Stainless Steel Comparison
There are many steel and stainless steel furnaces on the
market today. Long life and trouble free service for your furnace
are dependent on quality of workmanship and quality of materials.
 Ductility
is a measure of material's ability to bend permanently without breaking,
measured by elongation. In stoves, heat expansion creates high stress on
welds. The higher ductility of 304L absorbs stresses better than 409
steel.
Grade 304L stainless steel is the highest grade and
quality of stainless steel used in the Outdoor wood furnace
industry. 304L has 50% higher nickel content, and 80% higher
chromium content than 409 stainless. Empyre furnaces are
manufactured with 304L stainless steel fireboxes and water jackets.
Even though 304L is considerably more expensive than 409 we offer it at a
highly competitive price.
 The
less expensive grade 409 Stainless Steel ("titanium enhance") is
used in many outdoor hot water furnaces on the market today. 304L
will outlast 409 for corrosion resistance. 409 stainless steel is
more prone to cracking while the furnace is in use. 409 or
"titanium enhanced" can be welded easier by less experienced
personnel, and it is more prone to cracking and rusting. Boiler
plate & regular mild black steel has the same atmospheric corrosion
resistance as plain carbon steel (mild black steel). Boiler plate
& regular mild steel have no nickel or chromium content.
References:
- American Welding Society, Welding Handbook, www.aws.org
- The Lincoln Electric Company, Stainless Steels Property, www.lincolnelectric.com
- American Society for Metals, www.asm-intl.org
- Welding Institute of Canada, Welding Metallurgy of Stainless
Steels
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