What is the difference between 3cr13 and 304 stainless steel?

Which is better, 3cr13 stainless steel or 304 stainless steel?
3Cr13 stainless steel and 304 stainless steel are two different materials. Although they are both stainless steel, their chemical composition, mechanical properties and application range are different.

3Cr13 VS 304 stainless steel chemical composition
3Cr13 stainless steel is a low-alloy high-hardness stainless steel, commonly used to manufacture transmission parts such as knives, molds, and bearings. Its chemical composition contains 13% chromium and about 0.3% carbon. Its hardness and strength are higher than 304 stainless steel, but its toughness and corrosion resistance are lower.
304 stainless steel is an American brand, equivalent to my country's 0Cr18Ni9, with a carbon content of ≤0.035. It not only increases the nickel component, but also has a high content of chromium and nickel. It is waterproof and acid-resistant, has good toughness, and is not easy to break.

3Cr13 VS 304 stainless steel mechanical properties
3Cr13 stainless steel is a stainless steel with a high carbon content (0.35-0.45%), slightly poor waterproofness, and almost zero acid resistance. Due to acidic pollution in the air and water, this type of stainless steel is prone to rust in many occasions, and it has a high hardness and is prone to brittle fracture.
304 stainless steel is a common stainless steel, commonly used in the manufacture of kitchenware, chemical equipment, pipelines and buildings. 304 stainless steel has better corrosion resistance and toughness than 3Cr13 stainless steel, but lower strength and hardness.

3Cr13 VS 304 stainless steel application range
3Cr13 is a high alloy steel. Due to its high carbon content, it has high strength, hardness and wear resistance, but slightly poor corrosion resistance. It is used for some parts with high mechanical properties and general corrosion resistance requirements, such as springs, turbine blades, cutting tools, nozzles, valve seats, valves/hydraulic valves, etc. This type of steel is used after quenching and tempering.
304 stainless steel is widely used in many industries such as industry, furniture decoration, food and medical.
Therefore, it is very important to choose the right material according to the application requirements. If you need to manufacture parts with high strength and hardness requirements, such as knives or bearings, you should choose 3Cr13 stainless steel. If you need better corrosion resistance and toughness, you should choose 304 stainless steel.