Overview
We take it for granted that 400 series stainless steels are generally cheaper than 300 series austenitic stainless steels. It rings true when they are supplied in flat materials such as stainless steel sheet plate coil and/or strip, or in certain long materials like stainless steel bars and wires. While 400 series stainless steel welded pipes are not common these days, 400 series stainless steel seamless pipes are not necessarily so.
This week we are going to explore 410 stainless steel seamless pipe. When it comes to martensitic grades used in stainless steel seamless pipe, 410 & 420 are the most popular ones. For those who are interested in 420 seamless stainless steel pipes, go to page 13 introduced in 2024. Although we have covered 410 stainless steel seamless pipe in that article as well, it is predominately talking about 420 stainless steel seamless pipe.
410 Martensitic Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe
410 stainless steel seamless pipe is another representative member of the family martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes. Through heat treatment such as tempering, quench-tempering or normalizing-tempering, these martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes can achieve desirable strength for specific applications, including but not limited to main part materials, oil-well pipe, geothermal well pipe and pipeline tubing.
The main difference between 410 and 420 lies in the carbon content, with 410 valued at 0.15% at maximum and 420 at 0.16%~0.25%. 420 features higher strength than 410 due to the higher carbon content. Carbon is essential for high-strength martensitic stainless steels, but this doesn’t signify “the higher the better”. As observed, an excess of 0.30% carbon can lead reduced corrosion resistance to martensitic grades. For this, even 420 is limited at 0.25% at maximum conservatively. SUS420J2 is set at a range of 0.26%-0.35%, but without restricting nickel content the way it does to 410 & 420, as table below cited from previous article. The addition of nickel can increase corrosion resistance.
The Challenge & Solution for 410 Martensitic Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe
Although a variety of strengths can be obtained for martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes, improper production methods can result in defects arising in pipe walls such as cracks and scratches. Meanwhile, due to the more risks (low yield) and smaller markets associated with producing martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes than austenitic stainless steel seamless pipes, it limits the investment on martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes manufacturing. This in turn makes the subsequent heat treatment expensive and contributes to the higher price than expected for 400 series stainless steel seamless pipes.
At CIVMATS, stainless steel seamless pipes are typically produced per GB/T 14975 through hot extrusion method, supplied in annealed condition, with mechanical properties guaranteed. The challenge about confirming this standard is the super long delivery time (roughly 2-3 months) and the MOQ (2 tons per size preferably) restriction. However, things are more complicated in the real world. Check a demand list as below,
This order is not small from a comprehensive perspective for 400 series stainless steel seamless pipe, but it is impossible to produce per GB/T 14975 without increasing the quantity for each dimension + extended delivery time. The solution comes cheaper, faster and more efficient by piercing the 410 stainless steel bars into the exact sizes.
This production method is even more popular in certain markets for the reasons cited above, which means, even for single size in large quantity like 10 tons above, many clients still prefer stainless steel seamless pipes produced by piercing (or drilled) rather than hot extruded. At CIVMATS, all 410 & 420 stainless steel bars used for piercing are subjected to UT inspection to make sure there will be no potential crack to influence the final uses.
410 Stainless Steel Seamless Pipe from CIVMATS China
Having trouble finding the right company to work with? Whether you are looking for 410 stainless steel seamless pipe, or 420 seamless pipes, stay with CIVMATS.
This article serves to complement the previous article with a new production method available for clients’ options. It frees up the demand-supply system by removing the restriction on MOQ and providing greater flexibility with varied sizes.
400 series martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes as our competitive products merit dedicated articles for detailed introduction. They are not that common hence easy to source as 300 series austenitic stainless steel seamless pipes. We take it as an honor to let more people know where to buy quality martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes from China. CIVMATS aspire to be your NO.1 choice for martensitic stainless steel seamless pipes and beyond. Choose CIVMATS, choose reliability and safety in China.
