EN 10088-2 X2CrNiN18-10 1.4311 Stainless Steel Plate

EN 10088-2 X2CrNiN18-10 1.4311 stainless steel plate is an austenitic flat product supplied to EN 10088-2, the European standard for stainless steel sheet, plate and strip for general purposes. X2CrNiN18-10 contains no more than 0.030 % carbon, 17.5 – 19.5 % chromium, 8.5 – 11.5 % nickel and 0.12 – 0.22 % nitrogen. The nitrogen raises the proof strength: hot rolled plate needs at least 270 MPa in EN 10088-2 Table 7, against 200 MPa for 1.4307, while the low carbon keeps the steel resistant to intergranular corrosion both as delivered and when sensitized. The standard lists 1.4311 as cold rolled strip up to 8 mm, continuously hot rolled strip up to 13.5 mm and hot rolled plate up to 75 mm, all solution annealed.

SHH STEEL works as a steel sourcing partner with long-term relationships with Chinese stainless mills that roll austenitic CrNi hot rolled plate, coil and cold rolled sheet. For large tonnages, the buyer can contract directly with a suitable mill, with SHH STEEL assisting for a modest service fee and handling follow-up and documents. For small orders we consolidate demand, so that 1 – 5 t lots are placed against genuine mill production instead of stock of unknown origin. Each shipment can be released after third-party inspection by TUV, ABS, BV, DNV, CCS or an agency the buyer nominates, and payment by TT or LC is accepted. The rest of this page covers the technical side of EN 10088-2 1.4311 and the steps we take so that the sheet that arrives is the sheet that was ordered.

The table below lists the concerns buyers raise most often when sourcing EN 10088-2 X2CrNiN18-10 sheet and plate from China, and how SHH STEEL deals with each of them.

1.4311 is the EN counterpart of UNS S30453, Type 304LN, in ASTM A240 (see ASTM A240 Type 304LN sheet and plate). For pressure equipment it is ordered to EN 10028-7; see EN 10028-7 1.4311 pressure vessel plate.

A heat can meet both 1.4311 and S30453 if chromium is 18.0 – 19.5 % and nitrogen 0.12 – 0.16 %, with silicon at most 0.75 %. SUS304LN shares the 1.4311 nickel and nitrogen ranges. The ASTM values are from ASTM A240-22. SHH STEEL checks the nitrogen overlap when a buyer needs dual certification.

1.4311 is also listed in EN 10028-7:2016 for pressure purposes. That standard may set its own test and property requirements, which we have not reproduced here.

Edition note: the values on this page are taken from EN 10088-2:2014. A revised edition (EN 10088-2:2024) has since been published. If your contract names the newer edition, SHH STEEL checks the order against that text before production, and any difference is raised at the quotation stage rather than after rolling.

The 1.4311 chemical composition below is the cast (heat) analysis from EN 10088-2:2014 Table 1. Values are percentages by mass; a single figure is a maximum.

The 1.4311 nitrogen range of 0.12 – 0.22 % is what gives 1.4311 its higher proof strength; the low carbon gives resistance to intergranular corrosion. Footnote b to Table 1 permits controlled sulphur ranges: 0.015 – 0.030 % for machinability, 0.008 – 0.015 % for weldability, and 0.015 % max. for polishability. SHH STEEL checks carbon and nitrogen on every certificate as part of the 1.4311 chemical composition review.

Product analysis tolerances (EN 10088-2 Table 5)

A product analysis is a check made on the delivered sheet. It is not mandatory under EN 10088-2; it is carried out when agreed at the time of enquiry and order, and SHH STEEL can arrange it through a partner laboratory. The permissible tolerances on the cast limits are:

Where several product analyses are made on one cast, individual results may exceed the maximum or fall below the minimum, but not both for the same element. If a product analysis is required, it should be stated in the order together with the Table 5 tolerances.

The 1.4311 mechanical properties below are the room-temperature values from EN 10088-2:2014 Table 7 for austenitic steels in the solution annealed condition. Test pieces are transverse; the A80 elongation applies below 3 mm and the proportional elongation A from 3 mm.

Rp1.0 values are for guidance only. For continuously hot rolled products, 20 MPa higher minimum Rp0.2 and 10 MPa higher Rp1.0 may be agreed. For strip in rolling widths below 300 mm tested longitudinally, the minimum proof strength is reduced by 15 MPa and elongation by 5 % (constant gauge) or 2 % (proportional gauge). For bigger sizes than those listed, mechanical values are to be agreed.

Table 7 rates 1.4311 resistance to intergranular corrosion (EN ISO 3651-2) as “yes” in both the delivery and the sensitized condition.

Cold worked condition (process route 2H)

EN 10088-2 Tables 19 and 20 list no cold worked (2H) strength levels for 1.4311, so the grade is ordered in the solution annealed condition (+AT). Where a higher strength is needed, 1.4301 (all levels +C700 to +C1300) or the nitrogen-alloyed grades are the usual options.

Minimum proof strength at elevated temperature (EN 10088-2 Table 12, +AT)

EN 10088-2 Table 12 gives values from 100 °C to 550 °C for this grade, for the solution annealed condition (+AT). They are minimum values for design and are not tested unless agreed. The 1.4311 values stay above those of 1.4307 across the range (for example 136 against 100 MPa Rp0.2 at 300 °C).

EN 10088-2 Table A.1 gives the following guideline temperatures for 1.4311:

The footnotes to Table A.1 state that with a continuous furnace the upper part of the range is usually preferred or even exceeded, and that the lower end of the range should be aimed at when the heat treatment is part of further processing, because otherwise the mechanical properties may be affected. Solution annealing may be omitted if hot working and cooling achieve the required mechanical properties and resistance to intergranular corrosion.

The Euro Inox tables give the same 1 000 – 1 100 °C range with cooling in air or water. Plate is delivered solution annealed (+AT); we check the condition on each certificate.

The values below are approximate reference figures for X2CrNiN18-10 at room temperature, from the worldstainless “Tables of Technical Properties”, which follow EN 10088-1. They are suitable for design estimates and weight calculation; where a figure is critical, use EN 10088-1 itself.

Thermal expansion is higher and conductivity lower than for ferritic grades, which matters for welding distortion. A materials database remark on the comparable DIN grade (Applus+ Materials Portal) notes suitability for refrigeration down to −270 °C owing to its cryogenic toughness; low-temperature requirements should be confirmed under the governing pressure standard.

1.4311 has the general corrosion resistance of the 18-10 austenitic steels. The Euro Inox fabrication tables describe it as having good general corrosion resistance. EN 10088-2 Table 7 rates its resistance to intergranular corrosion, tested to EN ISO 3651-2, as “yes” both in the delivery condition and in the sensitized condition. A materials database remark on the comparable DIN grade mentions resistance to nitric acid and other oxidising media.

Where the extra strength is not needed, EN 10088-2 1.4307 plate is the nitrogen-free low-carbon grade.

As EN 10088-2 notes, corrosion resistance depends strongly on the environment and cannot always be judged from laboratory tests, so experience with the grade in similar service should be used.

1.4311 is readily weldable, and its low carbon content keeps welds resistant to intergranular corrosion.

• The Euro Inox fabrication tables rate TIG/MIG, manual metal arc and resistance welding as suitable for 1.4311.
• Filler materials listed are 1.4316, 1.4455 and 1.4551; 1.4455 is a nitrogen-alloyed filler.
• No preheat is listed in those tables.
• EN 10088-2 does not specify welding procedures; these are published guidelines and general practice.

These points reflect industry practice for austenitic CrNi stainless steels rather than requirements of EN 10088-2, which does not specify welding procedures. In the SHH STEEL workshop, blanks and slit strips are cut with clean, burr-free edges so that seam, spot and tube welding run without edge preparation problems.

Annealed 1.4311 forms well with standard austenitic practice. Its higher proof strength means forming forces and springback are somewhat higher than for 1.4307, which should be allowed for in press brake and rolling set-ups.

Thick plate is cut by plasma or waterjet, and sheet by laser or shearing. Machining needs sharp tools and positive feeds to avoid work hardening at the cut.

We run our own workshop next to the warehouse, so 1.4311 hot rolled plate and X2CrNiN18-10 plate blanks can be delivered cut to size, laser-cut or bent. Details are on our steel cutting services and bending and forming services pages.

1.4311 is listed in EN 10088-2 as cold rolled strip, continuously hot rolled strip and hot rolled plate.

EN 10088-2 Table 7 gives mechanical values for hot rolled plate up to 75 mm; for bigger sizes the mechanical values shall be agreed at the time of enquiry and order. Under section 6.9 of the standard, EN ISO 18286 normally applies only to individually rolled quarto plate, while continuously rolled material follows EN ISO 9444-2.

SHH STEEL can supply 1.4311 hot rolled plate and coil, and 1.4311 cold rolled sheet and coil, in standard sizes or cut to your drawing.

Surface finish is ordered by the process route symbols of EN 10088-2 Table 6; trade names from ASTM and JIS are shown for reference. Not every route is available for every grade, and the mill confirms which ones it can supply.

The No.1, No.4 and BA cross-references follow worldstainless and IMOA comparison tables; EN 10088-2 itself defines only the EN symbols, and not every route is available for every grade. Special finishes such as 1J and 2J apply to one surface unless otherwise agreed.

The usual 1.4311 equivalent, and the answer to most 304LN equivalent enquiries, is UNS S30453.

For ASME pressure work the grade is ordered as ASME SA-240 304LN plate, and for Chinese pressure vessels as GB/T 713.7 S30453 pressure vessel plate.

1.4311 vs 1.4307 and 1.4318

Compared with EN 10088-2 1.4307 plate, 1.4311 adds 0.12 – 0.22 % nitrogen, which raises the minimum proof strength of hot rolled plate from 200 to 270 MPa while keeping the same IGC rating. Compared with EN 10088-2 1.4318 plate, it has more nickel and less nitrogen, so its strength is lower but its austenite is more stable; 1.4318 is the grade for cold worked lightweight structures.

Typical applications of 1.4311 plate listed in the Euro Inox fabrication tables include:

• Pressure vessels in the chemical industry
• Dairy and brewing vessels
• Pumps
• Fittings
• Storage tanks where the higher proof strength allows thinner walls
• Low-temperature equipment, subject to the pressure standard

For pressure equipment, 1.4311 plate is ordered to EN 10028-7; for other uses, EN 10088-2 applies.

Designers choose 1.4311 when the higher proof strength reduces plate thickness. SHH STEEL can advise when 1.4307 is sufficient.

For 1.4311 the main risks are low or missing nitrogen and certificates that only show 304LN limits.

None of these steps is complicated, but they need to be agreed at the start. When you send an enquiry, tell us which of these points matters most to you, and the order will be built around it.

Every 1.4311 order is supported by documents and checks that make the material traceable to the heat:

• Cast analysis with carbon, chromium, nickel and nitrogen checked
• Tensile test (transverse) to Table 7
• Impact test for plate over 10 mm when agreed
• Intergranular corrosion test to EN ISO 3651-2 when agreed
• Thickness, flatness and surface inspection
• Additional checks through our third-party testing service: PMI, dimensional, flatness and surface inspection

If the order does not name an inspection document, EN 10088-2 requires only a test report 2.2. Because this is rarely enough for vessel and tank or export work, SHH STEEL supplies an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate as standard and a 3.2 certificate when an independent inspector (TUV, ABS, BV, DNV, CCS or an agency you nominate) witnesses testing and countersigns the document.

Ordering example and lead time

Following the pattern of the example in EN 10088-2, a typical order line would read: 8 plates, 20 mm × 2 000 mm × 6 000 mm, EN ISO 18286, EN 10088-2, steel X2CrNiN18-10 (1.4311), process route 1D, inspection certificate 3.1 to EN 10204. Mill production lead time is generally 30 – 40 days from order confirmation, depending on the rolling schedule, the size and the tests requested; because the melt must be aimed at the nitrogen range, campaign dates should be confirmed at enquiry. Consolidated small lots follow the same mill schedule, and we send progress updates at rolling, testing and packing.

• Mill relationships: long-term cooperation with Chinese stainless mills helps us secure competitive pricing and steadier delivery for 1.4311 and related austenitic grades.
• Direct mill contracts: for larger tonnages you can contract directly with a suitable mill, for a modest service fee, while we handle follow-up and documents.
• Order consolidation: 1 – 5 t lots are combined so they can be placed against genuine mill production.
• Own workshop: slitting, cut-to-length, laser cutting, bending and protective film before shipment.
• Inspection and certificates: third-party inspection by TUV, ABS, BV, DNV, CCS or your nominated agency, with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certificates.
• Flexible payment: TT, LC or a combination of both.
• Port logistics: coil and sheet are packed seaworthy with heat-number labels and shipped through our worldwide shipping service, together with other grades if needed.

As a 1.4311 plate supplier SHH STEEL also stocks and sources the wider range of stainless steel sheets and plates, so mixed orders of different stainless grades can travel in one container with one set of paperwork.

EN 10088-2 X2CrNiN18-10 1.4311 is the low-carbon, nitrogen-alloyed 304LN-type austenitic steel, supplied as hot rolled plate up to 75 mm and cold rolled sheet for vessels, tanks and equipment that need higher proof strength. Choosing it is the easy part. Getting genuine material that matches the certificate, in the gauge and finish your parts need and on a predictable schedule, is where a sourcing partner earns its place, and that is the work SHH STEEL does every day through long-term mill cooperation, consolidation and its own workshop.

The next step is simple. Send SHH STEEL your drawing, or an enquiry with the quantity, thickness, width, finish and delivery destination, and we will judge whether a direct mill contract or consolidation with processing fits your order better, and quote accordingly. Send your sizes and quantities for a quotation.