Low temperature carburized AISI 316 stainless steel - carbon expanded austenite - was investigated with EXAFS and synchrotron diffraction together with synthesized carbides of the type M3C2, M7C3 and M23C6. It was found that the chemical environment of carbon expanded austenite is not associated with any of the investigated carbides, that carbon has a strong affinity for chromium, i.e. short range order, and that carbon is in solid solution.