These threaded flanges are suitable for welding as they have a carbon content lower than the 301 to 303 permutation, which avoids carbide precipitation in welding applications. Stainless steel butt weld flanges are often used for gears in composite, nutritional, paper, mining, pharmaceutical and petroleum companies. The expansion of molybdenum and the slightly higher nickel content make stainless steel 304 blind flanges suitable for structural applications in harsh environments, from dirty marine environments to sub-zero temperatures.