304 Stainless Steel Bar & Rod: Sizes, Price & Supplier Guide

304 stainless steel bar: A Practical Buying Guide

Looking for a reliable 304 stainless steel bar supplier? Huaxiao Stainless keeps 100,000 tons of inventory, ships in 15 days, and is certified to ISO/TS16949. Before you request a quote, here is what actually matters when specifying and sourcing 304 stainless steel bar.

Why Choose 304 Stainless Steel Bar

304 stainless steel bar is the most widely used austenitic bar stock in the world: 18% chromium and 8% nickel give it excellent general corrosion resistance, good formability and weldability at a sensible cost. Supplied as rounds, squares, hexagons and flats, it feeds machined components, fasteners, shafts, fittings and architectural details. It machines reasonably, takes a bright or polished finish, and is non-magnetic in the annealed condition. For anything that needs stainless performance without the chloride resistance of 316, 304 bar is the economic default.

Because it is easy to source and fabricate, 304 bar is usually the first choice for general engineering and food-equipment parts.

Specifications, Sizes & Surface Condition

We supply 304 (UNS S30400) bar to ASTM A276 / A479 and EN 10088-3. Diameter runs from 3 mm to 300 mm, as rounds, squares, hex and flat bar, in hot-rolled, forged, peeled or turned condition.

• Surface: black (hot-rolled), peeled, turned, or bright-polished for machined parts
• Tolerance: h9 / h11 precision-turned bar to reduce in-house machining
• Length: standard 3-6 m random, or cut-to-length and chamfered
• Straightness: straightened bar for automatic bar feeders

Typical properties: tensile 515 MPa minimum, yield 205 MPa minimum, elongation 40% minimum, hardness HB 201 maximum.

304 Stainless Steel Bar Price Factors

The 304 stainless steel bar price is set mainly by nickel (8-10.5%) and chromium (18-20%), with LME nickel passing straight through to the quote. Beyond raw material:

• Diameter & method: large forged bar and heavy rounds carry a mill premium; small precision bar is cheaper per kg but costs more to process
• Condition: peeled, turned or polished bar costs more than black hot-rolled but cuts your machining time
• Tolerance: h9/h11 precision bar adds cost but reduces scrap and cycle time
• Length: cut-to-length and chamfered bar adds handling cost

For high-volume machined parts, buying peeled/turned bar often saves more in machine time than the material premium costs – send us your drawing and we will quote both ways.

Common Applications

304 bar is machined into fasteners, bolts and studs, drive and pump shafts, valve and fitting bodies, food-processing and dairy equipment components, architectural balustrades and trim, and general fabrication where a clean, corrosion-resistant, easily machined stock is required but chloride exposure is low.

How to Choose a Reliable Supplier

For bar the two failure modes are wrong chemistry and poor straightness/surface. Confirm the chromium (18.0-20.0%) and nickel (8.0-10.5%) range and carbon below 0.08% on the mill certificate. For machined parts, ask for peeled/turned (h9/h11) bar so you receive stock that is already round and straight – it removes a whole machining operation. For visible parts, request a surface sample from the same lot.

A reliable 304 stainless steel bar supplier will send both the certificate and the sample before you commit. Huaxiao Stainless keeps 100,000 tons in stock, ships within 15 days, and holds ISO/TS16949 certification with full heat traceability from mill to your dock.

Frequently Asked Questions About 304 stainless steel bar

Get a Quote for 304 stainless steel bar

304 stainless steel bar in stock: 100,000 tons available, 15-day delivery, certified to ISO/TS16949. Browse our 304 stainless steel bar product page or contact us for a quote to get a competitive price today.