Stainless Steel Pipe & Tube for Water Treatment & Desalination

Water duty spans an enormous corrosivity range, and chloride concentration is the variable that matters. Potable water, treated effluent, brackish water and seawater are four different materials problems, and a grade that is comfortable in the first is not necessarily viable in the last.

What drives material selection here

Chloride concentration, which is the single governing variable
Temperature, which sharply increases chloride aggressiveness
Residual chlorine and other disinfection chemistry
Crevice corrosion at gaskets, supports and under deposits
Stagnant and low-flow conditions, where deposits accumulate

Grades commonly specified

Grade selection guidance for this service. Confirm against your own process conditions.
Grade	Why it is specified
316 / 316L	The workhorse for treated water, brackish service and plant pipework where chlorides are present at moderate levels.
304 / 304L	Potable and low-chloride duty where 316 would be over-specified.

Standards this sector commonly specifies

ASTM A312 / ASME SA312
ASTM A358
ASME B36.19M
EN 10204 3.1

These are the specifications buyers in this sector typically call for. Material is supplied against the specification stated on your order — confirm the standard and certificate type at enquiry stage. See mill test certificates and EN 10204 types.

Worth knowing before you specify

Full-strength seawater is generally beyond the comfortable range of 316 for sustained service, particularly at temperature or in crevice-prone geometry. Desalination duty commonly calls for super-austenitic or super-duplex grades. If your service is seawater or concentrated brine, tell us the chloride level and temperature -- the honest answer may be that you need a grade outside our stainless range, and we will say so.

Tell us the duty, not just the grade

The fastest route to a useful quotation is the service conditions. For this application that means:

Chloride concentration in ppm
Operating temperature
Residual chlorine or other disinfection chemistry
Whether flow is continuous or intermittent

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