As-Welded Heat Exchangers and Evaporators
Shell-and-tube exchangers and evaporators in power plants and HVAC systems are tubed with the grade, each tube end welded into the tube sheet and the bundle then run in the as-welded condition.
ASTM A213 / ASME SA-213 / UNS S31603 / W.Nr. 1.4404
Stainless Steel 316L Seamless Tubes Manufacturer in Thailand
Thaida Stainless Steel Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. is a seamless tube manufacturer in Ban Bueng, Chonburi, Thailand, whose ASTM A213 TP316L stainless steel seamless tubes are drawn for heat exchangers, evaporators and process lines that go into service as welded. The grade, UNS S31603 and WNR 1.4404, holds carbon to 0.035 % maximum alongside 2.00 to 3.00 % molybdenum. Quotations leave our Bang Phli, Samut Prakan office, and the grade sits inside our stainless steel seamless tubes range.
Stainless Steel 316L seamless tubeUNS S31603 / W.Nr. 1.4404
- 6.35 to 257 mmOutside diameter
- 0.89 to 12.7 mmWall thickness
- Up to 22 mLength
- EN 10204 3.1Test certificate
EN 10204 3.1 certificate / 3.2 on request
Specifications of ASTM A213 TP316L Stainless Steel Seamless Tubes
Pick the OD, wall and cut length for each bundle from the production range below, and state on the order whether the wall figure is a minimum or an average.
- Standard
- ASTM A213 / ASME SA-213
- Grade
- TP316L (UNS S31603)
- Outside Diameter
- 6.35 to 257 mm
- Wall Thickness
- 0.89 to 12.7 mmordered as minimum wall or average wall
- Length
- Up to 22 mor cut to the length your drawing gives
- Form
- Seamlessround
- Manufacturing Route
- 1Round billet pierced into a hollow shell
- 2Hot worked
- 3Then cold drawn or cold rolled
- Condition
- Cold finished
- Heat Treatment
- Solution treated at 1040 °C (1900 °F) minimum, then quenched in water or cooled rapidly by other means
- Surface
- Pickled free of scaleor bright annealed without pickling
- Ends
- Plainwith burrs removed
- Testing
- Hydrostatic or nondestructive electric test on every tube
- Tension, hardness, flattening and flaring on lot samples
- Product analysis on every heat
- Test Certificate
- EN 10204 3.13.2 on request
ASTM A213, adopted by ASME as SA-213, is the specification for seamless boiler, superheater and heat-exchanger tubes, and austenitic grades under it leave the mill heat treated. Each ASTM A213 TP316L stainless steel seamless tube is therefore solution treated at 1040 °C (1900 °F) or above and quenched in water, or cooled rapidly by other means, at a rate that keeps carbides from re-precipitating. Diameters beyond the 127 mm that A213 names as the sizes usually furnished are supplied under the clause allowing other diameters once every remaining requirement is met, which carries our range to 257 mm OD. Drawings that call the material up by its European number are taken as TP316L orders, and each seamless WNR 1.4404 tube is made and tested to A213 with 1.4404 recorded only as a cross-reference. Headers and process lines ordered by NPS and schedule are made instead as 316L seamless pipes.
Every tube leaves the mill after one of two proof tests, the hydrostatic test or a nondestructive electric examination using eddy current or ultrasonic equipment; where the order does not state which, the selection rests with us. Lot sampling then covers tension, hardness, flattening and flaring, while one billet or tube from every heat goes through a product analysis. Lot and heat results are issued on an EN 10204 3.1 (3.2 on request) certificate.
Carbon and Molybdenum Limits in 316L Stainless Steel Seamless Tube
Two limits define the grade: carbon at 0.035 % maximum and molybdenum at 2.00 to 3.00 %. The figures below, in weight percent, are what each heat of a 316L stainless steel seamless tube is certified against, and a single figure is a maximum.
- CrChromium, 16.0 to 18.0
- NiNickel, 10.0 to 14.0
- MoMolybdenum, 2.00 to 3.00
- MnManganese, 2.00 max
- SiSilicon, 1.00 max
UNS S31603316L
| Element | ASTM A213 TP316L (%) |
|---|---|
| C (Carbon) | 0.035 max |
| Mn (Manganese) | 2.00 max |
| P (Phosphorus) | 0.045 max |
| S (Sulfur) | 0.030 max |
| Si (Silicon) | 1.00 max |
| Cr (Chromium) | 16.0 to 18.0 |
| Ni (Nickel) | 10.0 to 14.0 |
| Mo (Molybdenum) | 2.00 to 3.00 |
Nitrogen carries no A213 requirement for this grade. On small diameters or thin walls, or both, where many drawing passes are required, the standard permits carbon up to 0.040 % maximum; it attaches no size definition to that allowance, so the limit applying to each UNS S31603 seamless tube size is agreed at inquiry.
Mechanical Minimums for Seamless S31603 Stainless Steel Tube
A213 fixes a minimum tensile and yield strength for seamless S31603 stainless steel tube and puts a ceiling on hardness, both of them verified on lot samples taken after solution treatment.
| Requirement | ASTM A213 TP316L |
|---|---|
| Tensile strength, min | 485 MPa (70 ksi) |
| Yield strength, min | 170 MPa (25 ksi) |
| Elongation in 50 mm (2 in.), min | 35 % |
| Hardness, Brinell or Vickers, max | 192 HBW / 200 HV |
| Hardness, Rockwell B, max | 90 HRB |
Hardness is not a requirement where the wall is under 1.65 mm. A213 also expects tube destined for a boiler or a tube sheet to stand expanding and beading without cracking or showing flaws, and the lot flattening and flaring results are what record that ductility.
Grade 316L in Other Designation Systems
Stainless Steel 316L reaches us under several names, depending on whose standard the drawing was written to.
- UNSS31603
- ASTM / ASME (tube)ASTM A213 / ASME SA-213 TP316L
- AISI316L
- EN number (WNR)1.4404
- EN steel nameX2CrNiMo17-12-2
- ISOX2CrNiMo17-12-2
- Japan (JIS)SUS316L
- China (GB)022Cr17Ni12Mo2; ISC S31603
- Russia (GOST)03X17H14M2
TP316L and UNS S31603 are what we make and certify to. The remaining entries serve for checking an incoming drawing or project specification against the order before production starts.
SS 316L Seamless Tube Sizes and Wall Tolerances
Evaporator and condenser bundles sit at the light-wall end of our SS 316L seamless tube range, which covers 6.35 to 257 mm OD, 0.89 to 12.7 mm wall and lengths to 22 m. What changes from one order to the next is the wall basis, and with it the variation the tube is allowed.
Wall Variation by Order Basis
The permitted variations below are the ones applying to cold-finished seamless tube made to ASTM A213.
| Order basis | Cold-finished seamless tube | Permitted wall variation |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum wall | 38.1 mm OD and under | +20 % / 0 |
| Minimum wall | Over 38.1 mm OD | +22 % / 0 |
| Average wall | All diameters in our range | ±10 % of the specified average wall |
A minimum-wall order gives nothing away on the thin side, since the under-tolerance is zero and only the plus side moves, so a bundle bought that way runs heavier than its nominal calculation. An average-wall order centers the wall on the drawing figure instead, which suits bundles costed by weight, while pressure lines that cannot absorb any under-tolerance stay on minimum wall.
Why Low Carbon Matters in Seamless WNR 1.4404 Tube
Chromium carbide forms at grain boundaries wherever carbon is available and the metal beside a weld passes through the sensitizing range. Each seamless WNR 1.4404 tube holds carbon at 0.035 % maximum, which limits that precipitation and keeps intergranular corrosion resistance in the heat-affected zone. Where a specification wants it demonstrated, the intergranular corrosion test of ASTM A262, Practice E, is added to the order and carried out by us before release; it is not part of the standard test set.
Stress Relief for Chloride Cracking Service
Chloride stress corrosion cracking is answered by heat treatment rather than by chemistry. A213 lists TP316L among the grades it allows to be ordered stress-relieved annealed, at 815 to 900 °C (1500 to 1650 °F) following roll straightening, after which mechanical straightening is ruled out.
When the Higher-Carbon Grade Is the Better Fit
Carbon at 0.08 % maximum is what sets TP316 apart, and with it come higher minimums of 515 MPa tensile and 205 MPa yield. Bundles whose wall is sized by strength, with no welding near the tube ends, are therefore better served by 316 seamless tubes. Dual certification against both grades is possible where a single heat satisfies both analyses and both sets of test results.
Moving Up for Higher Molybdenum
Once chloride or acid duty passes what 2.00 to 3.00 % molybdenum can hold, 317L seamless tubes carry the same low-carbon approach into a higher molybdenum range. Give us the medium on each side of the exchanger and we say which of the two fits before a price is put on it.
Industrial Applications of Seamless 1.4404 Stainless Steel Tube
Seamless 1.4404 stainless steel tube is specified for heat transfer, process and hygienic duty in which the assembly is welded and the medium either carries chlorides or has to meet a clean-bore requirement.
Chemical Process Lines
Chemical plants take the grade for reactor service lines, transfer lines and acidic process circuits that are welded up during installation and commissioned without any further heat treatment.
Desalination and Offshore Systems
Desalination plants and offshore rigs use SS 316L seamless tube on seawater intake, brine and utility circuits, where the molybdenum content resists the chloride pitting that would open a leak path.
Pharmaceutical and Pure Water Lines
Pharmaceutical plants carry liquid medicines and pure water in the grade, ordering bright annealed tube where the line specification fixes the bore finish, and welding each joint without a following anneal.
Food and Beverage Processing
Dairies, wineries and juice plants run product lines in the grade because salted and acidic product streams, plus repeated cleaning cycles, pass through welded assemblies that are never annealed again.
Medical Equipment Manufacture
Equipment builders draw small-diameter tube in the grade for surgical instruments and medical device assemblies, where a clean drawn bore and close wall control matter more than bulk strength.
Packaging and Export of UNS S31603 Seamless Tube
Bundles and cases
One size to a strapped bundle, with light walls and small diameters crated in wooden boxes instead.
Marking
Each tube, or the bundle tag where a tube is too small to mark, carries our name with ASTM A213, TP316L, the finishing condition and the wall basis.
Bore protection
Both ends of each tube closed with a plastic cap, and film over bright annealed surfaces on request.
Full lengths
22 m pieces rest on timber saddles set at intervals along the bundle so they arrive without a bow.
Added marks
A tag number, exchanger item number or order reference stenciled beside the standard marking at your request.
Documents in the consignment
The EN 10204 3.1 (3.2 on request) certificate, heat treatment charts and a packing list by size.
Commercial terms
FOB, CFR or CIF, with the port written into the offer.
Indicative Price for ASTM A213 Stainless Steel 316L Seamless Tube
ASTM A213 stainless steel 316L seamless tube sits at roughly USD 3.5 to 8 per kg, as an indication rather than an offer. Where an order lands inside that band depends on how ordinary the size is: a repeat evaporator or condenser size in mill quantity costs least per kilogram, and the premium goes on instrument diameters, bright annealed finishes, heavy walls on small bores and single-bundle runs. Nickel and molybdenum move the whole band between the day we indicate and the day you confirm, so a size list turns it into a dated quotation.
Indicative price, Stainless Steel 316L Seamless Tubes
USD 3.5 to 8 per kg
Indicative only. Send your sizes and specification to Thaida for a firm quotation.
- Outside diameter
- Wall thickness
- Finish
- Quantity
- Nickel price
- Molybdenum price
Where We Make Seamless Stainless Steel 316L Tube
Every seamless stainless steel 316L tube we ship is pierced, drawn, solution treated, pickled and tested inside one plant, at 154 Moo.1 Map Phai, Ban Bueng, Chonburi 20170, Thailand. Offers, order acknowledgments and export papers for our Stainless Steel 316L Seamless Tubes come from 89/18 Moo.15 Enterprize Park, Bangna-Trad Road, Bang Kaeo, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan 10540, Thailand. Plants inside Thailand take delivery from the mill by road, while export consignments sail to Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines and India.
Factory154 Moo.1 Map Phai, Ban Bueng,
Chonburi 20170, Thailand
Chonburi 20170, Thailand
Office89/18 Moo.15 Enterprize Park, Bangna-Trad Road,
Bang Kaeo, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan 10540, Thailand
Bang Kaeo, Bang Phli, Samut Prakan 10540, Thailand
Exporting to
- Singapore
- Malaysia
- Vietnam
- Indonesia
- Philippines
- India
Questions About Seamless 316L Tube Orders
Why does the 0.035 % carbon ceiling of TP316L matter in as-welded service?
Because a bundle welded into a tube sheet and commissioned without a further anneal gets no second chance to dissolve carbides. The ceiling keeps that precipitation low with no post-weld heat treatment, and A213 makes a product analysis of one billet or tube from every heat mandatory, so carbon is checked a second time before release.
When can 316L seamless tube be supplied at 0.040 % carbon?
Where the size needs many drawing passes, which A213 ties to small diameters, thin walls or both. The standard puts no millimetre boundary on the allowance, so the ceiling for each line of your size list is settled at quotation, and the certificate reports what the heat actually ran at.
What does A213 supplementary requirement S1 add to a 316L seamless tube order?
A stress-relieved anneal after roll straightening, intended for chloride stress corrosion cracking duty, and it is carried out only where the order calls for it. Because mechanical straightening may not follow the treatment, the anneal is arranged with the order rather than added to finished tube. Chemistry and the A213 strength minimums stay as they are.
How much can the delivered wall exceed the figure on a minimum-wall order?
Up to 20 % on cold-finished seamless tube of 38.1 mm OD and under, and up to 22 % above that diameter, with nothing permitted below the figure you give. Average wall swaps that for ±10 % either side, so plan tube-sheet clearance and bundle weight against whichever limit your order basis sets.
When should a bundle in 316L seamless tube move up to 317L?
When chloride level, temperature or acid concentration takes the duty past what 2.00 to 3.00 % molybdenum covers. Grade 317L keeps a low-carbon ceiling for welded work and carries a higher molybdenum range. Send the medium on each side of the exchanger with its chloride content, temperature and pH, and we confirm the grade before pricing.
How often are tension and hardness tests run on a 316L seamless tube lot?
Tension: one tube from a lot of 50 or fewer, two tubes once the lot passes 50. Hardness: two tubes per lot, with no requirement at all below 1.65 mm wall. Flattening and flaring each take specimens from both ends of a tube, and a product analysis is taken from every heat.
Which documents arrive with UNS S31603 seamless tube?
An EN 10204 3.1 (3.2 on request) material test certificate covering each heat and lot, alongside 100% PMI records, the raw material certificate, the heat treatment charts and a measured size and surface roughness report. Independent inspection and a laboratory test certificate are booked where the order asks for them.
Request a Quote for Stainless Steel 316L Seamless Tubes
or email sales@thaida.co.th