Grade 904L stainless steel is a non-stabilized austenitic stainless steel with low carbon content. This high alloy stainless steel is added with copper to improve its resistance to strong reducing acids, such as sulphuric acid. The steel is also resistant to stress corrosion cracking and crevice corrosion. Grade 904L is non-magnetic, and offers excellent formability, toughness and weldability.

Grade 904L contains high amounts of expensive ingredients, such as molybdenum and nickel. Today, most of the applications that employ grade 904L are replaced by low-cost duplex stainless steel 2205.

The addition of copper to this grade gives it corrosion resistant properties superior to the conventional chrome nickel stainless steels, in particular to sulphuric, phosphoric and acetic acids. However, there is limited use with hydrochloric acids. It also has a high resistance to pitting in chloride solutions, a high resistance to both crevice and stress corrosion cracking. Alloy 904L performs better than other austenitic stainless steels due to the higher alloying of nickel and molybdenum.

The grade is non-magnetic in all conditions and has excellent formability and weldability. The austenitic structure also gives this grade excellent toughness, even down to cryogenic temperatures.

The high chromium content promotes and maintains a passive film which protects the material in many corrosive environments.904L has a greater resistance to precipitation of ferrite and sigma phases on cooling and welding than other stainless steels containing molybdenum such as 316L and 317L. There is no risk of intercrystalline corrosion on cooling or welding due to the low carbon content. Its maximum service temperature is at 450°C.

This grade is particularly useful in control and instrumentation tubing applications where 316 and 317L are not suitable.