Why is carbon added to 303 stainless steel rods?

When most people buy stainless steel rods, they usually refer to the nickel and chromium content in the stainless steel rods, and often ignore another important element: carbon. 303 stainless steel rods are easier to cut and process than 304, and other properties are similar to 304. So why does 303 stainless steel rods add carbon elements?

Carbon can reduce the corrosion resistance, plasticity, ductility and forgeability of stainless steel rods. This is also because carbon and chromium are very powerful, and they can produce a series of complex cementites with chromium. The higher the carbon content in the stainless steel rod, the greater the carburized chromium produced. As a result, the chromium content in the ionic crystal is reduced, and the corrosion resistance of the stainless steel rod is also reduced. The higher the carbon content in steel, the less corrosion resistant it is.

For 303 stainless steel rods, corrosion resistance is its specific requirement, so the carbon content in stainless steel bright rods is generally required to be very low, mostly only 0.10%-0.20%, and generally no more than 0.4%. Of course, in order to better improve the corrosion resistance of 303 stainless steel rods, some unique types of stainless steel rods also need to be ground and polished.