures, 304 provides good oxidation resistance in intermittent service up to 870C and continuous service up to 925C, making it suitable for heat exchangers, furnace components, and exhaust systems.
• Hygienic Surface for Food and Medical Applications: The 2B cold rolled finish provides a smooth non-porous surface with Ra typically below 0.5um that resists bacterial adhesion and facilitates thorough cleaning. 304 is fully compliant with FDA, EU 1935/2004, and 3-A Sanitary Standards for food contact applications. The absence of surface porosity prevents entrapment of organic matter, while the inherent corrosion resistance ensures that cleaning and sanitizing chemicals do not degrade the surface over extended service cycles.
• 100% Recyclable and Sustainable Material: Stainless steel is infinitely recyclable without any degradation in material properties. Modern 304 stainless steel production typically incorporates 60-85% recycled scrap content, making it one of the most sustainable engineering materials available. At end-of-life, 304 scrap commands high value in the recycling market, creating a strong economic incentive for recovery. The long service life of 304 products (often exceeding 50 years in architectural applications) further enhances lifecycle environmental performance.
• Comprehensive Mill Test Documentation: Every coil ships with EN 10204 Type 3.1 mill test certificates documenting chemical composition by heat analysis, mechanical properties (yield strength, tensile strength, elongation, hardness), dimensional conformance, and surface finish classification. Additional testing services including intergranular corrosion testing per ASTM A262 Practice E, pitting resistance evaluation, ferrite content measurement, and ultrasonic testing are available to meet specific project specifications and quality assurance requirements.

304 stainless steel coils serve as the foundational material across the broadest spectrum of industries due to their exceptional balance of corrosion resistance, formability, weldability, and cost-effectiveness. Primary applications include food and beverage processing equipment (storage tanks, mixing vessels, conveyor systems, pasteurizers, brewing and dairy equipment), commercial and residential kitchenware (cookware, cutlery, sinks, countertops, food preparation surfaces), architectural and construction elements (elevator panels, escalator cladding, column covers, handrails, curtain wall systems, interior decorative panels), medical and pharmaceutical equipment (surgical instruments, sterilization trays, hospital furniture, cleanroom panels, pharmaceutical manufacturing vessels), automotive components (exhaust systems, catalytic converter shells, decorative trim, fuel filler necks, brake line tubing), chemical processing equipment (moderate-duty storage tanks, piping systems, heat exchangers for non-chloride environments), domestic appliances (washing machine drums, dishwasher interiors, refrigerator panels, oven liners), and water treatment equipment (filtration housings, RO membrane vessels, distribution piping). Its proven track record spanning over 90 years of commercial production makes 304 the default stainless steel specification when no specific alloying requirement mandates an alternative grade.

Every coil is protected with multi-layer packaging consisting of acid-free interleaving paper (preventing surface marring between coil wraps), VCI anti-corrosion paper (providing active vapor-phase corrosion protection), and heavy-duty waterproof UV-stabilized polyethylene film with heat-sealed edges for complete moisture barrier integrity. Edge protection rings are fitted to both coil faces to prevent mechanical damage. High-tensile steel strapping is applied in both circumferential orientation (minimum 4 straps for coils under 5 tons) and radial (through-bore) orientation. Coils are palletized on ISPM 15 heat-treated wooden skids or steel cradles. For containerized shipments, timber blocking, air bags, and rated lashing chains secure coils against transit forces. Each coil carries a weather-resistant identification tag with grade, heat number, coil ID, dimensions, weight, and customer reference. Our quality system maintains complete metallurgical genealogy from heat through to finished coil dispatch. Third-party inspection and witness testing by SGS, Bureau Veritas, TUV Rheinland, or Lloyds Register is available at customer request.