from web site
Acidic services can be put into 2 basic categories: reducing acids, such as hydrochloric acid and dilute sulfuric acid, and oxidizing acids, such as nitric acid and concentrated sulfuric acid. Increasing chromium and molybdenum content provides increased resistance to decreasing acids while increasing chromium and silicon content supplies increased resistance to oxidizing acids.
At room temperature, Type 304 stainless-steel is only resistant to 3% acid, while Type 316 is resistant to 3% acid up to 50 C (122 F) and 20% acid at space temperature level. Hence Type 304 SS is rarely used in contact with sulfuric acid. View Details and Alloy 20 are resistant to sulfuric acid at even greater concentrations above room temperature level.
At high concentrations and elevated temperature levels, attack will occur, and higher-alloy stainless steels are needed. In basic, organic acids are less corrosive than mineral acids such as hydrochloric and sulfuric acid. As the molecular weight of organic acids boosts, their corrosivity decreases. Formic acid has the most affordable molecular weight and is a weak acid.
Type 316 is typically utilized for keeping and dealing with acetic acid, a commercially crucial natural acid. Type 304 and Type 316 stainless steels are untouched by weak bases such as ammonium hydroxide, even in high concentrations and at high temperatures. The very same grades exposed to stronger bases such as salt hydroxide at high concentrations and high temperatures will likely experience some etching and cracking.
Organics [modify] All grades resist damage from aldehydes and amines, though in the latter case Type 316 is more effective to Type 304; cellulose acetate damages Type 304 unless the temperature level is kept low. Fats and fats only impact Type 304 at temperatures above 150 C (302 F) and Type 316 SS above 260 C (500 F), while Type 317 SS is untouched at all temperatures.