| Material designation | SUS304L; commonly corresponding to AISI 304L and UNS S30403. The exact specification should be stated on the purchase order. | Verification of the applicable standard, grade, heat number, and traceability records. | Austenitic stainless steel plate suitable for corrosion-resistant applications. |
| Raw-material preparation | Selected stainless steel scrap, ferroalloys, nickel-bearing materials, and other charge materials are proportioned to achieve the required 304L chemistry. | Charge calculation, furnace records, material identification, and contamination prevention. | Consistent starting chemistry and controlled alloy content. |
| Melting and refining | The charge is melted in an electric furnace and refined to control carbon, sulfur, phosphorus, dissolved gases, and non-metallic inclusions. | Temperature control, refining records, slag management, and chemical sampling. | Clean molten steel with chemistry prepared for continuous casting or ingot casting. |
Typical chemical composition (mass fraction, maximum unless stated) | Carbon: ≤ 0.030%; Chromium: 18.0–20.0%; Nickel: 8.0–12.0%; Manganese: ≤ 2.00%; Silicon: ≤ 1.00%; Phosphorus: ≤ 0.045%; Sulfur: ≤ 0.030%; Iron: balance. | Optical emission spectroscopy or equivalent chemical analysis against the ordered standard. | Low-carbon austenitic chemistry that helps reduce sensitization risk during welding. |
| Slab casting | Refined steel is continuously cast into slabs, followed by controlled cooling and surface inspection. | Slab dimensions, internal soundness, surface cracks, segregation, and heat identification. | Semi-finished slabs prepared for hot rolling. |
| Hot rolling | Slabs are reheated and reduced through rolling stands to produce the required plate or coil thickness. | Rolling temperature, reduction schedule, thickness, width, flatness, and edge condition. | Hot-rolled stainless steel with a scale layer requiring further surface treatment. |
| Solution annealing | The plate is heated within the appropriate austenitic solution-annealing range and rapidly cooled to restore a uniform austenitic structure. | Furnace temperature uniformity, holding time, cooling rate, and absence of harmful carbide precipitation. | Improved corrosion resistance, ductility, and metallurgical uniformity. |
| Descaling and pickling | Oxide scale is removed mechanically and/or by controlled acid pickling, followed by thorough rinsing and drying. | Uniform scale removal, surface cleanliness, chemical concentration, rinsing quality, and prevention of over-pickling. | Clean metallic surface suitable for inspection or additional finishing. |
| Cold rolling or leveling | Where specified, cold reduction and precision leveling improve thickness control, flatness, and surface appearance. | Thickness tolerance, flatness, residual stress, surface defects, and dimensional consistency. | Closer dimensional tolerances and a more uniform surface finish. |
| Cutting and edge preparation | Plates are cut to ordered length and width using suitable shearing, plasma, laser, or mechanical methods. | Dimensional accuracy, burr control, edge squareness, heat-affected areas, and identification retention. | Finished plate dimensions ready for shipment or fabrication. |
| Surface finish options | Common finishes include No. 1 hot-rolled and annealed/pickled, 2B cold-rolled, and BA bright-annealed, subject to the applicable standard. | Visual uniformity, roughness where specified, scratches, pits, roll marks, and scale residue. | Surface condition matched to forming, architectural, food-processing, or industrial requirements. |
| Typical mechanical requirements at room temperature | For commonly referenced ASTM A240 304L plate requirements: tensile strength ≥ 485 MPa; yield strength ≥ 170 MPa; elongation in 50 mm ≥ 40%; hardness typically ≤ 201 HBW. | Tensile testing, yield-strength measurement, elongation, and hardness testing according to the ordered standard. | Good ductility and formability with strength suitable for general plate applications. |
| Non-destructive examination | Ultrasonic testing, dye-penetrant testing, or other examinations may be applied when required by the purchase specification. | Detection of internal laminations, cracks, surface discontinuities, and other rejectable indications. | Additional confidence in internal and surface integrity. |
| Corrosion-resistance verification | Testing may include intergranular corrosion evaluation or other corrosion tests when required by the application or standard. | Test method, specimen preparation, heat-treatment condition, and acceptance criteria. | Evidence that the material meets the specified corrosion-performance requirement. |
| Final inspection and documentation | Each lot is checked for chemistry, mechanical properties, dimensions, surface condition, marking, and packaging. | Material test certificate, heat number, inspection records, quantity, and packing-list consistency. | Traceable SUS304L stainless steel plates ready for controlled delivery and downstream fabrication. |