8 stainless steel pipe

Stainless steel piping has long been leveraged to carry a variety of materials in industries such as petroleum, chemical, medical, food and light production. It is renowned for its strength; being both bendable and torqueable makes it an ideal choice for mechanical parts and engineering structures. Additionally, its great resistance to corrosion makes it a preferred material when fabricating heat exchangers, condensers, and similar pieces of equipment used by many industries including petrochemical, textile and more.

With the diverse group of stainless steel pipes, the list includes austenitic, super austenitic, ferritic, duplex, and precipitation hardening types. What’s more, each type is further sub-divided by shape into round and special-shaped variants. Ultimately, general purpose and food hygiene stainless steel pipes match the requirements for use.

Commonly used in building, vehicle and machinery industries, general-purpose stainless steel pipes come in an array of grades like 304, 304L, 321, 316, 316L, 317L, 347, 347H, 310S and 904L. The diameter of hot-rolled variants can range from 32mm to 1.75mm in wall thickness, while thick walls on the cold-drawn models won’t exceed 0.25mm. Structurally, these stainless steel pipes are subdivided into two production processes: hot and cold rolled methods of manufacturing.

The fabrication processes for hot-rolled and cold-rolled stainless steel pipes differ significantly. Cold-rolled pipes start off as the hot-rolled type which conform to ASTM A312. To attain precise measurements and a smooth outer layer, the latter undergoes cold drawing or cold rolling in comparison to ice-cold smoothness from seamless steel pipes. Cold-drawn versions tend to be narrow in diameter with a wall thickness not surpassing 4mm while the thickness for cold-rolled pipes is usually limited to 0.25mm. Enhanced accuracy and improved visual appeal are a feature of items created by the cold drawing process.

Cold-rolled and hot-rolled seamless stainless steel pipes vary in their construction process. Hot-rolled pipes are made via piercing, hot rolling, and further hot drawing. On the other hand, cold-rolled pipes are fabricated by drawing round billets through a cold rolling and cold drawing technique. Hot-rolled pipes are used for applications that require high durability and strength; for example, they can be found in petrochemical and natural gas industries. Cold-drawn pipes are used in cases where precision dimensions and polished surfaces are necessary, such as for automotive, electric, and hydraulic processes. Commonly used grades of both hot-rolled and cold-drawn pipes consist of 304/304L, 321, 316/316L, 317L, 347/347H, 310S, and 904L; of which their diameters vary between 32mm (hot-rolling) and 6mm (cold-drawing), with wall thicknesses ranging between 2.5 – 75mm (hot-rolling) and 0.25mm (cold-drawing).

The manufacturing process for hot-rolled and cold-rolled seamless stainless steel pipes varies, with the former requiring piercing, hot rolling, and hot drawing, and the latter made from round billets through cold drawing, cold rolling, and cold drawing. Hot-rolled seamless stainless steel pipes are commonly utilized in petrochemical and natural gas industries due to their higher strength and resilience.Widely used grades of hot-rolled stainless steel pipes can include 304, 304L, 321, 316, 316L, 317L, 347, 347H, 310S, 904L. The outer diameter of these hot-rolled pipes is typically greater than 32mm with a wall thickness between 2.5-75mm. For applications which require less structural strength and support, cold-drawn seamless stainless steel pipes may be more ideal.

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