"Koz" wrote in message
...
snip-----

Just on a side note, we have recently been doing a lot of commercial
flame roasters in T314 stainless. The gas flames directly hit the
stainless material and they seem to hold up well over time.

Koz


Interesting. I just checked an old Jorgensen stock book and it doesn't
show it. Is it a new alloy, or just uncommon? How closely does it compare
to 316?

I would have assumed 316L would have been a fair choice for your
application, assuming intergranular corrosion wasn't a problem.

I can't help but think that humidity plays a huge role in how heated
stainless holds up. I used some scrap bars of 303 S to support a mercury
retort that was heated to red heat when used (for good reason) and found
that aside from discoloration, the 303 bars held up perfectly. In fact,
the retort itself was made of 304 stainless and never failed. They were
used over a period of several years, although not daily. They were not
subjected to any stress, and likely had lost a considerable amount of
tensile strength due to intergranular corrosion, but it wasn't an issue in
my application. By contrast, the burner I lost in an old barbeque corroded
out totally in just a few years. The corrosion was around the small port
holes around the H shaped burner, creating very hot burning areas some
places, and a complete lack of flame in others. The barbeque, which resided
out of doors, was likely damp or wet quite often. By contrast, the retort
setup was kept perfectly dry.

Harold