302 stainless steel In temper rolled products, when Type 302 is preferred over Type 304 since the higher carbon permits meeting of yield and tensile strength requirements while maintaining a higher level of ductility (elongation) versus that of the lower carbon Type 304. Type 304L is used for welded products which might be exposed to conditions which could cause intergranular corrosion in service. Type 305 is used for applications requiring a low rate of work hardening during severe cold forming operations such as deep drawing. Types 302, 304, 304L, and 305 stainless steels are variations of the 18 percent chromium – 8 percent nickel austenitic alloy, the most familiar and most frequently used alloy in the stainless-steel family. These alloys may be considered for a wide variety of applications where one or more of the following properties are important: