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  • 1.  Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-11-2022 15:01
    Hello ASM members!
    Hope you all are doing great! I was looking to buy some 316L stainless steel for running some experiments in my lab. But 316L seems to be a very difficult material compared to 316. Would anyone happen to know a source which specifically sells 316L (Carbon < 0.03%)? I would like a sheet of thickness 0.06 in and length and breadth of 12 in both. Please let me know if you have any ideas!
    Have a wonderful Monday!
    Thanks,

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    Akanksha Parmar
    Research Assistant
    Purdue Electron Microscopy Facility
    Birck Nanotechnology Center
    Purdue University
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  • 2.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-12-2022 00:34
    I found some 316L sheet on Online Metals, I know McMaster has it, and pretty much every other place that sells 316 and has certs will also carry 316L (or will only carry 316L).

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    David Sapiro
    Senior Materials Engineer
    Seattle WA
    dosapiro@gmail.com
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  • 3.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-12-2022 08:54
    Hello David,
    Thank you for your suggestions. From my conversation with online-metals, they said what they have is a "dual" alloy, which explains why their products are listed as 316/316L. This is the same case with McMaster. McMaster also sells only bars (significantly thicker than my requirements). Would you have any other vendor in mind?
    Thanks,
    Akanksha Parmar
    Research Assistant
    Purdue Electron Microscopy Facility
    Birck Nanotechnology Center
    Purdue University

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    Akanksha Parmar
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  • 4.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-12-2022 12:29
    Why can you not use the dual certified material? The material meets the requirements of 316L. They just list is as dual since the 316 spec overlaps the 316L spec. Meaning you can never really buy "just" 316L material (it would always also meet 316).

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    Jeffrey Crane
    Product Development Manager
    K-Tube Technologies
    Poway CA
    jcrane@k-tube.com
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  • 5.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-13-2022 01:49
    Hi Akanksha,
    I apologize if this has already been answered.  When you purchase a dual certification material, in this case 316L/316, it means that all of the important aspects of the material grades are satisfied.  When you inquired about 316L, it customarily means that the material has low C and meets all of the other chemical requirements, and also has a minimum yield and tensile exceeding that of 316L.  316L as I recall has a slightly lower tensile strength requirement than 316.  But there is generally not a maximum on the yield and tensile.

    If a supplier can provide a product that meets the low C of the L grade, but also meets the tensile strength requirements of 316, then it can be sold to also meet the property requirements of 316.  Modern steel making processes routinely accomplish this.  So what you are purchasing is a 316L with slightly enhanced strength such that it always exceeds the minimums of 316.  As one only purchases 316L when one needs the low C for some aspect of corrosion resistance such as sensitization protection, the dual grade material should meet all of your needs and you can ignore that it also meets 316.  The strength requirements of 316 and 316L were set a long time ago and practices have improved.  Another example of historical change is that 316 was developed to meet certain alloy content ranges, and it was unlikely that all alloys would be at the low end of specification in a single heat.  Corrosion resistance tests were therefore done on "average" heats.  When manufacturing advances allowed tight control of alloy content such that heats could be produced with lower and therefore less expensive alloy content, it was found that sometimes the lean heats no longer provided adequate corrosion resistance for some applications.  Therefore some consumers found that they needed to purchase 317 with higher Mo, or reached agreements with suppliers to provide alloy content that was at least not low-side on certain elements, to guarantee a certain corrosion resistance.

    For specific applications such as fabricating an ASME pressure vessel or piping, or an airplane, material is purchased not as "316L" but according to a somewhat more detailed specification such as an ASTM/ASME/ANSI/AMS.  These specifications will have additional requirements or conditions that may restrict certain manufacturing process factors, product forms (forging vs. bar vs. sheet vs. wire, etc.), heat treatments, cleaning, specific physical or mechanical properties, inclusion count, etc. Additional specifications that the material meets may be detailed in the fine print at your supplier. Depending on the purpose you plan for the material you may want to look into other, more detailed specifications.  If you are buying sheet to 316L and then the sheet is subjected to heat such as welding, it will have the increased sensitization resistance expected of an L grade but will lose the tensile enhancement of cold-rolled sheet in the areas adjacent to the weld, so this is a design factor to keep in mind.  I hope that these comments are of value.

    Paul Tibbals



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  • 6.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-12-2022 11:59
    I am surprised by your report. For flat products (plate, sheet, strip) in North America the demand is mostly for 316L. Many people also want the higher strength of 316, and dual certified 316/316L is the most commonly stocked form of this alloy. An on-line search provided many suppliers. I suspect you have a problem with quantity - you don't need enough to make it worthwhile. For very small quantities you might contact Metal Samples Company ( https://www.alspi.com/contact-MS.htm )

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    John Grubb
    consultant
    New Kensington PA
    (724) 448-5272
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  • 7.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-12-2022 17:09
    Ryerson, a large service center with stocking plants all over the United States, carries 316 and 316L sheet in 10, 11, 12, 14 16 and 18 gauge sheet.

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    Christopher Hahin
    Engineer of Structural Materials & Bridge Investigations
    Illinois Department of Transportation
    Springfield IL
    (217) 522-4023
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  • 8.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 07-14-2022 13:24
    https://www.metalsdepot.com/
    S416-316,
    316/316L Stainless Steel Sheet - 2B Mill Finish  <------ dual cert
    1' x 2' x 16GA (nom 0.060) (0.058"+/-0.004"), 
    in-stock
    $93.20 
    1-3 days shipping


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    James Quinn
    Dir. of Laboratories
    Stony Brook University
    Stony Brook NY
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  • 9.  RE: Purchasing 316L sheet

    Posted 08-26-2022 13:40
    Hello everyone,
    Thank you for all the valuable suggestions. The most important concept which became clear was the dual certification of a material. Paul Tibbals, thank you so much for explaining it so well. I called up at least 10 companies, but the costs of cutting a small piece was very expensive. I finally purchased a piece from OnlineMetals after asking for a specifications certificate.
    Thanks again,
    Akanksha

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    Akanksha Parmar
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