SS 204Cu Stainless Steel: Composition, Properties & Jindal 204Cu Sheet Supply (India)

204Cu stainless steel is a copper-bearing 200-series austenitic chromium-manganese-nickel-copper (Cr-Mn-Ni-Cu) grade. It's a nickel-lean, economical alternative to 304, and the added copper improves deep-drawing and spinning. That makes it a workhorse for utensils, cookware and drawn domestic articles.

Also written SS 204Cu, grade 204Cu, 204-Cu or "204 copper" steel, this Cr-Mn-Cu stainless trades most of 304's nickel for manganese, nitrogen and copper. It costs less and forms beautifully, but its corrosion resistance is moderately lower, so it belongs in indoor and mild domestic service rather than wet, coastal or chemical duty. This page gives the full 204Cu chemical composition, mechanical and physical data, magnetic and corrosion behaviour, forms and where to buy genuine Jindal 204Cu.

Relinox Stainless is an MoU partner of Jindal Stainless (JSL), India's largest producer of stainless flat products. This is JSL stainless. It has nothing to do with Jindal SAW, JSW Steel or Jindal Steel & Power (JSPL), which deal in carbon steel and pipes, and it's not SAIL Salem either. We supply genuine JSL-melted Jindal 204Cu flat product, not re-rolled bazaar "200-series" stock of unknown composition, and every batch comes with mill test certificates. Delivery runs from Delhi to pan-India.

By the Relinox Technical Team, Jindal Stainless MoU Partner, based at Ajmeri Gate, one of Delhi's main stainless steel markets.

What is 204Cu stainless steel?

204Cu stainless is a 200 series stainless steel, specifically an austenitic Cr-Mn-Cu grade where manganese, nitrogen and copper stand in for most of the nickel you'd normally find in 300-series alloys. Nickel is the priciest alloying element around, so this low-nickel, nickel-lean 200-series utensil grade cuts cost and softens price swings, all while holding onto that austenitic structure: largely non-magnetic, easy to form.

What sets it apart from plain 201/202 is the copper. Manufacturers add roughly 2-3.5% of it on purpose, and copper softens the austenite and slows down work-hardening. The result is that 204Cu deep drawing and spinning can go further before anything cracks. That's precisely what tumblers, cookware and utensil bodies demand.

Where does SS 204Cu sit? Stainless comes first, then austenitic, then the 200-series (Cr-Mn) family, then 204Cu itself, the copper-bearing utensil grade. From there you get into forms: sheet, coil, circle, patta. Then finishes, then the actual application. It's a value austenitic grade, one step below the 300-series benchmark. Formability is good and it takes a bright finish, which suits indoor and domestic work well. Chromium and nickel content sit lower than 304, though, so the corrosion envelope is tighter. Full designations, composition and properties come next.

Designations & equivalents (near UNS S20430)

The 204cu uns number most often used as its reference is UNS S20430, the copper-bearing Cr-Mn 200-series designation, so the s20430 equivalent is the closest standard cross-reference for 204Cu. As an equivalent grade its nearest peers are the other Cr-Mn 200-series grades (201, 202, Jindal J4) and, as the Cr-Ni benchmark above it, 304.

204Cu chemical composition

UNS S20430 covers the copper-bearing 200-series, and the 204Cu composition below follows the standard Cr-Mn-Ni-Cu limits published for that grade. It fits the 200-series scope set out in ASTM A240, which IS 6911 mirrors, see the ASTM A240 standard and IS 6911 standard. What sets the 204cu chemical composition apart is a mix of high manganese and added nitrogen, plus a deliberate cr mn cu balance. Copper improves drawability, while lower nickel keeps costs down.

Against 304 (8–10.5% Ni, ~18–20% Cr), 204Cu swaps nickel for manganese, nitrogen and copper instead. The actual heat analysis gets confirmed on the mill test certificate (MTC) that ships with the material, produced by Jindal Stainless.

204Cu mechanical & physical properties

Physical properties (density)

204Cu density sits close to that of other austenitics. The figures below are the standard published values for the copper-bearing 200-series Cr-Mn family.

For the density figure used in weight-per-sheet maths, check the SS sheet weight chart and the stainless steel weight calculator.

Mechanical properties (annealed)

The 204cu mechanical properties shown here are typical annealed values for the copper-bearing 200-series. Nitrogen strengthening delivers solid annealed strength. The copper addition, meanwhile, keeps ductility high enough for drawing operations. The 204cu tensile and hardness figures are listed together below.

These are indicative for the copper-bearing 200-series; the certified values for your heat are stated on the MTC as produced by Jindal Stainless. Confirm the exact figures against your indent.

Is 204Cu magnetic? Corrosion resistance & food use

Is 204Cu magnetic? In the annealed condition, it's essentially non-magnetic, like other austenitic grades, so the 204cu magnetic response to a fridge magnet is weak. But magnetism shows up more readily than in 304 once the metal's been cold worked, whether through deep drawing, spinning, or roll-forming, because the Cr-Mn-Cu austenite is less stable to begin with. A slight magnetic tug on a formed 204Cu utensil is normal. It doesn't mean the piece is "fake" stainless.

On 204cu corrosion resistance, the honest answer to "does 204Cu rust" is: with lower chromium and nickel than 304, 204Cu has a narrower corrosion envelope. It handles dry, indoor and mild domestic exposure well (utensils, cookware, serving articles), but 204cu rusting risk rises in wet, chloride, coastal or aggressive chemical service, there, step up to 304 or 316. On the 204cu vs 304 nickel content point, 204Cu carries roughly 1–3% nickel against 304's 8–10.5%, which is exactly why it is cheaper and less corrosion-resistant.

204Cu shows up all over kitchens: utensils, cookware, kitchenware. So the "204cu food grade" and "safe for utensils" question comes back yes, at least for dry and mild domestic cookware and serving items. Wet food processing is a different story, though, and so is dairy or coastal duty. There, 304 is the grade you want. Full guidance lives at food-grade stainless steel.

204Cu vs 304 / 201 / 202 (which to choose)

Choose 204Cu when cost matters most and the job is deep-draw or utensil work that doesn't demand full 304-level corrosion resistance. It's the go-to 200-series grade for deep drawing and spinning. Water contact, outdoor exposure, chemical exposure, for any of those, move up to 304 or 316. The 204cu vs 304 question, and the related 204 vs 304 question, really comes down to environment and nickel content. Widen the comparison to 204cu vs 202 vs 201 and you're weighing formability against cost within the 200-series itself. That full breakdown sits in the sibling guide.

For the full head-to-head verdict, see the 204Cu vs 304 comparison guide, which covers the copper-bearing 200-series, and the wider Jindal J-series lineage.

Forms, finishes & sizes of Jindal 204Cu

Jindal supplies 204Cu sheet, plus 204cu coil, 204cu ss sheet, 204cu patta / patti / strip and 204cu circle deep-draw blanks. Every piece comes on genuine JSL base. Check out our stainless steel sheets, SS coils, patta / strips, circles and chequered sheets.

Finishes cover 2B, BA, No.4 (satin / hairline) and mirror (No.8) on cold-rolled stock, see SS finishes explained. Standard Indian sizes include the 8x4 204Cu sheet (also written 4×8) and 5×10. For 1 mm, 2 mm and other gauge options, check the exact thickness in mm and gauge against your indent before ordering.

For the full size and gauge reference, see the SS sheet sizes & thickness chart. Cutting and shearing job-work can be arranged to cut material to size. On 204Cu ASTM A240 and IS 6911 conformance, all material is supplied to ASTM A240 / IS 6911 sheet-strip tolerances, as produced by Jindal Stainless, and comes with MTC.

Typical applications of 204Cu

Common 204cu applications and uses play off its low-nickel value and the drawability copper gives it a boost with.

• Utensils, cookware and kitchenware, see utensils & kitchenware
• Deep-drawn and spun domestic articles (tumblers, bowls, thali, cookware bodies)
• Indoor kitchen equipment and serving items, see kitchen equipment

Where not to use 204Cu: coastal, marine, chloride-heavy, wet food-processing or aggressive chemical service. Specify 304 or 316 for those instead.

Buy genuine Jindal 204Cu (supplier, dealer, stockist)

Relinox Stainless is a jindal 204cu stainless steel sheet supplier and authorized MoU channel. Every sheet is genuine JSL-melted jindal 204cu sheet, the real jindal 204 copper grade rather than re-rolled bazaar stock. Buyers come to us searching for a 204cu supplier, distributor, stockist, dealer or trader across India, and plenty type in phrases like 204cu sheet dealer in delhi or 204cu stockist near me. We're not a steel mill. We're a distributor and stockist of genuine Jindal flat product, based at Ajmeri Gate, one of Delhi's main stainless steel markets, and we dispatch pan-India.

Relinox is an MoU-partner authorized channel, so what you get is genuine JSL 204Cu, never the unknown-composition "200-series" bazaar stock that floods the market. We carry the full grade range, and every order ships with a 204cu mill test certificate. Each 204cu MTC confirms conformance to ASTM A240 / IS 6911, as produced by Jindal Stainless. For more detail, see Jindal Stainless MoU partnership, quality & mill test certificates, and how to identify genuine material.

Send your requirement through the RFQ form to get a quote with MTC, utensil and cookware makers can ask for bulk coil/circle pricing there. If you're a reseller, open a dealer pricing enquiry instead.

204Cu price (indicative)

We don't print a fixed rate here. Stainless prices move daily with LME/nickel, finish, thickness and quantity. For an indicative 204cu price, 204cu rate today, 204cu price per kg or 204cu bhav, check the dated indicative ₹/kg price list. 204Cu generally sits below 304, since it carries far less nickel.

For a 204Cu stainless steel price or a price-list question, send us the grade, size and quantity through the RFQ form. We'll confirm the current figure there. Rate table last updated 2026-09-14; treat it as indicative only, not a quote.

Related grades & resources

• Grade pages: SS 201 · SS 202 · Jindal J4 · Jindal J-series · SS 304 · Grades hub: all stainless steel grades.
• Compare: 204Cu vs 304 · food-grade stainless steel · SS finishes explained.
• Products: sheets · coils · patta / strips · circles · chequered sheets.
• Applications: utensils & kitchenware · kitchen equipment.
• Standards, resources & tools: ASTM A240 · IS 6911 · weight chart · weight calculator · sizes & thickness · HSN codes & GST · Pricing: indicative price list.

Frequently asked questions