316L is a stainless steel grade, AISI 316L is the corresponding US number, and sus 316L is the corresponding Japanese number. China's unified digital code is S31603, the standard grade is 022Cr17Ni12Mo2 (new standard), the old grade is 00Cr17Ni12Mo2, which means that it mainly contains Cr, Ni, Mo, and the number indicates the percentage that is probably contained. The Chinese national standard is GB/T 20878-2007 (current version).

316L has a wide range of applications in the chemical industry due to its excellent corrosion resistance. 316L is also a derivative of 18-8 austenitic stainless steel with 2 to 3% Mo added. On the basis of 316L, many steel types are also derived. For example, 316Ti is derived after adding a small amount of Ti, 316N is derived after adding a small amount of N, and 317L is derived by increasing the Ni and Mo contents.

Most of the existing 316L is produced according to the American standard. For cost reasons, steel mills generally rely on the Ni content of the product to the lower limit.

The American standard stipulates that the Ni content of 316L is 10 to 14%.

The Japanese standard stipulates that the Ni content of 316L is 12-15%.

According to the minimum standard, the American standard and the Japanese standard have a 2%

difference in Ni content.

The Mo content of 316L makes this steel grade excellent in pitting resistance and can be safely used in halogen-containing environments such as Cl-.