You need to know the facts before you go out and purchase a stainless steel tube. The steel tube is a common material used to make pipes, tubes, and connectors because it has a high resistance to corrosion, excellent tensile strength, and mechanical stability. It is also resistant to both stress cracking and stress relief. The main contributing factor for these traits is the presence of chromium. Chromium has been proven to resist corrosion by leaps and bounds since its discovery in 1940. Therefore, if you want to use this type of material to make a pipe or connector, you need to ensure that you purchase the right one. The company you choose to purchase 316 stainless steel tube should have years of experience in the field, and that has proven to be able to source premium quality stainless steel tubes.
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What is stainless steel?
Stainless steels are iron-based alloys that contain at least 10.5 per cent Chromium. They achieve their stainless characteristics through the formation of an adherent and invisible Chromium rich oxide film. Alloy 316 is a general-purpose austenitic stainless steel with a face centred cubic structure. It is essentially non-magnetic in the annealed condition and can only be hardened by cold working. Molybdenum has been added to increase corrosion resistance, especially in chloride-containing environments, and the lower content of carbon of alloy 316L gives even better corrosion resistance in welded structures.
300 Series Austenitic – Typical grades are T304 and T316
Nickel (8-25%), Chromium (17-25%); non heat, non-magnetic treatable. It can develop high strength by cold working. Additions of molybdenum (up to 7%) can increase the corrosion resistance. 300 series stainless steels uphold their strength at high temperatures, resists corrosion and are easy to maintain. Type 316 contains slightly more nickel than Type 304, and 2-3 per cent molybdenum giving it better corrosion resistance.
300 Series Austenitic – Typical uses:
- Architectural applications
- Surgical applications
- Wastewater equipment
- Pharmaceutical equipment
- Food and beverage equipment
- Chemical equipment
By matching the grade of stainless to your intended environment and usage, you can optimize your stainless steel investment’s physical and financial benefits.
316 Stainless Commercial Tubing
These grades of austenitic stainless steels are similar to 304 and 304L, but with the addition of molybdenum, which improves the alloys corrosion resistance, particularly with higher resistance to crevice corrosion and pitting in chloride environments. The austenitic structure allows outstanding toughness, even down to cryogenic temperatures. These stainless steel grades have excellent weld-ability, with or without the addition of filler metal.
Benefits of 316 stainless steel tube
Most stainless steel ordered around the world is grade 304. While 316 comes in second in terms of quantities sold, it offers vastly superior corrosion resistance to acids and chlorides.
This makes it popular for a wide range of environments, including:
- Brewing facilities
- Medical equipment and implants
- Environments with increased exposure to alkalis and acids
- Coastal environments
- Foodservice, processing, and preparation environments
- Areas with high salt levels (such as roadways)
These increased resistances help take the guesswork out of cleaning and clean your stainless more often using stronger detergents and cleansers with little worry of damage or altering the stainless steel’s appearance. This makes 316 stainless steel an ideal upgrade for environments with strict cleanliness and hygiene standards.
Where to purchase 316 stainless steel tube?
If you want to make sure that you are getting the best quality, you need to purchase from a company known to provide top-notch products to their clients. Therefore, if you want to make sure that you get the right product, you need to purchase online. Many companies can provide you with the best deal and the best service, and this is what you need to know so that you will be able to make the right decision.
Final Take
If you want to know more about this type of tubes, you will find it online at any number of websites. One of the easiest ways to purchase this material is to go online and choose a reliable company, which can provide you with the best stainless steel tube available today. This material is also available in different sizes, so you need to make sure you are buying the right size. This way, you will be able to use the tubes in the right applications without worrying about whether they will fit into the pipe or not. Therefore, if you want to buy the stainless steel tube you need today, you must look at some of the different types available to make the right choice.