Substituting JYH21CT for 304

This material represents a concerted effort by Pacific Rim raw material manufactures to develop cookware grades that have no or low Ni content. The impetus for this effort has been driven by volatile and surging Ni prices. The data sheet extensively documents the corrosion, fabrication and performance characteristics of this alloy compared to Type 304 stainless steel. The published data demonstrates corrosion performance similar to Type 304 in standard corrosion tests. The material has some physical property advantages over Type 304 regarding thermal conductivity and is ferro-magnetic which is important for induction heating applications. Forming characteristic have been enhanced to facilitate deep drawing. The writer is sure that some tooling issues would have to be overcome to transition from Type 304 to JYH21CT. This certainly appears to be a grade that is worth exploring as an economical alternative to Type 304. Developing a viable source of supply would be an important consideration. There are no USA or European stainless steel manufacturers that have invested in the development of equivalent low or no nickel grades optimized for cookware applications.