ASTM A312 TP304 Stainless Steel Pipe

Stainless steel pipe play an important role in industrial pipeline systems, and ASTM A312 TP304 stainless steel pipe is common stainless steel pipe products in the market. With excellent corrosion resistance, stable mechanical properties, and high cost-effectiveness, they have become an indispensable component in fields such as food processing, chemical engineering, and construction.

ASTM A312 Stainless steel Seamless Pipe

ASTM A312 TP316L Stainless Steel Pipe

ASTM A312 TP304 Seamless Pipe

ASTM A312 Standard for Stainless Steel Pipe

ASTM A312 is a seamless and welded austenitic stainless steel pipe standard developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), covering steel pipes produced by cold and hot working processes. The core requirements are as follows:

Scope of application: Suitable for pipelines transporting corrosive fluids and high-temperature gases, with a working temperature range of -196 ℃ to 650 ℃, which can meet the requirements of low-temperature cryogenic and medium high temperature working conditions;

Quality requirements: Clearly define the chemical composition (such as chromium and nickel content), mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation), manufacturing process, as well as non-destructive testing (ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing), hydrostatic testing, surface quality (no cracks, scratches) and other inspection standards of steel pipes to ensure product consistency and reliability;

Material categories: covering mainstream austenitic stainless steel and duplex stainless steel grades such as TP304, TP304L, TP316, TP316L, UNS S31803, UNS S32750, UNS S32760, etc., providing diversified choices for different corrosion environments and strength requirements.

Analysis of ASTM A312 TP304 Stainless Steel Pipe

TP304 is the most widely used austenitic stainless steel grade in ASTM A312 standard, belonging to the "18-8" type stainless steel (containing about 18% chromium and 8% nickel), with two core characteristics:

Structural advantages: The austenitic crystal structure makes it non-magnetic at room temperature and has excellent processing performance. It can achieve complex forming such as cold bending, stamping, and welding, and is suitable for pipeline installation needs in different scenarios;

Cost advantage: Compared to molybdenum containing stainless steels such as TP316, TP304 eliminates the cost of molybdenum element. In mild to moderate corrosive environments, its cost-effectiveness far exceeds that of ordinary carbon steel and low-alloy steel pipes, balancing performance and economy.

TP304 Stainless Steel Material

Corrosion resistance: Chromium forms a dense chromium oxide film on the surface, which can resist corrosion from the atmosphere, fresh water, weak acid and alkali (such as pH 4-10 solutions), especially suitable for food grade environments (such as milk and juice transportation) and civilian water supply pipelines, to avoid heavy metal precipitation;

Chemical Composition

Mechanical properties: Tensile strength ≥ 515MPa, yield strength ≥ 205MPa, elongation ≥ 35%, excellent toughness at room temperature, no risk of brittle fracture at low temperature environment (-196 ℃), suitable for cold chain logistics pipelines;

Mechanical Properties

High temperature resistance: In environments below 600 ℃, the strength and oxidation resistance are stable. After exceeding 600 ℃, creep issues need to be considered. It is suitable for medium temperature scenarios such as boiler flues and oven exhaust pipes;

Processing performance: TIG welding or MIG welding is used for welding, and there is no need for complex heat treatment after welding (mild corrosive environment). After cold processing, corrosion resistance and plasticity can be restored through solution treatment (1010-1150 ℃ water cooling).

Specification and Dimension

The specifications of TP304 stainless steel pipes cover seamless and welded pipes, meeting different pressure and flow requirements:

Outer diameter (OD): Seamless pipe standard range DN6-DN1200 (1/8 inch -48 inches), special OD supports customization;

Wall thickness (WT): Following ASME B36.10M and ASME B36.19M standard wall thickness grades, Sch 10 to Sch 160, XXS thickened wall thickness can be selected for high-pressure environments;

Length: The fixed length is usually 6m, 9m, 12m, and can also be cut to different lengths as needed;

Tolerance: Seamless pipe outer diameter tolerance ± 0.5%, wall thickness tolerance ± 12.5%; The outer diameter tolerance of welded pipes is ± 1%, the wall thickness tolerance is ± 10%, and the high-precision level can be controlled within ± 5%.

Dimension of ASTM A312 TP304 Stainless Steel Pipe

How to Calculate the Weight of Stainless Steel Pipe

The calculation of the weight (theoretical weight) of ASTM A312 TP304 stainless steel pipe is based on the material density (7.93g/cm ³), and the formula is as follows:

The theoretical weight calculation of stainless steel pipes is a key data in procurement and use. I will first explain the significance of the calculation, and then break down the formula in detail to supplement examples and explanations.

The calculation of the theoretical weight of TP304 stainless steel pipe is based on the material density (7.93g/cm ³), which is derived from the chemical composition and crystal structure characteristics of TP304 stainless steel, providing basic parameters for weight calculation. The calculation formula is as follows:

Weight Calculation Formula

W = 0.02491*T*(D - T)

W means Weight. (kg/m)

T means wall thickness of the steel pipe in mm

D means Outside Diameter in mm.

Coefficient 0.02491 derivation: By converting the density of 7.93g/cm ³ into units and combining it with the circumference formula C=π D, the calculation process is simplified and accurate.

Example

Taking ASTM A312 TP304 stainless steel pipe with a nominal outer diameter of 2 inches (60.3mm) and a wall thickness of SCH40 (3.91mm) as an example:

Seamless pipe weight (kg/m): W=(outer diameter wall thickness) x wall thickness x 0.02491

Example: A seamless pipe with an outer diameter of 60.3mm and a wall thickness of 3.91mm, with a weight of (60.3-3.91) × 3.91 × 0.02491 ≈ 5.5kg/m;

ASME B36.10M Seamless and Welded Steel Pipe Weight List

ASME B36.19M Stainless Steel Pipe Weight List

ASTM A312 TP304 VS TP316 

Chemical composition differences

The core components of ASTM A312 TP304 stainless steel pipes are 18% chromium (Cr) and 8% nickel (Ni). Chromium forms an oxide film on the surface of the steel, giving it corrosion resistance, while nickel enhances the high-temperature strength and toughness of the steel. The synergistic effect of the two makes TP304 stainless steel pipes have good oxidation resistance and processing performance.

On the basis of a formula of 16% chromium and 10% nickel, TP316 stainless steel pipes add an additional 2% molybdenum (Mo) element. The addition of molybdenum significantly improves the steel's resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion in strong corrosive media such as chloride ions, making it more suitable for harsh environments such as chemical and marine engineering than TP304.

Comparison of Corrosion Resistance

TP304 stainless steel material, with its basic chromium nickel alloy composition, exhibits excellent resistance to mild corrosion in general industrial and atmospheric environments, and can effectively resist the erosion of conventional acidic and alkaline substances; However, when faced with chlorine containing media such as chloride solutions and seawater environments, the corrosion resistance of TP304 will decrease, and long-term contact can easily cause pitting and crevice corrosion.

Compared with it, TP316 stainless steel pipes have significantly improved the stability and resistance to chloride ion penetration of the passivation film due to the addition of molybdenum element (Mo content of about 2-3%). They can not only handle complex working conditions of chloride salt solutions calmly, but also ensure the long-term stable operation of equipment with excellent resistance to intergranular corrosion and stress corrosion cracking.

Different application fields

Based on the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of the material, ASTM A312 TP304 stainless steel pipes are widely used in conventional corrosive environments such as food processing, civil drinking water transportation, and room temperature chemical medium transportation;

TP316 stainless steel pipe, with its excellent resistance to chloride ion corrosion and pitting corrosion, has become an important material for the construction of marine engineering facilities, chemical strong corrosion conditions, and harsh high corrosion scenarios such as seawater desalination systems.

Application

Food and Pharmaceutical Industry

Construction and Civil Engineering Field

Chemical Industry

New Energy Sector