316L Stainless Steel Pipe is a low carbon version of the 316 stainless steel material grade. This material is rated up to 8160psig. The pipes made out of this material are in different shapes and sizes. The pipes are either cold drawn or hot rolled. They can be annealed and quenched for better ductility after production but cannot be hardened by heat treatment. There are different pressure classes and schedules of this pipe indicating the different pressure containment capacities. They are usually small size pipes ranging from1/8 inches to 1 inch. Since the 316L stainless steel pipe is in smaller dimensions, the absolute roughness has to be very low.
The seamless pipes tend to have lower roughness. This is important because the pipes will have to fit accurately in connections and the roughness can affect it. The strength of these pipes along with the pressure ratings are determined also by the diameter of the pipe and the wall thickness. The 316l stainless steel tube seamless pipes have a uniform wall thickness and even diameter along the length of the pipe. The applications of this material made pipe are primarily in the sea water and marine environments where the chloride ion corrosion crack is prominent. Due to the anticorrosive nature and high pressure containment of the material, it could also be used in water desalination plants providing strength without compromising the lifespan. The 316l stainless steel tubing pricing is almost equal to the ordinary 316 type but the mechanical properties greatly differ.
