2B Stainless Steel Finish
2B is a cold rolled, heat treated, pickled and skin-passed finish for stainless steel flat products. This page covers the ASTM A480 and BS EN 10088-2 descriptions, appearance variability, thickness limits, and the 2B coil grades and sizes ZIVO STEEL supplies.
- Finish
- 2B
- Process route
- Cold rolled, heat treated, pickled, skin passed
0.1–0.5 µm
Typical Ra, BSSA reference
Most widely used
Finish for stainless flat products
Representative view: a 2B stainless steel sheet surface, matte and even, reflecting the light softly.
What the 2B Finish Is
Finish 2B is defined by BS EN 10088-2 as cold rolled, heat treated, pickled and skin passed, with a typical Ra of 0.1-0.5 micrometres. ASTM A480 describes 2B as a smooth, moderately reflective cold-rolled annealed and pickled or descaled finish produced by a final light cold-rolled pass using large diameter polished rolls. The two systems cross-reference the 2B designation for cold rolled flat products.
| System | Designation | Standard | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS EN 10088-2 | 2B | BS EN 10088-2:2024 (Table 6) | Cold rolled, heat treated, pickled, skin passed; described as the most common cold rolled finish available, non-reflective, smooth, with good flatness control, and a typical Ra of 0.1-0.5 micrometres. |
| ASTM A480 | No. 2B | ASTM A480 | Smooth, moderately reflective cold-rolled annealed and pickled or descaled finish typically produced by imparting a final light cold-rolled pass using large diameter polished rolls; also described as cold rolled, annealed, and pickled, followed by a light temper pass using polished rolls, smooth, somewhat reflective, and bright. |
How 2B Is Produced
A No. 2B finish is cold rolled, annealed, and pickled, followed by a light temper pass using polished rolls; the finish is smooth, somewhat reflective, and bright. Product with a 2B finish is normally supplied in the annealed plus lightly cold-rolled condition, unless a tensile-rolled (harder and stronger) product is specified.
Cold rolling
Cold rolling smooths the surface, refines the grain structure, and causes differences in the mechanical properties along and across the rolling direction, while also improving the surface finish and obtaining tighter tolerances compared to hot rolled products.
Annealing
After cold rolling, the steel is softened and typically recrystallised by annealing in a furnace.
Pickling
The newly formed scale from annealing is removed by pickling.
Temper pass
A light temper pass using polished rolls produces the smooth, somewhat reflective, bright finish described for 2B.
Appearance Terms in 2B Standards
BS EN 10088-2 and ASTM A480 describe the 2B appearance in different words. The table keeps each description with the association that publishes it, so the two statements can be compared without treating them as the same requirement.
| Designation system | Designation | Appearance as described | Described by |
|---|---|---|---|
| BS EN 10088-2 | 2B | Non-reflective, smooth, good flatness control; typical Ra 0.1-0.5 micrometres | BSSA |
| ASTM A480 | No. 2B | Smooth, moderately reflective; typically produced by a final light cold-rolled pass using large diameter polished rolls | ASSDA |
Inspection and Variability
Review these points when specifying or accepting 2B flat products.
- Batch and area variationOver broad areas and between batches, the 2B finish is not uniform and may not match in appearance.
- Mill-only finishThe 2B finish is produced in the mill and cannot be matched after fabrication.
- Protective filmThe 2B finish is often protected by plastic films until final cleanup and commissioning.
- Handling damageMill produced finishes must be handled carefully as surface damage such as scratches, grinding marks or spatter cannot be matched by polishing with abrasives or etching with chemicals.
Thickness and Limits
Cold rolled finishes apply to flat products such as sheet or coil, with thickness less than about 5 mm and usually less than 3 mm. For 2B, the thickness range is limited by the manufacturer's skin passing rolling capacity.
About 5 mm
Thickness below which cold rolled finishes apply
Under 3 mm
Usual thickness of cold rolled flat products
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Downstream Processing
For finish selection based on appearance and downstream work, see the 2B vs BA comparison.
Polishing
Under ASTM A480, 2B is more readily polished than No. 1 or 2D finishes.
Common uses
The most widely used stainless steel surface finish for flat products: process vessels and tanks, and architectural parts such as downpipes and gutters.
Corrosion resistance
Highly corrosion resistant, because it has been chemically pickled and is smooth.
2B, BA and 2D
The 2B finish is pickled, while the bright annealed (BA) finish is not pickled in acid, because a thin oxide film is formed during annealing. The 2D surface is rougher than 2B. These are process and surface differences for cold rolled flat products.
For bright annealed terminology, surface acceptance and grade/form limits, use the BA Stainless Steel Finish page.
2D vs 2B: When 2D Matters
If the delivered surface will remain visible, specify which finish you require and agree a reference sample, inspection conditions and acceptable variation before ordering. If you will polish, form or otherwise process the material, describe that operation and ask whether a proposed 2D surface is acceptable for this exact job. The ASSDA comparison describes 2D as rougher than 2B; that observation alone does not approve a change of finish for your part.
Put the chosen finish, grade, product form, dimensions and applicable standard edition on the order. Record any approved alternative as a separate line, then compare the received surface with the agreed sample and method. The earlier inspection section sets out the detailed receiving checks; the downstream-processing section covers the next operation.
2B Coil From ZIVO
ZIVO STEEL supplies cold rolled stainless steel coil in 2B in these grades and sizes.
| Product page | Grade | Finish | Thickness | Width |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 304 Stainless Steel Coil | 304 | 2B | 0.3–3.0 mm | 1219 / 1500 mm |
| 316L Stainless Steel Coil | 316L | 2B | 0.3–3.0 mm | 1219 mm |
| 430 Stainless Steel Coil | 430 | 2B | 0.26–3.0 mm | 1219 / 1250 mm |
| 201 Stainless Steel Coil | 201 (low-nickel J series) | 2B | 0.3–2.0 mm | 1219 mm |
| 201 Stainless Steel Coil | 201 | 2B | — | — |
| 304L Coil | 304L | 2B | 0.3–3.0 mm | 1219 / 1500 mm |
| 304 DDQ Stainless Steel Coil | 304 DDQ | 2B | 0.3–3.0 mm | 1000 / 1219 mm |
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