Stainless Steel, Duplex & Nickel Alloy Pipes & Tubes
Pipe is ordered by nominal size and schedule; tube by exact outside diameter and wall. Choose the material family, then the grade, then seamless or welded. We supply stainless, duplex, nickel-alloy, chrome-moly and carbon steel pipe and tube with EN 10204 3.1 certificates.
- ASME B36.19
- ASME B36.10
Reviewed by the Kanak Steel & Engineering Co. technical team · Updated October 2026
What is the difference between pipe and tube?
Pipe is ordered by nominal pipe size (NPS) and schedule; tube is ordered by exact outside diameter and wall. Stainless pipe is ASTM A312 with sizes to ASME B36.19 (5S – 80S); duplex pipe is A790; nickel-alloy pipe follows B423 (825), B444 (625) or B622 (C276); carbon and chrome-moly pipe follows A106, A333 and A335 with sizes to ASME B36.10.
How to order pipes & tubes: checklist
- Grade and specification — e.g. ASTM A312 TP316L or ASTM B423 N08825
- Seamless or welded
- NPS and schedule (or OD × wall for tube)
- Length — random or fixed, ends plain or bevelled
- Extra tests — hydro / eddy current, IGC, PMI
- Certificate — EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2
Pipe by Material Family and Grade
Every pipe page sits under its grade and every grade under its family. Open the grade’s pipe page for its seamless, welded and tube standards, weights and testing.
Types of Pipes & Tubes
Seamless, Welded or Tube — Standards by Material
The route decides the specification, the test regime and the price. The same grade is covered by different standards depending on how it is made.
| Material | Seamless pipe | Welded pipe | Tube |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austenitic stainless (304L, 316L, 321) | ASTM A312 | ASTM A312 · A358 (large EFW) | ASTM A213 · A269 · A249 |
| 904L | ASTM A312 (N08904) | ASTM A312 | ASTM A269 · A213 where supported |
| Duplex & super duplex | ASTM A790 | ASTM A790 · A928 | ASTM A789 |
| Alloy 825 | ASTM B423 | ASTM B705 | ASTM B163 |
| Alloy 625 | ASTM B444 | ASTM B705 | ASTM B444 · B704 |
| Hastelloy C276 / C22 | ASTM B622 | ASTM B619 | ASTM B622 · B626 |
| Carbon / low-temp / chrome-moly | A106 · A333 · A335 | A333 (welded) | — |
Pipe Schedules: B36.19 vs B36.10
Stainless and nickel-alloy pipe uses the "S" schedules of ASME B36.19 (5S, 10S, 40S, 80S); carbon steel uses ASME B36.10 (Sch 10 – 160, STD, XS, XXS). Outside diameters are the same for both, so fittings and flanges match. Sch 40S and Sch 40 have the same wall up to 10"; above that they differ — check before mixing.
Wall is chosen from the ASME B31.3 formula t = P·D / 2(S·E·W + P·Y) plus corrosion and −12.5% mill-tolerance allowances. See the pipe schedule chart.
How Pipe Standards Fit Together
Which Pipe Grade for Which Service?
A starting point; confirm with your piping class and corrosion data.
| Service | Start with |
|---|---|
| Water, utilities, mild chemicals | SS 304L / 316L |
| Sulphuric acid, brackish water | SS 904L |
| Chlorides with strength | Duplex 2205 |
| Seawater, firewater, desalination | Super duplex 2507 |
| Acids and sour gas | Inconel 825 |
| Seawater and high temperature | Inconel 625 |
| Wet chlorine, HCl, FGD | Hastelloy C276 |
| Hydrocarbons and steam | A106 Gr B · A335 P11 |
| Low temperature to −45 °C | A333 Gr 6 |
Pipes & Tubes Grades & Material Standards
| Grade | Material standard | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Inconel 825 | ASTM B423 · ASTM B705 | Sulphuric and phosphoric acid service, chloride stress-corrosion cracking and sour gas |
| SS 904L | ASTM A312 (N08904) | Dilute sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid and chloride-bearing cooling water |
| SS 304 | ASTM A312 TP304 · ASTM A312 · A358 | General corrosion resistance, food, water and architectural work |
| SS 304L | ASTM A312 TP304L · ASTM A312 · A358 | Welded tanks, piping and vessels in general corrosive service |
| SS 310 / 310S | ASTM A312 TP310S · ASTM A312 · A358 | Furnaces, burners and heat treatment at high temperature |
| SS 316 / 316L | ASTM A312 TP316L · ASTM A312 · A358 | Chloride-bearing process fluids, marine air and pharmaceutical service |
| SS 321 | ASTM A312 TP321 · ASTM A312 · A358 | High-temperature service between 425 and 815 °C |
| SS 347 | ASTM A312 TP347 · ASTM A312 · A358 | Welded high-temperature piping in refineries and power plants |
| Duplex 2205 | ASTM A790 · ASTM A790 · A928 | Strength with chloride resistance at a stainless-steel budget |
| Super Duplex 2507 | ASTM A790 · ASTM A790 · A928 | Seawater and high-chloride service where strength also matters |
| Inconel 600 | ASTM B167 · ASTM B517 | High-temperature oxidation, caustic and nuclear service |
| Inconel 625 | ASTM B444 · ASTM B705 | Seawater, high strength and high temperature in one alloy |
| Inconel 718 | a specification not yet established | Very high strength at temperatures up to about 650 °C |
| Incoloy 800 / 800H / 800HT | ASTM B407 · ASTM B514 | Furnaces, petrochemical heaters and high-temperature piping |
| Hastelloy C276 | ASTM B622 · ASTM B619 | The most aggressive mixed acids, wet chlorine and hypochlorite |
| Hastelloy C22 | ASTM B622 · ASTM B619 | Mixed oxidising and reducing acids, and weld overlays |
| Monel 400 | ASTM B165 · ASTM B725 | Seawater, hydrofluoric acid and marine service |
| Super Duplex S32760 | ASTM A790 · ASTM A790 · A928 | Seawater firewater, injection and offshore piping |
| ASTM A106 Gr B | ASTM A106 Gr B | High-temperature process and steam piping in refineries and power plants |
| ASTM A333 Gr 6 | ASTM A333 Gr 6 | Cold-climate and refrigerated piping down to −45 °C |
| ASTM A335 P11 | ASTM A335 P11 | Steam and hot-oil piping up to about 550 °C |
| ASTM A335 P22 | ASTM A335 P22 | High-pressure steam and hydrogen service up to about 580 °C |
| S275JR | EN 10210 hot-finished hollow sections · EN 10219 cold-formed hollow sections | General structures, frames and fabrication |
| S355J2+N | EN 10210 hot-finished hollow sections (S355J2H) · EN 10219 cold-formed hollow sections (S355J2H) | Heavy structures, cranes and offshore frames |
Guides, tools & standards for pipes & tubes
Pipes & Tubes for export
FOB / CIF · Nhava Sheva (JNPT), MumbaiPipes & Tubes — questions buyers ask
What is the difference between pipe and tube?
Pipe is ordered by nominal pipe size and schedule for carrying fluids; tube is ordered by exact outside diameter and wall for heat exchangers and instruments, with tighter tolerances.
Seamless or welded pipe — which should I buy?
Seamless for pressure and critical service; welded is cheaper in larger diameters and thinner walls where the design code allows it.
Is Sch 40S the same as Sch 40?
Up to 10" NPS, yes — the walls match. From 12" the wall thicknesses differ, so do not mix them without checking.
What is the wall tolerance on seamless pipe?
Typically −12.5% of nominal wall; allow for it in the pressure calculation.
Which standard covers 904L pipe?
ASTM A312 (UNS N08904). Older piping classes may still name B677 (seamless) or B673 (welded), but their current editions no longer cover N08904 — the publisher states those products are now covered by A312 (and A269 for tube). In Japan, SUS890LTP to JIS G 3459.