Austenitic stainless steel is a type of stainless steel with chromium and nickel as the core alloying elements (chromium content 16%–26%, nickel content 6%–22%), featuring a stable austenitic matrix structure at room temperature. The addition of nickel maintains the austenitic structure at ambient temperatures, making it one of the most widely used families within the stainless steel category.

Its core advantages are outstanding: Excellent corrosion resistance, with significantly better resistance to pitting, crevice corrosion, and intergranular corrosion compared to ferritic stainless steel, capable of withstanding a wide range of acidic and alkaline media; Superior plasticity and toughness, easily processed by stamping, bending, welding, and other forming methods, with exceptional low-temperature toughness; non‑magnetic, with good high‑temperature oxidation resistance.
At the same time, there are certain limitations: relatively low yield strength, which requires cold working for strengthening; higher nickel content results in higher cost compared to ferritic and martensitic stainless steels; low thermal conductivity and relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion.

Widely used across various industries with demanding requirements: Chemical industry for corrosion‑resistant equipment such as reactors, pipelines, and storage tanks; Food and medical sectors suitable for hygienic products including kitchenware, tableware, surgical instruments, and medical implants; Building and decoration for aesthetic and durable components like elevator panels, curtain walls, and handrails; Home appliance industry for refrigerator door panels, washing machine drums, air conditioner casings, etc.; additionally, it is used in aerospace, marine engineering, and other applications requiring both high corrosion resistance and good formability.