Stainless Steel Plumbing and Drainage Solutions

Stainless Steel Pipes and Tubes for Water Supply Publication No. SSPDS-2004-01 Issue No. : 01 Date : 22 August 2004

This publication has been prepared by the Stainless Steel Plumbing and Drainage Solutions. Although all care has been taken to ensure that the information contained herein is accurate and up-to-date, the contributors assume no responsibilities on any error or misinterpretations of such data and/or information or any loss or damages arising from or related to their use. Technical enquiries related to this publication should be directed to :Stainless Steel Plumbing and Drainage Solutions Unit 11, 8/F., Kam Hon Industrial Building 8 Wang Kwun Road Kowloon Bay, Kowloon Hong Kong Tel. : 852-2757 9369 Fax : 852-2757 9483 Email : info@sspds.org Website : http://sspds.org

Copyright 2004 Stainless Steel Plumbing and Drainage Solutions All Rights Reserved

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Introduction The use of stainless steel pipes and tubes for water supply has been gaining acceptance in recent years, mainly because of the fall of lead and galvanized steel pipes, and the fact that the prices of stainless steel pipes and tubes have been in the downward trend due to larger demand. Benefits of the use of stainless steel pipes and fittings include :

Good corrosion resistance for full range of potable water High strength to weight ratio Stainless steel is unaffected by high water flow rate Low maintenance cost and life-cycle cost Stainless steel is non-toxic It is 100% recyclable It has good appearance without any coating It is not affected by sunlight, and can be used in tropical areas where the ambient temperature may be above 40oC without derating.

Common types The most widely used stainless steels used for water supply is the austenitic type 304 and 316. Composition of these stainless steels are listed in Table 1. Although efforts have been made to harmonize the name of the different stainless steels, different countries still use different names. The different designations for 304 nd 316 stainless steels are listed in Table 2.
Common Name 304 304L 316 316L UNS No. C (Max.) S30400 S30403 S31600 S31603 0.08 0.03 0.08 0.03 Cr 18.0-20.0 18.0-20.0 16.0-18.0 16.0-18.0 Nominal Composition (%) Ni 8.0-12.0 8.0-12.0 10.0-14.0 10.0-14.0 Mo 2.0-3.0 2.0-3.0 Fe Bal Bal Bal Bal

Table 1 Composition of commonly used stainless steel for pipes and tubes for plumbing applications

Common Name 304 304L 316 316L

UNS No. S30400 S30403 S31600 S31603

EURONORM EN10088 1.4301 1.4306 1.4401 1.4404

British BS 304S31 304S11 316S31 316S11

German DIN 1.4301 1.4306 1.4401 1.4404

Swedish SS 2333 2352 2347 2348

Chinese GB 0Cr18Ni9 00Cr19Ni10 0Cr17Ni12Mo2 00Cr17Ni14Mo2

Japanese JIS SUS304 SUS304L SUS316 SUS316L

Table 2 Designation of commonly used stainless steel for pipes and tubes for plumbing applications

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Properties
Specific Garvity Average coefficient of thermal expansion (10 / C) (0-100 C) Thermal conductivity (W/m C) (100 C) Specific heat (1/kg C) (0-100 C) Electrical resistivity (ohm mm /m) Room temperature Young's Modulus (kN/mm ) Magnetism
2 2 o o o o -6 o o

Value
8.0 16 15 500 0.72 200 NO

Table 3 Typical physical properties of stainless steel How to Choose The choice between 304 and 316 stainless steels is mainly the degree of corrosion resistance. For water supply applications, the major considerations are the residual chlorine level, which is the result of disinfection of water, and the chloride level, which indicates the amount of salt in the water. Table 3 lists the recommended choice according to the design chloride and residual chlorine level.
Application
Cold Water Cold Water Hot Water Hot Water

Chloride Level(ppm)
<200 <1000 <50 <250

Residual Chlorine Level(ppm)

<2 <5 <2 <5

Recommended Type
304/304L 316/316L 304/304L 316/316L

Table 4 Recommended choice of stainless steel pipes and tubes against chloride and chlorine level Type 304L and 316L are the low carbon versions of 304 and 316. The use of these lower carbon versions ensures that the heat of welding will not sensitize the heat affected zone of the weld to intergranular corrosion. Sensitization is used to describe the reduction in corrosion resistance that occurs in the conventional (.08 max C) grade stainless steel because of the precipitation of carbides during welding in the heat affected zone adjacent to welds. Joints Different jointing methods have been developed for stainless steel pipe and tubes, including :

flange joint threaded joint welded joint capillary joint compression joint push-in joint press joint

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The most cost-effective jointing method for distribution pipework is the press joint, which utilizes the deformation of the tubes and the fittings to ensure watertight, secure connections. The joints made are permanent and are tamper-proof. An elastomer o-ring is inserted in the joint for water sealing. A typical press joint is shown in Fig. 1. Common fittings for press joints are shown in Fig. 2. The basic steps of making a press joint is shown in Fig. 5. For normal water supply applications, EPDM or NBR o-ring are used.

Fig. 1 - The Press Joint

Fig. 2 - Press Joint Fittings

Tubes of different specifications are used for the press joint. The most commonly used tubes are listed in Table 5 and Table 6. Table 5 is for tubes to the German standard DVGW W541 which is used throughout Europe. Table 6 is for tubes to ASTM269, JIS G3448 and KS D3595 which are common in their respective countries. As can be seen, these tubes are of thin wall construction and are more cost-effective than pipes for other jointing methods such as threading or flanging.
Designation 15 20 25 32 40 50 65 80 100 Outside Diameter (mm) 18 22 28 35 42 54 76.1 88.9 108 Wall Thickness (mm) 1 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 1.5 2 2 2 Approx. Weight (g/m) 426 625 805 1258 1521 1972 3711 4352 5308

Table 5 - Dimension for tubes to DVGW W541, ISO1127, DIN EN 10312 and GB/T19228.2-2003 Series I

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Designation 15 20 25 30 40 50 60 75 80 100 Outside Diameter (mm) 15.88 22.22 28.58 34.0 42.7 48.6 60.5 76.3 89.1 114.3 Wall Thickness (mm) 0.8 1 1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.5 1.5 2 2 Approx. Weight (g/m) 303 532 691 986 1250 1430 2210 2810 4370 5630

Table 6 - Dimension for tubes to JIS G3448, ASTM A269, KS D3595 and GB/T19228.2-2003 Series II The press joint is made with a tool for the compressing the joint. The tool can be hydraulic, electric or manual. An electric tool is shown in Fig. 3. Care should be taken to ensure adequate space is available for inserting the press tool. Manufacturer's recommendations should be consulted. The tool can be used for different pipe sizes by changing the tongs. After making the joint, measure the shape of the joint with calibration tool from the manufacturer to ensure proper joint.

Fig. 3 - A press tool (from MUPRO North America, Inc.)

Advantages of press joints Flame free installation Economic, simple and quick Reliable Design life of 50 years Secure permanent joint Corrosion resistant Slimeline and unobstructive Maintains electrical continuity Tamper resistant Disadvantages of press joints Relies on use of press tool Press tool need calibration Cannot be demounted Cannot be reused

Table 7 - Advantages and Disadvantages of the Press Joints

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Fig. 5 Basic steps of making press joint

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Fig. 5 - Pressed joint used for water supply

Fig. 6 - Welded stainless steel 304 pipes used for raw water pumping

Capillary fittings are available and they are joint using solder. The use of chloride-based flux is strictly prohibited as this can cause serious pitting problem. Tubes to BS4127 are suitable for use with capillary fittings. The major drawback of capillary fitting is that heating of the pipes and fittings is required and the time of connection is longer than compression or press fittings. Compression fittings are available. Common standards are BS4368:Part3 and DIN2353. Tubes used with BS4368:Part3 compression fittings are BS4127. The major disadvantage of the compression fitting is the high cost of the fittings. The use of compression fitting is also restricted to small size tubes. Copper compression fittings can be used. Push-in type fittings are available up to about 50mm diameters. The joint is sealed using elastomer o-ring and a plastic collar provides gripping strength. Tubes to BS4127 or DVGW W541 can be used. Special surface treatment has to be applied to the tubes. Other jointing methods including welding, flanging and threading are commonly used for jointing of pipes of larger sizes, or where the application requires higher pressure ratings. Commonly used pipes for flanging, threading and welding are listed in Table 8. These pipes are of differing wall thickness for different pressure ratings. For pipes of other specifications, please refer to the manufacturer's data. Other common pipe dimensions are ISO5252, BS3605, GB2270-80 and SSG1361. During processing of stainless steel pipes for flanging (welding of flanges), welding and threading, ensure that the tools are free from contaminations of other metal particles as these may cause surface rusting of the stainless steel and subsequent corrosion. Crevice features and all weld heat tints should be removed after welding for optimum corrosion resistance.

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For flange joint, ensure that the gasket is compatible to avoid crevice corrosion and galvanic corrosion. Gaskets containing graphite or chlorides should not be used with stainless steel flanges.

Nominal Diameter (mm)

Outside Diameter (mm) Wall thickness (mm)

Designation SCH-5S Weight (kg/m) 304/304L 316/316L 0.81 1.03 1.31 1.67 1.92 2.41 3.73 4.56 5.23 5.90 9.56 11.4 14.9 22.8 31.6 34.7 42.0 47.3 59.9 66.0 83.4 119.5 0.81 1.03 1.31 1.68 1.93 2.43 3.75 4.59 5.26 5.93 9.62 11.5 15.0 23.0 31.8 34.9 42.3 47.6 60.3 66.4 83.9 120.3 Wall thickness (mm) 1.65 1.65 2.11 2.11 2.77 2.77 2.77 2.77 3.05 3.05 3.05 3.05 3.40 3.40 3.76 4.19 4.57 4.78 4.78 4.78 5.54 5.54 6.35 7.92 SCH-10S Weight (kg/m) 304/304L 316/316L 0.50 0.64 1.01 1.29 2.11 2.72 3.14 3.97 5.32 6.52 7.49 8.45 11.7 14.0 20.2 28.1 36.3 41.8 47.8 53.9 69.3 76.4 95.4 148.8 0.50 0.64 1.02 1.30 2.13 2.74 3.16 4.00 5.35 6.56 7.54 8.51 11.8 14.1 20.3 28.2 36.6 42.0 48.1 54.2 69.8 76.8 96.0 149.7 Wall thickness (mm) 2.24 2.31 2.77 2.87 3.38 3.56 3.68 3.91 5.16 5.49 5.74 6.02 6.55 7.11 8.18 9.27 9.52 SCH-40S Weight (kg/m) 304/304L 316/316L 0.64 0.85 1.28 1.70 2.53 3.42 4.09 5.50 8.72 11.4 13.7 16.2 22.0 28.5 43.0 60.9 74.5 0.64 0.86 1.29 1.71 2.54 3.45 4.11 5.53 8.78 11.5 13.8 16.3 22.1 28.7 43.2 61.3 75.0 -

8 10 15 20 25 32 40 50 65 80 90 100 125 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 550 600 750

13.72 17.15 21.34 26.67 33.40 42.16 48.26 60.33 73.03 88.90 101.60 114.30 141.30 168.28 219.08 273.05 323.85 355.60 406.40 457.20 508.00 558.80 609.60 762.00

1.65 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.65 1.65 2.11 2.11 2.11 2.11 2.77 2.77 2.77 3.40 3.96 3.96 4.19 4.19 4.78 4.78 5.54 6.35

Table 8 - Dimensions for pipes to ASTM A312 A358 A778 B36.19

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Cost Comparison According to the Steel Construction Institute's publication IGN-4-25-02 : Applications of Stainless Steel in the Water Industry, cost saving can be achieved by using stainless steel pipes by the elimination of corrosion allowance and protection coating and the simplification of jointing and assembly. A comparison was made with carbon steel and ductile iron for fabrication of a 6-metres runs for DN150, DN200, DN250 and DN300 pipes, based on price in 1998, and the saving on installed costs of stainless steel pipes can be from 36% to 78%. This had not taken into account the space saving of stainless steel pipes. Operating costs for stainless steel piping are also expected to be lower because of the following :smoother surfaces of stainless steel resulting in lower friction loss reduced maintenance cost due to easier cleaning. No protective coating is required reduced downtime and cost for inspection longer service life

Residual value of stainless steel pipes and tubes are high as they are not subject to corrosion in normal use and are 100% recyclable. Life cycle costs, comprising the installed costs, the operating costs and deducting the residual values, all adjusted to present values, are often used for cost comparison and stainless steel piping systems always show cost advantages over carbon steel and ductile iron systems. The British Stainless Steel Association had compared costs for stainless steel and copper tubes and fittings. Copper was found to be much cheaper in the smaller diameter (15mm to 22mm) pipes and fittings. The gap in price between copper and stainless steel decreased in the middle range of diameters (28mm and 35mm). The price of stainless steel nearly equalled, or was sometimes lower than copper, in the largest diameters (42mm to 108mm). Stainless steel pipes can also withstand much higher flow rates without noticeable corrosion. Fig. 7 shows the rate of corrosion of stainless steel and copper against water flow rates. As can be seen, the effect of water flow on copper is much higher than for stainless steel at high flow. The ANSI/NSF standard confirms that stainless steels are highly resistant to leaching of any species that might contaminate potable water. Stainless steel does not require a corrosion allowance as is needed for ductile cast iron and carbon steel and thereby permits the selection of minimum thickness solely based on structural strength and pressure requirements. Fig. 7 - Velocity corrosion of stainless steel and copper
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References 1. 2. 3. Applications of Stainless Steel in the Water Industry, 1999 The Steel Construction Institute The Suitability and Use of Stainless Steel for Plumbing Applications, 2003 British Stainless Steel Association Stainless Steel in Water Handling and Delivery Systems, 1996 Specialty Steel Industry of North America

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