Material
AISI 316 Stainless Steel Wire
Stainless steel wire
AISI 316 stainless wire is the grade for chlorides. With molybdenum added to 304's chromium and nickel, it resists the pitting and crevice corrosion that salt, brine and chlorine sanitizers cause, which makes it the usual wire for marine, food, dairy, beverage, pharmaceutical and chemical washdown brushes. It is not immune: hot chlorides under stress and strong reducing acids can still attack it.
Datasheet values
- Density
- about 8.0 g/cm³
- Wire diameter
- Set by required brush stiffness and supplier capability
- Hardness
- Depends on wire temper and cold work
- Temperature use
- Alloy data extend to elevated temperatures, but finished-brush service depends on wire temper, anchoring, hub, atmosphere, speed and load
- Corrosion behavior
- Molybdenum improves chloride pitting and crevice-corrosion resistance versus 304; severe chloride or hypochlorite service still requires review
- Standards
- ASTM/UNS/EN grade designations should be confirmed for the supplied wire
What is 316 stainless brush wire?
316 is an austenitic stainless steel with about 2–3% molybdenum. As brush wire it matches 304 in size and stiffness: about 0.03 mm to 1.0 mm, density 7.9–8.0 g/cm³, hardness roughly Rockwell B 70–95 by temper. The difference is corrosion resistance in chloride.
In our range it is used in nearly sixty brushes and cores: food equipment and conveyor brushes, cup, bottle and fermentation tank brushes, medical instrument brushes, biofilter brushes, sealing jaw and fixture brushes, strip brushes for harsh thresholds and 316 handles on brewery brushes.
Where does 316 pay for itself?
- Marine and salt exposure, outdoor coastal sites and de-icing salt.
- Dairy, beverage and food processing, where chlorine sanitizers and salt are common.
- Pharmaceutical and laboratory cleaning.
- Chemical washdown, heat exchanger tubes and wet-process brush systems.
Where the brush only sees water and mild detergents, 304 does the same job for less.
What can still attack 316?
Chloride stress-corrosion cracking at elevated temperature under tensile stress, concentrated hypochlorite, strong reducing acids such as hydrochloric acid, and crevice attack where deposits sit against the wire. In severe conditions, duplex stainless or higher alloys may be needed, or a polymer fill such as PP, PVDF or PTFE that is not attacked at all. Rinsing brushes after chloride exposure extends their life.
How hot can a 316 wire brush run?
As with 304, the alloy itself handles far more heat than polymer fills, with industry reference ranges to about 400°C continuous and 500°C short-term for stainless brush wire. The finished brush is limited by wire temper, anchoring, hub, atmosphere, speed and load, and by the handle or block on hand brushes.
Does 316 wire contaminate stainless parts?
No, provided the brush is kept for stainless work. Like 304, it leaves no carbon steel behind to rust. Brushes moved from carbon steel work pick up steel particles and should not go back onto stainless.
What should you tell us when you ask for a 316 wire brush?
The chemicals, especially chlorides and sanitizers, with concentration and temperature; the part material and deposit; hand or machine use and speed; and the wire diameter and form if you know them.
Questions buyers ask about AISI 316 Stainless Steel Wire
Why are food and marine brushes made with 316 wire?
Because salt, brine and chlorine sanitizers cause pitting and crevice corrosion in 304. The molybdenum in 316 resists it, so the wire lasts longer in those conditions.
Can 316 stainless wire still corrode?
Yes, in severe conditions: hot chlorides under stress, concentrated hypochlorite, strong reducing acids such as hydrochloric acid, and crevices where deposits sit. There a polymer fill or a higher alloy may be needed.
Is 316 worth the extra cost over 304?
Where chlorides are present for long periods, yes. For water and mild detergents, 304 does the same job for less.
Where these figures come from
| Property | Published value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Chemical resistance | Strong corrosion resistance in water, detergents and many industrial cleaning environments. | Alleima Retrieved 2026-07-21 |
| Published datasheet figures |
|
Alleima Retrieved 2026-07-21 |
| Hardness and stiffness | Very firm metallic wire; Rockwell/shored hardness is controlled by 304/316/steel-wire grade and wire temper. | Alleima Retrieved 2026-07-21 |
| Limitations | Not for soft plastic, glass, PCB, coated solar glass or polished paint. | Alleima Retrieved 2026-07-21 |
| Temperature resistance | Suitable for high-temperature brushing above polymer-filament ranges. | Alleima Retrieved 2026-07-21 |
| Water resistance | Metal wire does not absorb water; alloy and holder corrosion resistance control wet service. | Alleima Retrieved 2026-07-21 |
Guides that go deeper on this
Continue Exploring
Recommended Reading & Related Brush Resources
Stainless Steel Wire Industrial Cleaning Brush
316 stainless wire cleaning brush for removing oxide, scale, oil, dust and residue from machine belts, screens, rollers, guides and fixtures.
See the specification
Stainless Steel Brass Mold Tire Brush
316 stainless steel and brass wire mold tire brush in cup, wheel, or end form for tire mold cleaning. Removes cured rubber and release agents.
See the specification
Stainless Steel Bottle Brush
Custom stainless steel bottle brushes with 304/316 wire for hard scale, biofilm, and dried residue inside glass and metal bottles.
See the specification
Custom Handheld Detail Brushes
A handheld detail brush puts the operator's hand pressure into a small place: a seam, a grout line, a vent, a connector, a mold vent or a grinder chute.
See how this type is built
Custom Tube & Pipe Bore Brushes
A tube or bore brush cleans the whole inside circumference of one passage as it is pushed, pulled or turned along it.
See how this type is built
Custom Wheel Brushes
A wheel brush carries its fill around the rim of a hub and works edge-on, so it touches the work along a narrow band.
See how this type is built
Laboratory Tube Cleaning
Lab glassware is cleaned with a brush for each shape: a test tube brush with a tufted tip that reaches the round bottom, a tapered tip for centrifuge cones.
See the cleaning job
Medical Instrument Cleaning
Surgical instruments are brushed before disinfection with tools sized to each feature: bore brushes matched to the lumen or cannula diameter, 1–10 mm.
See the cleaning jobCustom Manufacturing RFQ
Discuss This Material
Share what the brush works on, the temperature and chemicals it meets, the form you need — strip, disc, roller or hand brush — the quantity and a drawing or photo.
We reply to every request within 24 hours, with a quotation or with the questions we need answered first. If the brush can be made on our existing tooling, we make the sample directly. If it needs new tooling, we quote a sample fee and a tooling fee, and the sample fee is credited against the bulk order. Need an NDA first? We sign yours before you send drawings, and the files you send are never shown to other customers.
- MOQ500 pcs for small hand-held brushes, 100 pcs for medium and large ones
- SampleTypically 3–7 days
- ProductionFrom 7 days after sample approval, by size and quantity
- Payment30% deposit and 70% before shipment above US$10,000; smaller orders on agreed terms
“We need a brush to remove wet residue from a stainless steel conveyor, about 800mm wide. The current brush wears quickly. We can send photos.”
“We sell drinkware and need a cleaning brush to include with the product. Quantity around 5,000 pieces.”