Choosing Swagelok Tubing & Fitting Alloys? Engineered Combinations Resist Corrosion & Minimize Cost

Instead of using tubing and fittings of the exact same alloy material, try engineered combinations of high quality Swagelok tube fittings with more robust tubing alloys. That way you can achieve a cost-effective, high performing solution. A new Swagelok video explains and a PDF has details.

Consider an offshore platform: It can have 50,000 feet of tubing and 10,000 fittings. Having exotic alloys where they're not necessary can have a big impact on costs.

We are here to help identify which materials are the right ones for a particular application. Our Materials Selection Guide is also a great resource. It lays out the key things to know about factors that contribute to corrosion and the properties of materials that help fight it.

At 37 pages, the guide is thorough. You can get just the key points by watching a new video from Swagelok on the benefits of using engineered combinations:

Learn how specific combinations of Swagelok tube fittings and tubing in different alloys are reliable in corrosive environments.

Is this a safe practice? Will the engineered combinations perform to satisfactory standards? Yes, but high quality stainless steel is the key.

Most stainless steel for industrial applications is formulated with nickel and chromium levels at the lower end of ASTM requirements. It corrodes more quickly than higher quality stainless steel.
Swagelok has maintained chromium content in its 316 stainless steel tube fittings at a minimum of 17 percent and nickel at a minimum of 12 percent for many years.

To validate the performance of its 316 stainless steel, Swagelok has completed extensive chloride stress corrosion cracking testing on its own fittings and those of other brands. After more than 700 hours of testing in a salt spray fog chamber at continuous working pressure, no Swagelok tube fittings cracked or leaked, while 39 of other brand nuts cracked. This kind of testing validation shows that engineered combinations offer reliable corrosion resistance.

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Also see:

• Why Is Tube Fitting Intermixing & Interchanging a Problem? A New Swagelok Video Explains
• Refurbishing & Re-Using Swagelok Tube Fittings (Photos, Video, PDF)
• Swagelok Tube Fitting Installation Class is Now Available in 2 Sizes