ANSI/ASME B16.9 Stainless Steel Butt Weld Elbow

What is a stainless steel butt weld elbow?

Stainless Steel Butt Weld Elbow is a pipe fitting that bends the pipeline, mainly used for connecting pipelines and changing the flow direction of pipelines. It is connected to the pipeline by welding, so it is called a butt welding elbow. Stainless steel butt welding elbows are widely used in petroleum, chemical industry, construction, nuclear industry and other fields because of their excellent material, corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, high strength, wear resistance, easy cleaning and maintenance.

The main difference between stainless steel elbows and carbon steel elbows is the material difference. The chemical composition contained in them will keep the surface of the elbow from rusting and corroding for a long time.

Manufacturing process:
Stainless steel butt weld elbow is a kind of elbow made of stainless steel as raw material, which is formed by hot pressing or forging. Its connection form is to directly weld the elbow to the steel pipe to achieve the connection and diversion of the pipeline. Stainless steel butt welding elbows have a certain pressure resistance and can maintain a stable connection state under high pressure environment.

The manufacturing process of stainless steel butt weld elbows usually includes steps such as material selection, cutting, forming, heat treatment, welding, grinding and testing. During the production process, the pipe is bent and formed by hot pressing or forging, and the pipe needs to be heat treated to enhance its pressure resistance and achieve better forming effect. Among them, forming is one of the key links, which determines the shape and dimensional accuracy of the elbow; heat treatment and welding have an important influence on the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the elbow.

Types of stainless steel butt weld elbow:

Stainless steel butt-weld elbows are diverse and widely used. Common types are as follows:

1. Classification by bending radius

Stainless steel butt-weld elbows can be divided into long radius butt-weld elbows and short radius butt-weld elbows according to different bending radii.

Long radius butt weld elbow: its bending radius is equal to 1.5 times the outer diameter of the pipe (R=1.5D)

Short radius butt weld elbow: its bending radius is equal to the outer diameter of the pipe (R=1D)

2. Classification by bending angle

Stainless steel butt weld elbows can be divided into 45 degree elbows, 90 degree elbows and 180 degree elbows according to the bending angle. In addition, other unconventional angle elbows including 60 degrees can be customized according to project needs.

3. Classification by material

Stainless steel butt weld elbows are mainly made of stainless steel and are classified according to the specific type of stainless steel (such as 304, 316, etc.) and characteristics (such as corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, etc.).

Stainless Steel Material characteristics:
The material characteristics of stainless steel butt welding elbows include strong corrosion resistance, good high temperature resistance, high strength, good wear resistance, easy processing and plasticity, excellent aesthetics and cleanliness, and significant economy and environmental protection. These characteristics make stainless steel butt welding elbows widely used and favored in various industrial fields.

ASTM A403 is the American standard material standard for stainless steel butt weld elbows. It covers common stainless steel materials such as 304/304L, 316/316L, 321, 347, 904L, etc. These materials have different characteristics such as corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance and strength.

Chemical composition:

Chemical	Limit	C	Mn	P	S	Si	Ni	Cr	Mo
ASTM A403 WP304	Min						8.0	18.0
	Max	0.08	2.00	0.045	0.030	1.00	11.0	20.0
ASTM A403 WP316	Min						10.0	16.0	2.00
	Max	0.08	2.00	0.045	0.030	1.00	14.0	18.0	3.00

Mechanical properties:

Material	ASTM A403 WP304	ASTM A403 WP316
T.S (MPA)	515 min	515 min
Y.S (MPA)	205 min	205 min
EL %	28 min	28 min

ANSI/ASME B16.9 Butt Weld Elbow:

The American standard ANSI/ASME B16.9 pipe elbow is generally speaking an elbow produced in accordance with the American ANSI and ASME standards. ANSI is the American national standard and ASME is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers standard. ASME standards and ANSI standards cover most industrial fields, including materials, processing, technology, experiments, etc. ASME cites many ANSI standards.

Stainless steel butt-weld elbows produced according to the American standard ASME B16.9 cover a wide range of sizes, from 1/2" to 48". Common wall thickness pressure grades include Sch5s, Sch10s, Sch10, Sch20, Sch30, Sch40s, STD, Sch40, Sch60, Sch80s, XS, etc., of which STD and XS are the most commonly used. The specific range of wall thickness can range from a few millimeters to tens of millimeters, depending on the design requirements and working pressure of the pipeline.

Size Range	1/2” - 48” / DN15 - 1200
Thickness Schedule	SCH 10, 20, 40, STD, XS, 80, 100, 120, 140, 160, XXS
Stainless Steel Grades	ASTM A403 WP304/304L/304H, 316/316L, 310S, 317, 347, 904L
Duplex Stainless Steel Grades	ASTM A815 S32205, S31803, 32750, 32760
American Standard	ANSI / ASME B16.9 / MSS SP 43
Chinese Standard	GB/T12459, GB/T13401, HG/T21635/21631, SH3408/3409
Japanese Standard	JIS B2311/2312/2313
German Standard	DIN2605/2615/2616/2617
European Standard	EN10253

ASME B16.9 Butt Weld 90° Elbow Dimensions:

BW 90° LR/SR Elbow

The production standard characteristics of stainless steel butt-weld elbows are mainly reflected in standardization and normalization, strict requirements on materials and performance, high dimensional accuracy and processing quality, high welding quality requirements, and a complete identification and traceability system. These features together ensure that the quality and performance of stainless steel butt-weld elbows meet relevant standards and requirements, ensuring their stable operation and long service life in various pipeline systems.

The stainless steel butt-weld elbows produced by Hunan Standard Steel Co., Ltd all meet the ASTM A403 material standard. Butt-weld pipe fittings are mainly suitable for high-pressure pipelines that require high pressure, equipment with precise dimensions, and other high-pressure fields such as petrochemical, medical and health, electric power, aerospace, military industry, fire protection, metallurgy, shipbuilding, gas, nuclear power, and environmental protection. If you need, please contact us: info@hu-steel.com

Read more: Advantages and disadvantages of elbow fittings or How are pipe elbows made?