304 stainless steel pipe applications

304 stainless steel pipe is one of the most commonly used steel alloys. In industrial applications, the use of water makes the pipes and fittings exposed to corrosion. Since the 304 material is austenitic and contains chromium and nickel in its composition, it is very much resistant to corrosion in water. This property makes the 304 stainless steel pipe to be widely accepted amongst a variety of applications. The applications include marine equipment, seawater desalinization plants, nuclear power plants, heat exchangers, boilers, food and beverages industries, chemical processing plants, oil and gas industries and many others.

These pipes are made in different forms and shapes. They come in different diameters starting from less an inch up to 60 inches in general. The pressure containment capacity is different from standard to standard. The wall thickness, the contents in the material composition and the diameter of the pipe all influence the pressure capacities. The strength also differs from the manufacturing process. The annealed and hot rolled ones are much stronger than the others. The cold drawn ones on the other hand are pretty much precise in their dimensions. The stainless steel 304 welded pipe fits stronger with the other components in the piping with welding. The material makes it possible for welding with less chromium carbide precipitation due to the addition of chromium in the composition. The stainless steel pipe varies with all these properties. The material make, the manufacturing procedure, the cold drawn or hot rolled conditions and others are few of the deciding factors.