Steel Pipe And Tube: Choosing Aluminum Or Stainless Steel

Metal pipe and tubing are in every single place in automotive, aerospace, industrial, architectural, research, and medical functions. The most typical components are aluminum and stainless steel pipe and tube materials, and each has attributes that make it the best choice for a given trade. Once you’ve decided whether or not you need piping or tubing, subsequent you’ll want to decide on the perfect metal to your application.

Choosing the right Metal

When you’re choosing a tubing material, the alternatives may appear overwhelming; each aluminum and stainless steel pipe and tube come in a variety of alloys and tempers, each with its own physical and mechanical properties. Each metallic has common properties that are true for all its alloys.


One factor to take into consideration is the mechanical properties which can be required to your software. In situations the place strength is extra important, you might select stainless steel for its good strength-to-weight ratio and potential to achieve vital energy from cold working. If you're targeted on retaining elements lightweight, aluminum may higher suit your software. An aluminum half weighs one-third less than a stainless steel a part of the identical dimensions.


Another factor to think about is the corrosion resistance or heat resistance of metal tubing. Generally, each stainless steel and aluminum provide corrosion safety, and the quantity will differ relying upon the alloy chosen. The passivating oxide films that kind on the surfaces of both metals help keep the metals from corroding.

Heat Resistance

One downside of passivation is that the oxide layer can inhibit electrical conduction. Consequently, stainless steels are not recognized for good electrical conductivity. Aluminum’s excessive conductivity, along with thermal conductivity three times better than that of steel, has led to its use in energy transmission lines. If moving electricity or heat is important in your software, aluminum may be the better option.


No matter whether your tube is deliberately conducting heat, you’ll need to ensure it may well handle the temperature of its working setting. Stainless steels with high concentrations of chromium and nickel retain power at high temperatures. On the alternative end of the spectrum, aluminum’s tensile strength will increase as temperature drops and stays more durable at chilly temperatures than many steels.

Is Stainless Steel the same as Aluminum?

In abstract, the main factors to think about when selecting what steel and alloy are finest on your application are the mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and heat resistance. Once you’ve chosen a category of steel that best suits your utility, you’re ready to choose the exact alloy and temper you need.

Stainless Steel a hundred and one

For applications that lend themselves to stainless steel, you’re certain to find a grade that works from the wide selection of iron-carbon-chromium alloys covered by that time period. The commonest steel pipe and tube grades are T304 and T316, a part of the 300 collection of stainless steel rod alloys in which austenitic iron alloys with nickel in addition to the chromium and carbon.


T304 is taken into account the traditional stainless steel alloy rod. Also referred to as 18/8, it accommodates 18% chromium and 8% nickel. T316 is one other familiar alloy, especially in food service and medical applications; it comprises molybdenum for extra corrosion protection.


The properties of a given alloy depend enormously on its heat-therapy and cold working historical past. To acquire a particular property or bodily attribute for your tubing, verify with a metallurgist or tubing specialist who can information you to the best combination of alloy and processing in your application.


Tubing specialists also can advise you on tubing size and fabrication processes. Stainless steel tubing comes in fractional and metric outer diameters (ODs) starting from 1/sixteen to 8 in. for tubing and to as small as 0.008 in. for hypodermic functions. Fabrication can embrace bending, coiling, end forming, welding, and cutting.


After you have the precise stainless steel tubing installed in your utility, you may start to think about what to do with it at the end of its useful life. Although the alloying elements that go into stainless steel make it tough to recycle, rest assured that about 50% of all new stainless steel is fabricated from melted down steel scrap.

Aluminum ABCs

The commonest aluminum alloys used for tubing and pipe are 2024, 3003, 5052, 6061, 7075. Their main alloying components of copper, manganese, magnesium, silicon, and zinc lend every alloy barely different physical and mechanical attributes.


A wide range of aluminum tubing sizes is on the market. Aluminum tubes are often chosen for their lightweight, electrical and thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance.


As an example, engineers specify alloys 2024, 6061, and 7075 for aircraft structures because of their excessive power-to-weight ratios and good fatigue resistance. Untreated 2024 and 7075 are prone to corrosion, whereas 6061 is innately corrosion-resistant and easier to weld. 7075 gives greater strength with much less weight, however prices more.


Alloy 3003 is sweet for purposes that need corrosion resistance and excessive energy with much less of an emphasis on ductility. And for applications that rely on many joints, you would possibly select highly weldable 5052.


As with steel, alloy composition alone doesn’t inform the whole story. The exact properties of a given aluminum alloy also depend on its temper or heat-remedy historical past. Temper O indicates the alloy is used as annealed, at its highest ductility and lowest power. Tempers starting with "T," like T3, T4, and T6, involve heat therapies. Cold working or aging steps often follow to strengthen the steel by toughening it on the grain or molecular degree.


Once you’ve chosen the precise aluminum alloy and temper on your software, your subsequent steps will likely be specifying its measurement and any extra fabrication operations. Aluminum tubing ODs usually range from 0.062 in. to 3.00 in. with wall thicknesses from 0.010 in. to 0. If you liked this article and you would certainly such as to obtain more information pertaining to alloy pipe (godotengine.org) kindly browse through our own page. 250 in. Aluminum tubing suppliers can reduce, bend, flare, and fabricate tube to your requirements. After your aluminum tubing enjoys a long service life, you'll be able to plan to recycle it since it's made from 99.8% pure aluminum alloy.

Still Have Questions about Aluminum vs Stainless Steel Pipe and Tube?

If you continue to have questions concerning the difference between aluminum and stainless steel pipe and tube purposes, let the experienced workforce at Eagle Stainless give you customized services to suit your wants. Contact us right this moment to study extra!