Short answer: Ferritic stainless such as 430 is body-centred cubic, magnetic, lean in nickel and low cost for indoor and decorative duty, while austenitic stainless such as 304 and 316 is face-centred cubic, non-magnetic, highly weldable and more corrosion resistant for food, marine and chemical duty, so the choice turns on welding need, corrosion service and budget, with austenitic chosen where fabrication and corrosion lead and ferritic chosen where cost and magnetism matter.
At a Glance
What Sets Them Apart
Nickel content and crystal structure drive the difference, with resistance detail in our Corrosion Resistance Guide and protection in our Corrosion Protection Guide; the stainless basis is in our Stainless Steel Supplier.
Where Each Belongs
Ferritic suits trim and auto exhaust and austenitic suits hygiene and marine duty, with context in our Marine Offshore Guide et Chemical Processing Guide; galvanic care is in our Bimetallic Corrosion Guide.
Fabrication and Finish
Austenitic welds easily and both can be passivated, with welding in our Stainless Welding Guide and finish in our Passivation Guide et Surface Treatment Guide.
Quality and Sourcing
Stainless is checked by inspection, with methods in our Quality Inspection Guide; buyers confirm grade via our Mill Test Certificate Guide and pack per our Export Packing Guide.
Get a Quote
Tell HXSCO your requirements and we will respond with a competitive quote and lead time.
Questions fréquemment posées
Ferritic is magnetic; austenitic is mostly non-magnetic.
Austenitic (304, 316) welds easily with proper filler.
Austenitic, especially 316 near chlorides.
Ferritic, because it uses little or no nickel.
Mill test certificate shows chemistry and family.
Specify Ferritic or Austenitic with HXSCO
HXSCO supplies 430, 409, 304 and 316 stainless in sheet, plate, bar, tube and pipe. Send grade, finish and quantity for a quote.