Gauge is a legacy thickness scale (Standard Wire Gauge, SWG) where a higher number means a thinner sheet. Mills roll to mm, so specify the mm and treat gauge as a label; gauge-to-mm is on the sizes resource.

Stainless Steel Glossary: Grades, Finishes & Trade Terms (India)

Q: What is a stainless steel glossary?

It is a reference list that defines the finishes, forms, grades, gauge and trade terms used when buying stainless steel flat products in India, with each term linked to a deeper page where one exists.

Q: What does 2B finish mean?

2B is the standard general-purpose SS sheet surface: a smooth, cold-rolled, annealed and lightly skin-passed mill finish that is moderately bright. It is the default SS sheet finish; full detail is in the finishes guide.

Q: What is the difference between CR and HR coil?

CR (cold-rolled) coil is thinner, smoother and to a tighter tolerance with a 2B/BA finish; HR (hot-rolled) coil is thicker with a dull No.1 finish. The full comparison is in the HR-vs-CR guide.

Q: What does patta / patti mean?

It is trade Hindi for stainless steel strips: narrow flat-rolled coil slit to width, with patta the wider strip and patti the narrower band. See our SS patta-patti page.

Q: What does 8x4 (or 4x8) mean?

An 8x4 sheet is 8 ft x 4 ft, about 2438 x 1219 mm (often traded 2500 x 1250 mm), the most common Indian sheet size. 4x8 is the same board named the other way round.

Q: What is an MTC?

An MTC (Mill Test Certificate) is the mill's document certifying the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the heat of steel supplied. Relinox shares an MTC with dispatched material.

Q: Which Jindal makes stainless steel?

Jindal Stainless (JSL), with mills at Hisar and Jajpur, is the stainless flat-products maker and our principal, not Jindal SAW, JSPL or JSW Steel, which are carbon-steel and pipe businesses, and not SAIL Salem.

Q: Is there a minimum order quantity?

No, Relinox works with no MOQ, and larger quantities simply get better rates. Prices are ex-Delhi with GST and freight extra.

A stainless steel glossary lays out, in plain English, the finishes, forms, grades, gauge and trade jargon you run into on quotes, drawings and mill certificates when buying SS flat products in India, terms such as 2B finish, CR/HR coil, patta-patti, 8x4, gauge, MTC and HSN. This is that reference. Think of it as an Indian-market stainless steel terminology list, or call it an SS glossary, a stainless steel terms index, a stainless steel vocabulary or a stainless dictionary. Each term gets one or two lines, and wherever a deeper page exists, we link straight to it.

Written by the Relinox Technical Team, Jindal Stainless MoU Partner, headquartered at Ajmeri Gate, one of Delhi's principal stainless steel markets.

The vocabulary on this page comes from an actual stockist, not a scraped list. Relinox Stainless is a distributor and MoU partner of Jindal Stainless (JSL), India's largest producer of stainless flat products. It's the only "Jindal" this page deals with, not Jindal SAW, JSW Steel or Jindal Steel & Power, which sit in the carbon-steel and pipe businesses, and not SAIL Salem either. Every definition follows a standard published value: ASTM A240 governs the finishes and grade families, and IS 6911 sets the Indian sheet and gauge conventions. None of it comes from a price number. Treat this as a jindal ss glossary, or jindal stainless terms decoder, before you raise an RFQ.

How to use this glossary: A–Z quick index

Terms fall into families: Finishes · Forms · Processing & Rolling · Grades & Metallurgy · Designations & Standards · Sizes & Gauge · Commercial & QA. Most entries run one or two lines. When a topic has its own deeper Relinox page (a grade, a finish, a size chart), the entry links straight to it, so you can move from word to specification in a single click. Jump to a family:

Abbreviations & short forms
Finishes
Forms & products
Processing & rolling
Grades & metallurgy families
Designations & standards
Sizes, gauge & tolerance
Commercial & QA terms
Which "Jindal"?

Abbreviations & short forms quick-reference

On a quote or certificate, you'll mostly run into these stainless steel abbreviations and short forms:

Abbrev.	Full form	Family
SS	Stainless Steel	General
CR	Cold Rolled	Processing
HR	Hot Rolled	Processing
BA	Bright Annealed (finish)	Finish
MTC	Mill Test Certificate	Commercial / QA
PMI	Positive Material Identification	Commercial / QA
SWG	Standard Wire Gauge	Sizes / Gauge
UNS	Unified Numbering System	Designation
AISI	American Iron and Steel Institute	Designation
EN	European Norm (designation)	Designation
IS	Indian Standard (e.g. IS 6911)	Standard
HSN	Harmonised System of Nomenclature (tax code)	Commercial
GST	Goods and Services Tax	Commercial
PVD	Physical Vapour Deposition (colour finish)	Finish
MOQ	Minimum Order Quantity	Commercial
MT	Metric Tonne (1,000 kg)	Commercial

Finishes (surface)

A stainless finish describes the surface texture and reflectivity of the sheet, the result of rolling and mill processing. The designations below follow standard ASTM A240 / A480. Here's a quick rundown of ss finish types, covering what 2B, BA, No.4, and mirror actually mean; for the full picture, see SS finishes explained in detail.

Finish code	Appearance	Typical use
No.1	Dull, hot-rolled, annealed & pickled	Heavy fabrication, tanks, high-heat
2D	Uniform matte, cold-rolled & annealed	Deep-draw, painted/coated parts
2B	Smooth, bright, lightly skin-passed (general-purpose)	Most sheet: kitchen, cladding, general
BA	Bright, mirror-like, bright-annealed	Appliances, reflective panels
No.4	Brushed / satin, one-directional grain	Lifts, railings, splashbacks
Hairline	Fine long-grain brushed	Architectural, elevator panels
Mirror (8K)	Highly polished, reflective	Decorative, signage, temples

2B finish: The standard general-purpose stainless sheet surface, smooth, cold-rolled, annealed, pickled and given a light skin-pass on polished rolls, giving a moderately bright, reflective face. It is what most "SS sheet" means by default; the answer to what is 2B finish. See SS finishes explained in detail.
BA (Bright Annealed): A bright, near-mirror cold-rolled finish produced by annealing in a controlled (oxygen-free) atmosphere, so no pickling scale forms. Common on appliance and reflective work.
No.1 finish: A dull, hot-rolled, annealed-and-pickled surface, the standard finish on HR sheet and plate for heavy fabrication.
No.4 (brushed / satin): A one-directional brushed grain, the everyday architectural finish for lifts, railings and splashbacks.
Hairline: A finer, longer-grain brushed finish widely used on elevator and cladding panels.
Mirror (8K): A highly polished, reflective surface used for decorative and signage work. See mirror-finish SS sheets.

Forms & products

The form is the physical shape the stainless comes in. This covers the patta patti meaning (and the Hinglish patta patti kya hai), along with chequered, perforated and circle meaning.

Sheet: A flat cut length of stainless, thinner flat product, the everyday 8x4 board. See stainless steel sheets.
Plate: Thicker flat product, commonly ~4–5 mm and above, traded as "plate". See SS plates.
Coil: Continuous flat-rolled stainless wound into a roll, before it is cut to sheet or slit to strip. See SS coils.
Strip / patta-patti: Trade Hindi for stainless strips, narrow flat-rolled coil slit to width. Patta = the wider strip, patti = the narrower band; together the commonest term for slit SS in the market. See SS patta-patti strips.
Circle: A round blank cut from sheet or coil, the base form for utensils and cookware. See stainless steel circles.
Chequered sheet: A sheet with a raised anti-slip pattern rolled into the surface, for flooring and steps. See SS chequered sheets.
Perforated sheet: A sheet punched with a regular pattern of holes, for screens, filters and façades. See perforated stainless steel sheets.
Cut-to-size: Sheet or plate sheared to a customer's exact dimensions as a job-work service, rather than sold only in standard sizes.

Processing & rolling

How the stainless is rolled and treated after melting. This answers what is CR coil, what is HR coil and the cold rolled vs hot rolled meaning, plus what is passivation / pickling / annealing and the what is PVD finish / etched / embossed / water ripple meaning design terms.

CR (Cold Rolled): Coil or sheet rolled to final thickness cold, thinner, smoother, brighter and to a tighter tolerance (typically 2B/BA finish). A CR coil is cold-rolled coil. Compare in the HR vs CR stainless sheet guide.
HR (Hot Rolled): Coil or sheet rolled hot, thicker, with a duller No.1 finish and wider tolerance; the HR coil feedstock later cold-rolled into CR. See the HR vs CR guide.
Annealing: Heat treatment that softens the steel and restores its corrosion resistance and ductility after rolling.
Pickling: Acid treatment that removes the oxide scale left by hot rolling or annealing, exposing a clean stainless surface.
Passivation: A chemical treatment that removes free iron and enriches the protective chromium-oxide layer, maximising corrosion resistance.
Temper / hardness: The degree of cold-work in the strip (e.g. soft, half-hard, full-hard), which sets its strength and springiness.
PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition): A vacuum coating process that lays a hard, thin coloured layer (gold, rose-gold, black, etc.) onto stainless, a decorative colour finish. See PVD colour SS sheets.
Etching: Chemically eroding a pattern into the surface for decorative sheet. See etched SS sheets.
Embossing: Rolling a raised three-dimensional texture into the sheet. See embossed SS sheets.
Water-ripple: A rippled, water-like decorative texture pressed into the sheet. See water-ripple SS sheets.

For the full range of decorative processing, see the designer stainless sheets hub.

Grades & metallurgy families

A grade names one specific stainless composition, like 304, 316, or 202. Grades then group into metallurgy families based on their structure. Below you'll find the austenitic / ferritic / martensitic / duplex meaning definitions, along with the 200 series / j series / 300 series / 400 series meaning, these cover families only. For a deep-dive on any single grade, head to the full stainless grade library.

Austenitic: The chromium-nickel (300-series) and chromium-manganese (200-series) family, non-magnetic in the annealed state, tough, weldable and the most corrosion-resistant everyday stainless (e.g. 304, 316, 202).
Ferritic: Chromium-only stainless with little or no nickel (400-series such as 430, 409), magnetic, lower cost, good for trim, exhausts and mild environments.
Martensitic: Hardenable chromium stainless (e.g. 410, 420), magnetic and heat-treatable for hardness and edge retention, used for cutlery and wear parts.
Duplex: A mixed austenitic-ferritic structure (e.g. 2205) giving high strength and excellent chloride/pitting resistance. See duplex 2205.
300-series: Austenitic chromium-nickel grades, the mainstream corrosion-resistant family (304, 304L, 316, 316L, 321, 310S).
200-series: Austenitic chromium-manganese-nitrogen grades that substitute some nickel with manganese/nitrogen for cost (201, 202, 204Cu).
400-series: Ferritic and martensitic chromium grades (409, 410, 430, 439, 441, 436), magnetic, nickel-free.
J-series: Jindal's lineage of value grades (J4, J1, J2/JT) within the 200-series family, common in utensils and general fabrication. See Jindal J-series.
Magnetic response: Whether a grade sticks to a magnet, a rough family clue: annealed austenitic is largely non-magnetic, ferritic and martensitic are magnetic. Not a reliable grade test on its own; use PMI.
Corrosion / pitting resistance: How well a grade resists general rusting and localised chloride "pitting", improved by chromium, nickel and especially molybdenum (why 316 outperforms 304 near salt/chlorides).
Sensitisation / weld-decay: Loss of corrosion resistance near welds when chromium carbides form; countered by low-carbon "L" grades (304L, 316L) or stabilised grades (321).
Nickel content: The nickel in a grade, the main driver of both austenitic corrosion resistance and daily price movement.

Designations & standards

A designation is just the code that names a grade. A standard, by contrast, is the published specification the grade is made and tested to. What follows covers what UNS, AISI, IS 6911, and ASTM A240 actually mean, along with what a grade number is telling you.

AISI: The three-digit naming convention (e.g. 304, 316, 430) originating with the American Iron and Steel Institute, the numbers most buyers use.
UNS: The Unified Numbering System code (e.g. S30400 for 304, S31600 for 316), a precise cross-reference used on certificates and international specs.
EN: European Norm designations (e.g. 1.4301 = 304, 1.4401 = 316) seen on imported material and drawings.
IS: Indian Standard designations, the BIS specifications governing stainless flat product in India.
ASTM A240: The core ASTM specification for stainless steel sheet, strip and plate, chemistry, mechanical properties and finish designations follow it. See ASTM A240.
IS 6911: The Indian Standard for stainless steel sheet and strip, the local counterpart to ASTM A240. See IS 6911.
Grade number: The digits (e.g. 304) identify the family and composition; a trailing letter refines it, L = low-carbon, H = high-carbon/high-temperature, Ti = titanium-stabilised.

Sizes, gauge & tolerance

A quick word on terms: what does 8x4 sheet meaning actually cover (in Hinglish, 4x8 kya hota hai)? There's also what is gauge in ss sheet, SWG meaning, and gauge to mm conversions to sort out. These figures follow standard Indian market practice, set out per IS 6911. For the complete charts, check SS sheet sizes, thickness & gauge.

8x4 (4x8): A sheet 8 ft × 4 ft ≈ 2438 × 1219 mm (often traded 2500 × 1250 mm), the most common Indian sheet size. "4x8" is the same board named the other way round.
4x10 / 5x10: Larger standard sheets: 4x10 ≈ 3048 × 1219 mm and 5x10 ≈ 3000 × 1500 mm.
Gauge / SWG: A legacy thickness scale (Standard Wire Gauge), a higher gauge number means a thinner sheet. Mills roll to mm, so treat gauge as a label and confirm the mm. See the gauge-to-mm chart.
Thickness (mm): The sheet's thickness in millimetres, the value to specify (roughly 0.3–12 mm+ for flat product). Convert weight with the weight calculator or weight chart.
Tolerance: The permitted +/- variation on thickness, width and length under the governing standard (ASTM A480 / IS 6911).

Commercial & QA terms

This page walks through the commercial and quality vocabulary you'll meet on a quote and at dispatch, defined here as concepts only. No rate ever lives on this page.

It covers what is MTC / mill test certificate meaning and what is PMI test / positive material identification. It also covers what is HSN code / GST rate for ss. Then there's the what is ₹/kg basis / ex-delhi / freight extra meaning, plus what is MOQ / minimum order quantity for ss.

MTC (Mill Test Certificate): The mill's document certifying the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the actual heat of steel supplied. Relinox shares an MTC with dispatched material. See mill test certificates.
PMI (Positive Material Identification): An on-the-spot instrument test (usually XRF) that confirms a grade's alloy content, the reliable way to verify SS, unlike a magnet. See how to identify real SS 304.
HSN code: The Harmonised System tax classification code for the product on a GST invoice, a definition, not a rate. See HSN & GST codes for SS.
GST rate: The Goods and Services Tax percentage applied on the invoice, stated on the tax page, added over the material cost. See HSN & GST codes.
₹/kg basis: Stainless is priced per kilogram, so the sheet cost = weight × the ₹/kg rate. Rates move daily with nickel, see the indicative price list and confirm today's rate on RFQ (no rate is printed here).
Ex-Delhi: The price is quoted at our Delhi (Ajmeri Gate) point; transport to the buyer is arranged and charged separately.
Freight extra / GST extra: Freight and GST are added on top of the ex-Delhi material price, stated separately on the quote.
MT (Metric Tonne): 1,000 kg, the unit for bulk coil and plate quantities.
MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity): The smallest quantity a supplier will sell. Relinox works with no MOQ, larger quantities simply get better rates.
Indicative price / rate confirmed on RFQ: A published price is a dated guide only; the firm rate is confirmed on your RFQ because nickel-linked prices move daily.

Pricing is deliberately not on this page. For any ss 304 / 316 / 202 sheet price, rate today, price list or ₹ per kg query, and for a 2b finish sheet price or cr coil price, see the indicative price list and confirm today's rate on RFQ. For ss patti rate or patta price per kg, see patta-patti strips and prices.

"Jindal": which company? (disambiguation)

The market tends to throw around "Jindal" pretty loosely, so this glossary pins down exactly what it means:

Jindal Stainless (JSL): Our principal, the stainless flat-products producer (Hisar and Jajpur mills). This is the only "Jindal" this site concerns; a jindal ss glossary is a JSL-vocabulary glossary.
Jindal SAW: A separate company making pipes and tubes, out of scope here.
JSPL (Jindal Steel & Power) / JSW Steel: Different companies dealing in carbon steel and pipes, not the stainless flat products on this site.
Salem: "Salem stainless" refers to SAIL Salem Steel Plant, a competitor mill we do not distribute.

Why trust this glossary

The Relinox Technical Team put this glossary together, working as an MoU partner and authorized channel of Jindal Stainless with the full flat-product grade range in stock. Every dispatch ships with a mill test certificate (MTC), and delivery covers all of India from the Delhi base. Relinox distributes and stocks genuine JSL-melted material. It's never the manufacturer. Core grades such as 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 316Ti, 321, 310S, 201, 202, 204Cu, J4, 409, 410, 430 and duplex 2205 ship against your indent. Grades on the verify list, among them 317L, 304H, 321H, 301LN, 444, duplex 2304, super duplex 2507 and JSLU DD/SD, are available against indent or on request.

We're registered as RELINOX STAINLESS, GSTIN 07AAYFR6664H1ZD, based at 699, 1st Floor, Gali Kundewalan, Ajmeri Gate, Delhi 110006, right in one of Delhi's busiest stainless steel markets. Need to source the material these definitions describe? Send your requirement through the RFQ form.

This reference is published under CC BY 4.0. Reuse it, but credit Relinox Stainless, Indian Stainless Steel Terms Glossary. Want the full term list as a CSV (`term,family,definition,see_also`)? Just ask through the RFQ form.

Frequently asked questions

What is a stainless steel glossary?

This list works as a reference, laying out the finishes, forms, grades, gauge, and trade terms used when buying stainless steel flat products in India. Each term links through to a fuller page, wherever one exists.

What does 2B finish mean?

2B is your everyday cold-rolled stainless finish: smooth, annealed, given a light skin pass, and moderately bright. It's the default when someone just says "SS sheet." For the full rundown, check the finishes guide.

What is the difference between CR and HR coil?

CR (cold-rolled) coil runs thinner and smoother, held to a tighter tolerance, with a 2B/BA finish. HR (hot-rolled) coil is thicker, with a dull No.1 finish. You'll find the full comparison in the HR-vs-CR guide.

What does "patta / patti" mean?

It's trade Hindi for stainless steel strips: narrow flat-rolled coil, slit to width. <em>Patta</em> is the wider strip; <em>patti</em>, the narrower band. Check our SS patta-patti page for more.

What does 8x4 (or 4x8) mean?

An 8x4 sheet measures 8 ft by 4 ft, roughly 2438 mm by 1219 mm. In practice, though, suppliers often trade it as 2500 mm by 1250 mm. It's the most common sheet size in India. Call it 4x8 instead, and you're describing the exact same board, just with the dimensions flipped.

What is gauge?

Gauge is an old thickness scale, Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), and a higher number there actually means a thinner sheet. Mills roll to millimeters, not gauge. Specify the mm and treat gauge as nothing more than a label. You'll find the gauge-to-mm conversion on the sizes resource.

What is an MTC?

An MTC, or Mill Test Certificate, is the mill's own document certifying the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the heat of steel it supplied. Relinox includes one with every shipment that goes out.

What is the difference between 200, 300 and 400 series?

300-series is austenitic chromium-nickel (e.g. 304, 316); 200-series is austenitic chromium-manganese-nitrogen (e.g. 201, 202, 204Cu); 400-series is ferritic/martensitic chromium (e.g. 409, 430). See the grades hub for depth.

Which "Jindal" makes stainless steel?

Jindal Stainless (JSL) is our principal, the maker of stainless flat products, with mills at Hisar and Jajpur. It's not the same company as Jindal SAW, JSPL, or JSW Steel, which run carbon-steel and pipe businesses. And it isn't SAIL Salem either.

Is there a minimum order quantity?

No, Relinox doesn't work with a minimum order quantity. Larger orders simply earn better rates. Prices are quoted ex-Delhi, and GST plus freight are added separately.

Where do I see the price per kg for these grades?

On the indicative price list, rates shift daily with nickel, so confirm today's rate on your RFQ. This glossary prints no rate.