Stainless steel is most widely used material for the fabrication of industrial products due to its excellent durability, versatility and cost effectiveness. Stainless steel pipe is available in diverse varieties such as seamless, welded, ERW, EFW, cold drawn etc. that are available in different standards and specifications. Due to the chromium and nickel content, stainless steel offers exceptional resistivity and strength even in hostile conditions. Stainless Steel Pipes are available in different grades that established by different standards such as SAE, ASTM, BS, EN, ASME and other standards. Stainless Steel Pipe is available in different families and their respective grades that are differentiated according to chemical composition:
Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipe: Stainless steel pipe is available in different austenitic grades including 303, 304, 310, 316 and 321 that vary in chemical composition and properties. These grades are most common grades that has higher amount of nickel, molybdenum and chromium content. These versatile grades offer exceptional malleability, tensile strength and anti-corrosiveness features. These austenitic grades of Stainless steel pipe offer exceptional creep resistance and resistance to pitting, and crevice corrosion. These stainless steel grades, 304, 316, 321 are further classified according to the carbon content. Stainless Steel Pipe offer exceptional toughness at elevated as well as cryogenic temperatures.
Ferritic Stainless Steel Pipe: This grade pipe is one of the most economical due to its less nickel content. Ferritic grades contain molybdenum, chromium, titanium, niobium and other elements that offer excellent creep resistance and toughness even in aggressive environments. Most of these Stainless Steel Pipe grades are magnetic and offer excellent weldablity. Ferritic grades of Stainless steel pipe include 430 and 410 grades that offer remarkable resistance to corrosion, oxidation and stress corrosion cracking.
Duplex Stainless Steel Pipe: These pipes have combines properties of austenitic and ferritic grades that make it stronger and one of the most widely used grades. Duplex Stainless Steel Pipe is lightweight and resistant to corrosion. Due to this feature, this pipe is suitable for marine applications. Stainless steel Pipe offer excellent tensile strength, and easy formability features. Duplex stainless steel grades include 2304, 255, 2205, and super duplex 2507 etc.
Martensitic & Precipitation Hardening Stainless Steel Pipe: This pipe is similar to ferritic but has elevated carbon content. Stainless steel pipe with martensitic grade are used in applications that require hardened edge. Due to excellent hardening and tempering features this grade is used in medical instruments. Stainless steel Pipe is available in grades like 410 and 420.
There are more than 60 grades of stainless steel. Stainless steel is essentially low-carbon steel that contains chromium of 10% or more by weight. It is the addition of chromium that gives the steel its unique stainless, corrosion-resisting properties. Austenitic 304 and 316 stainless steels are considered surgical or medical-grade stainless steels, they are the most common stainless steels. The key difference between 304 and 316 stainless steel that makes them different is the addition of molybdenum, an alloy that drastically enhances corrosion resistance, especially for more saline or chloride-exposed environments. 316 stainless steel contains molybdenum, but 304 does not.
Both of these 300-grade steels are known for their excellent welding and forming properties, which give them applications across many industries. These alloys cannot be hardened by heat treatment, but they can develop high strength by cold working.
In pharmaceutical, power generation and chemical process applications, austenitic stainless steels like 304 are typically the first choice. Molybdenum is mainly used for added corrosion resistance in 316, make it ideal for more acidic environments. Certain critical petroleum, chemical processes and marine applications with corrosive chloride gas require the improved pitting and crevice corrosion resistance of 316 molybdenum-modified stainless steels.
300 Series Austenitic – Typical Grade: 304 Chromium (17-25%); nonmagnetic, not heat treatable. Can develop high strength by cold working. Molybdenum (up to 7%) can increase corrosion resistance – especially pitting and crevice corrosion resistance.
Typical Use: Food & beverage, cryogenic, chemical process, medical (hypodermic needles, implants, stents), instrumentation/chromatography tubing, oil & gas, hydraulic tubing and marine applications. Super austenitic grades (high nickel) extend performance for applications requiring extreme corrosion & oxidation/scaling resistance or higher strengths.
Eagle Stainless is a tubing supplier with knowledge and experience that can help you maximize the value, reliability, and performance of your design with high-quality tubing tailored to your product. The right tubing can last for the life of your product giving customers the dependability and functionality they expect. Contact us today for all your tubing needs and to learn more about 304 vs 316 stainless steel!
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