Stainless steel scrap price per kilo: our buying prices today

304 / 304L Stainless Steel – 18/8

Common austenitic stainless steel from industrial, food-processing and professional equipment

304 Stainless Steel, also known as 18/8 stainless or AISI 304, is one of the most widely used stainless-steel grades. It typically contains around 18% chromium and 8% nickel, while 304L is the low-carbon version commonly selected for welded fabrications. Its corrosion resistance, cleanability, formability and weldability make it widely used in commercial kitchens, food-processing equipment, tanks, worktops, sinks, pipework, vessels, stainless-steel furniture and general industrial equipment. Grade 1.4301 / AISI 304 is extensively used throughout the food and beverage industry. Scrap 304 is commonly generated by stainless-steel fabricators, sheet-metal and laser-cutting workshops, food-processing plants, commercial kitchen installers, maintenance contractors, factories, renovation companies and demolition or strip-out contractors. Typical scrap includes production offcuts, sheet, tube, fabricated components, tanks and dismantled equipment. At Bull Métal, 304 / 304L Stainless Steel should be kept separate from other stainless grades and significant foreign materials whenever possible. Carbon steel, aluminium, plastic, rubber, wood and other attached materials should be removed to maintain a clean and homogeneous load. A magnet alone cannot reliably confirm 304 stainless. Although 304 is generally non-magnetic in the annealed condition, cold working, bending or forming can create some magnetic response. Ferritic grades such as 430 are normally much more strongly magnetic. 304 and 316 should not automatically be mixed. 316 contains molybdenum, giving it improved corrosion resistance in more demanding environments and generally a different scrap value. Large industrial volumes: Bull Métal can assess direct collection of factory scrap, stainless fabrication offcuts, tanks, pipework, commercial kitchen equipment and industrial dismantling loads from workshops, factories and worksites. Bull Métal tip: if your business processes several stainless grades, segregate 304, 316 and ferritic stainless directly at the production line. Clean, identified single-grade scrap is easier to verify and correctly value.

316 / 316L Stainless Steel

Molybdenum-bearing stainless steel for demanding industrial and corrosive environments

316 Stainless Steel, also known as AISI 316 or EN 1.4401, is an austenitic stainless steel containing chromium, nickel and molybdenum. 316L / 1.4404 is the low-carbon version commonly used for welded fabrication. Typical 316 grades contain around 2–2.5% molybdenum, which significantly improves resistance to chlorides and aggressive chemical environments. With higher corrosion resistance than 304, 316 is widely used in chemical and pharmaceutical processing, food production, coastal environments, process equipment, tanks, pipework, heat exchangers and demanding industrial installations. It is also commonly selected for coastal and marine-atmosphere applications, although more highly alloyed stainless grades may be required for permanent seawater immersion. Scrap 316 is commonly generated as stainless fabrication offcuts, sheet and tube scrap, machined components, dismantled pipework, tanks, process equipment and industrial metal waste. Typical sources include stainless fabricators, pipefitters, food-processing plants, pharmaceutical and chemical facilities, industrial maintenance contractors, factories and demolition or strip-out projects. At Bull Métal, 316 / 316L should be segregated from 304 and other stainless grades whenever possible. Its molybdenum content and different alloy composition give it a distinct scrap value. 304 and 316 cannot be reliably distinguished by appearance or a simple magnet test. For significant industrial loads, alloy markings, material certificates or PMI/XRF alloy analysis can confirm the molybdenum content and ensure correct grading. Large industrial volumes: Bull Métal can assess direct collection of 316 pipework, tanks, fabrication scrap, process equipment and industrial stainless waste from factories, workshops and worksites. Clean, homogeneous and positively identified 316 loads can be routed to the most appropriate recycling outlet. Bull Métal tip: if your workshop processes both 304 and 316, segregate them directly at source. Keeping 316 scrap clean and identified prevents a higher-value alloy from being lost in a mixed stainless load.