304 stainless steel production process

304 stainless steel production process

304 stainless steel is widely used in industry, construction, home and other fields because of its excellent corrosion resistance, high strength and aesthetics. However, it is not easy to produce high-quality 304 stainless steel. It requires strict production process control and superb technology.

Next, we will provide an in-depth analysis of the production process of 304 stainless steel and take you to understand the manufacturing process of high-quality products.

1. Raw material selection: determine the quality basis

To manufacture high-quality 304 stainless steel, you first need to select high-quality raw materials. The main raw materials include iron, chromium, nickel, molybdenum, etc. Among them, the main components of 304 stainless steel are chromium (Cr) and nickel (Ni), accounting for 18% to 20% and 8% to 10% respectively.

2. Smelting process: fine control of ingredients

①. Raw material pretreatment: Raw materials must first be preprocessed, including impurity removal, classification, weighing, etc., to ensure that the composition of each batch of raw materials meets the requirements.

      ②. Smelting furnace: Put the pretreated raw materials into the smelting furnace for high-temperature melting. During the melting process, appropriate proportions of alloying elements are added to precisely control the composition of the stainless steel.

     ③. Refining: The molten alloy liquid goes through the refining process to remove impurities and bubbles to ensure the purity and homogeneity of the steel.

3. Rolling process: plastic processing and forming

①. Hot rolling: The refined stainless steel alloy billet is hot rolled. Through continuous rolling at high temperature, the steel is gradually thinned to the required thickness.

      ②. Pickling: There may be a layer of oxide scale on the surface of hot-rolled steel. Pickling can remove the oxide scale and make the surface smoother.

③. Cold rolling: Cold rolling is formed by further rolling hot-rolled steel at room temperature. The cold rolling process increases the strength and hardness of the steel and improves the surface finish.

4. Annealing treatment: eliminate stress and improve performance

During the cold rolling process, residual stress may occur inside the stainless steel due to plastic deformation. In order to eliminate these stresses and improve the toughness and stability of steel, annealing is required.

     Annealing treatments are divided into many types, such as full annealing, intermittent annealing and continuous annealing. The appropriate annealing process can be selected according to different requirements.

      5. Finishing processing: cutting to length and providing finished products

After annealing, the 304 stainless steel needs to undergo finishing processing, including cutting, smoothing, polishing, etc., to process the steel into finished products that meet specifications and requirements.

Conclusion

      Manufacturing high-quality 304 stainless steel requires strict control of every link. From raw material selection, smelting process, rolling processing, annealing treatment, to finishing processing, every step is crucial. Only by strictly controlling the entire production process can we ensure the production of high-quality 304 stainless steel and meet the needs of high-performance, high-quality materials in various fields.