Stainless steel is an alloy highly used today for its unique specifications. It is mixed with other elements such as carbon, iron, nickel, molybdenum, sulfur, etc., to enhance its properties. It mainly comprises more than 10% chromium that provides a shield on the steel's surface. Other than Carbon Steel, Stainless steel is now used in various applications. The presence of chromium content in stainless steel provides corrosive resistance and a seamless finish, and for this reason, it has been widely utilized for piping and tubing. Moreover, the pipes made of stainless steel require minimum maintenance and are unlikely to get a severe scratch.
Following are the different types of Stainless Steel used for pipe tubes.
- Austenitic
- Ferritic
- Martensitic
- Duplex
- Precipitation
Out of all stainless steel, Austenitic stainless steel of grade 304 is mostly preferred for piping and tubing. It possesses high corrosion resistance and is suitable for all applications under even higher temperatures. Grade 304L and Grade 16 also have great endurance power and are used in refrigerators, heating, and plumbing systems. For Stainless Steel pressure pipe, electrical fusion welded pipe and welded ferritic stainless steel are primarily used. The other uses of stainless steel pipe include processing food and beverage, textile operation, automobile, construction, etc.
Welded vs Seamless Stainless Steel for piping and tubing
Welded and Seamless Stainless Steel pipes and tubes have a variety of uses. The seamless stainless steel pipe and tube are made using strong round steel billets through both hot and cold rolling, leading to a seamless and smooth pipe surface. On the other hand, a welded tube is made with rolling strips of stainless steel or flat steel plate, which are drawn into a tube and then welded along the full pipe length. Welded tubes are drawn similarly to seamless tubing with a more flexible and polished surface. Unlike seamless steel pipe, the welded pipe is made with chemical composition; hence, the pipeline's strength depends on the alloy composition. However, the stainless steel materials used in the production of welded tubes have thinner walls and, hence, less corrosion resistance. The welded tubes are commonly used in various industries because of their low cost of production and availability of raw materials. But when it comes to choosing the quality, Stainless Steel Tubing is always chosen first by the manufacturers.
Uses of Seamless Stainless Steel Pipe and Tubes
Seamless stainless steel has been used in making pipelines for quite a long time. However, seamless Stainless Steel Pipe has specific properties that make the manufacturing companies choose it more than welded pipes.
Following are the important uses of Seamless Stainless steel pipe and tubes.
- Seamless Stainless Steel tubes provide higher resistance to varying temperatures. They have excellent corrosion resistance that can resist temperatures up to 1500°F. This is one of the reasons why seamless stainless steel is used for pipelines in high-pressure equipment and other industrial processes.
- Stainless steel tubes have a higher diameter than pipes made from other materials. It can be used for liquid transportation above 0.8 MP, which makes it suitable for transferring natural gas for chemical injection in industries such as Shipbuilding, Aerospace, pharmaceutics, and many more.
- Stainless steel pipes are highly durable. If the pipe is maintained well, it can last decades easily. Moreover, stainless steel pipes have no risks of impurities, and there are few chances of contamination; hence, they are considered safe to be used in food processing.
- Even though seamless steel pipes and tubes are lightweight, they have greater strength than other pipes and can hold heavy materials without any chances of leakage.
- Stainless steel is made 100% sustainable, it is partially made from recycled materials, leaving no amounts of additional waste.
Stainless steel is a multipurpose material. Due to its longevity and resistance power, it has been used for piping and tubing in multiple industrial sectors. Although there are substitutes for Seamless Stainless Steel Pipe that do the job efficiently, in comparison to pipes made from other materials, stainless steel makes the best option for piping and tubing in the global market.