316 Stainless Steel Ball

Type 316 Stainless Steel is the most corrosion resistant of any standard catalog material. It is a modified type 300 series stainless steel with 2-3% Molybdenum, 10-14% Nickel, and 18% Chromium. The addition of the Molybdenum and higher percentage of Nickel greatly increases this material's resistance to attack by sulfurous compounds and reduces pitting caused by phosphoric acids, acetic acids, and chlorides. It is widely used in the food, fruit, and brewing industries. It is resistant to dyes, solvents, and most industrial chemicals. It resists both sodium and calcium brines. This material is approved by the FDA and has even been used in surgical implants.

Quality: Because this material is so soft, it is difficult and expensive to maintain the very close tolerances usually associated with precision bearing balls. The finest quality normally available in this very soft material is AFBMA grade 100. Custom made orders can be made to much finer tolerances.
Hardness: In the annealed condition this material is approximately 30 HRC. It is generally referred to as soft or nonhardenable stainless steel.
Density: of this material is .29 pounds per cubic inch. ( 8 gr/cc )
Machinability: is rated at 45% of mild steel. This material is tough but it can be machined, drilled, and tapped with moderate difficulty.
Weldability: is rated as very good, but it should be remembered that this material has a high rate of expansion when heated (10x10^6/inch/degrees F), so the fastest method of welding will cause the least distortion. It is a very poor conductor of heat and has a low melting temperature ( 2500°F ).
Magnetic: In the annealed condition this material is almost nonmagnetic. In the cold worked condition it can be attracted by a magnet.
Electrical Restistance: is very high at 74 micro ohms-cm^3. This is almost 10 times higher than mild steel.

To see our available inventory of 316 stainless steel balls in our on-line shopping cart. If we don't have your desired ball in stock, we can make it. In general, the setup charge for a grade 100 ball is $70.00.

Chemical Analysis
Carbon	0.08% Max.
Manganese	2.00% Max.
Silicon	1.00% Max.
Chromium	16.00-18.00%
Nickel	10.00-14.00%
Molybdenum	2.00-3.00%
Sulfur	0.03% Max.
Phosphorus	0.045% Max.
Ferrite	Balance