SS 202 vs SS 304 fasteners is a comparison about the material you specify and the quotation you receive. A lower line price does not establish that two bolts are interchangeable. Start with the drawing, the service environment and the documentation required for the stainless steel grade.
A M Steel & Metal Company handles stainless steel fastener enquiries from George Town, Chennai. This guide helps you compare offers without assuming a price difference or corrosion performance for an unverified batch.
What changes between 202 and 304?
SS 202 is an established chromium-manganese-nickel austenitic grade. Its chemistry differs from the 304 family. BSSA lists 202 as UNS S20200 and gives distinct composition ranges for these materials. A commercial description such as stainless steel or 200 series is therefore not enough to identify the exact grade.
Do not treat every low-nickel product as verified 202. Request the grade designation required by the order and the supporting material documentation where specified. A photograph or polished surface does not establish chemistry.
Compare corrosion requirements without shortcuts
There is no useful universal rule that every item labelled 202 will fail outdoors or that every 304 fastener will remain corrosion-free. BSSA distinguishes established 200-series compositions from ultra-low-nickel substitutes. Its discussion does not justify treating all 200-series materials as identical.
For a Chennai installation, describe the actual joint: sheltered equipment, regular washdown, salt deposits or chemical contact. Have the grade selected for those conditions. If the drawing requires 304, accepting a cheaper 202 offer is a material substitution that needs approval.
How should you compare the price?
Request quotations for the same diameter, length, thread pitch, product standard, quantity and documentation requirement. Ask each supplier to state the exact grade offered and separate any proposed alternative. No current price or fixed saving percentage is assumed in this guide.
A comparison of price per kilogram also needs the same product mix. Different lengths and component types produce different piece counts per kilogram. Compare the full order, including transport and any required documentation, rather than comparing two unrelated headline rates.
Prepare a like-for-like quotation checklist
- Identify the product family and drawing or standard.
- List each diameter, length and thread pitch.
- State SS 202 or SS 304 explicitly, plus any required mechanical property class.
- Describe moisture, salt, cleaning chemicals and temperature exposure.
- State quantities, required traceability and certificate requirements.
- Ask the supplier to identify substitutions and confirm the quotation basis.
For example, put the same size schedule into two requests and change only the proposed material line. The designer can then review the alternative against the project requirement before the commercial comparison is accepted.
Enquire about the specified stainless steel grade
See our SS 202 fasteners and SS 304 fasteners pages. For more aggressive exposure, discuss the specified material rather than automatically upgrading by name alone. Our 304 vs 316 guide explains another common comparison.
Send A M Steel your component schedule for a quotation. Availability, offered specification and price are confirmed for the enquiry.
Technical references
References: BSSA composition tables and BSSA guidance on 200-series stainless steels. These explain material terminology, not certification of a supplied batch.