High strength stainless steel pipe 1

[dozer]

Anybody got a recommendation for what type of stainless steel to use for 18" dia sch 40 pipe with a yield strength of at least 50 ksi? The application is a structural column that will be partially submerged in potable water.

I've got a copy of ASTM A-312 and it looks like Grade TPXM-10 and a few others will work but this brings me to my second question. Where do you buy this stuff? When we asked a few vendors we just got fish looks (mouth wide open, eyes glazed over). I need something you can actually purchase. Any ideas would be appreciated.

 

[dlew]

rkillian,

I would contact the "Specialty Steel Industry of the United States", at 3050 K Street, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20007.
Voice phone 202/ 342-8630
Fax 202/ 338-5534

This organization represents many stainless steel manufacturers.

Regards

 

[scofie]

Actually, 304L stainless almost always has an actual yield strength exceeding 50 ksi, according to the vendors I have dealt with in the past. In fact, when they get a case where the buyer wants the yield to actually be around 30 ksi they special process the materail for lower yeild.

None-the-less, if you want a stainless steel material that by ASTM designation has a high yield strength, you are correct that TPXM is the material to use, yield strength of about 90 ksi. The material is sold by the trade name "nitronic". A Google search on nitronic pipe should provided you with a few vendors.

One warning to you. The piping guy might weld sections of nitronic pipe together with a standard 304L welding rod. This will cause you to have lower strength at your weld. Make sure you specify the use of matching nitronic weld rod if you need to avoid this problem.

Good luck to you.