18/8 stainless steel is the most widely used and most flexible austenitic form of stainless steel. The number 18/8 represents the composition of this steel; it contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel, making it very resistant to corrosion and oxidation. 18/8 stainless steel is also very durable and easy to manufacture. It's also easy to clean and comes in a variety of looks and finishes. 18/8 stainless steel may also be referred to as austenitic or grade 304 steel.

Stainless steel is a low carbon steel with 10% chromium, sometimes even more. Chromium is what gives steel its stainless, corrosion-resistant properties. The chromium content of stainless steel can also form a rough, corrosion-resistant chromium oxide film on the steel surface. If it is damaged in any way, the film will regenerate as long as oxygen is present, even in very small amounts.
While 18/8 steel's corrosion resistance, as well as other useful properties, are enhanced by its increased chromium content. However, the addition of other elements, such as molybdenum, nickel and nitrogen, can also play a role in this. There are more than 60 grades of stainless steel, but the entire group can be divided into about five classes, each identified by the alloying elements that affect its microstructure (hence their name) and how they react with those elements.

18/8 Stainless Steel is an excellent metal for the following applications:

Automotive trim and molding.
kitchen equipment.
Wheel covers.
truck body.
exhaust manifold.
oil storage tank.
Pressure pipes and vessels.
The nickel and chromium percentages present in this grade of stainless steel give this metal good corrosion resistance, especially to moderately corrosive and acidic solutions. It also performs similarly in most non-severe conditions, except for welding. Where stainless steel is to be welded, stainless steel 304L is preferred because of its better resistance to intergranular corrosion.

In atmospheric and pure water environments, lower alloy grades are better choices as they tend to have better corrosion resistance, while higher alloy grades are corrosion resistant in most acid, chlorine and alkaline solution heavy environments - characteristics frequently used by processing plants.

Grade 18/8 stainless steel has better corrosion resistance than 400 series. It can be hardened by cold working and is not magnetic. 18/8 stainless steel has excellent corrosion resistance, but will show signs of corrosion when exposed to chlorides, which is why it is not ideal for marine applications.

The label "18-8" indicates a product made of 300 series stainless steel. It refers to an alloy mixture of 18% chromium and 8% nickel – two different alloys in steel. All 300 series stainless steel is made from this 18/8 blend, although there may be differences in the chemical composition when comparing different grades of 300 series. Certain grades tend to be more resistant to different types of corrosion than others.

Austenitic stainless steels can be manufactured with a yield strength of around 200 megapascals (MPa) and can subsequently be strengthened by cold working, which can increase the yield strength by as much as ten times. They can maintain ductility at low temperatures and strength at high temperatures, which is not possible with ferritic stainless steels. They are extremely resistant to corrosion - from everyday use to withstanding boiling sea water. However, although premium 18/8 stainless steels have lower resistance to cyclic oxidation than ferritic stainless steels, they are also prone to stress corrosion cracking. The durability limit of 18/8 stainless steels (approx. Lower than ferritic steels (approximately 50 - 60% of tensile strength). This increases the susceptibility of 18/8 stainless steels to fatigue failure compared to ferritic stainless steels.