MAGNETISM IN 304 and 316

304 stainless steel contains chromium (min. 18%), and nickel (min. 8%). It is an austenite
steel and is only slightly responsive to magnetic fields. It also contains 18 – 20%
chromium and 8-10.50% nickel, and lesser quantities of some other elements.
316 stainless steel is a molybdenum-alloyed steel. The fact that it is also negligibly
responsive to magnetic fields means that it can be used in applications where a non-
magnetic metal is required. It also contains a number of other elements in varying
concentrations.

Any process which can change the crystal structure of stainless steel can cause austenite
to be converted to the ferromagnetic martensite or ferrite forms of iron. These processes
include cold working, machining and welding. It is also possible for austenite to
spontaneously convert to martensite at low temperatures. To complicate matters further,
the magnetic properties of these alloys depend on the alloy composition. Within the
allowed ranges of variation of Ni and Cr, significant differences in magnetic properties may
be observed for a given alloy.

Welding consumables for 316L materials are designed to produce a small amount of
ferrite in the deposited weld to avoid weld hot cracking, this is why the weld shows some
magnetism i.e. the deposited weld metal does not contain a 100% austenite phase. It is
normal to check the ferrite level of completed 316L welds to ensure the ferrite % is in the
range 3% to 8% in order to give adequate protection from hot cracking and required
properties at low temperature.

What can be done to minimize the magnetization of stainless steel components?

Ferrite free" welding rods are available to minimize the tendency of welds to become
magnetic. In principle, a welded or machined component can be annealed to restore it to
its nonmagnetic state, although this is not always convenient.
Selecting a 316 stainless steel with nickel content that is in the upper side of the allowed
content range may also be helpful, but again, may not always be practical. The 316N
stainless steel alloy is expected to have less of a tendency to become magnetic than 316
or 316L, however, it may not be readily available.