SWAGELOK 316 STAINLESS STEEL CHEMISTRY REQUIREMENTS AND

RESTRICTIONS - The Reason for Tight Materials Control

Sunniva R. Collins, Ph. D.

Manager, Metallurgy and Surface Science

Materials Technology

Swagelok Company’s 316 stainless steel patented colleting- grip type tube fittings
provide an optimum balance of performance in demanding applications. Three key
engineering features are required to be in balance in order to produce a consistent, high
performing product. These parameters include fitting and fe rrule geometry, ferrule
hardening method, and fitting and ferrule metallurgy. The following addresses how
Swagelok controls metallurgy to ensure consistent mechanical and chemical properties
from heat to heat.

316 Stainless Steel – Constituents

316 stainless steel is mostly iron, with significant alloying additions of chromium, which
gives the metal its “stainless” or corrosion-resistant characteristics, and nickel, which
stabilizes the austenitic crystalline structure and makes the metal nonmagnetic and tough.

Elements identified on material specifications for stainless steels are specified as a range.
Consequently, no two heats of any given alloy will have exactly the same composition, or
exactly the same properties. The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) has designated
the standard chemistries for 316 as given in Table 1. Swagelok works within these ranges
to secure consistent and desirable 316 properties. These elements have been found to
have effects on machinability and corrosion resistance.

Table 1
C Mn P S Si Cr Ni Mo N
0.08 2.00 0.045 0.030 0.75 16.00 to 10.00 to 2.00 to 0.10
max max max max max 18.00 14.00 3.00 max

Effects of specified elements

The following elements are specified and their levels controlled for a variety of reasons.

Carbon hardens all steels, but is controlled to a specific range in Swagelok’s 316 in order
to minimize carbide precipitation. The presence of grain boundary carbides can make the
alloy susceptible to intergranular corrosion. Reducing the carbon level reduces the
potential for carbides to occur, and if they do they are smaller and fewer. If carbon levels
are too low, it is possible that the steel may not be completely deoxidized, and small
oxide inclusions may occur.

Manganese stabilizes the austenite, and has effects on hardenability. It is also present in
the steel to “trap” the sulfur in manganese sulfide (MnS) inclusions.

Phosphorus, like sulfur, is present to a limited degree in every melt. At low levels, it
contributes to corrosion resistance and hardenability. As levels increase, it has a tendency
to segregate at grain boundaries and contributes to a condition called temper
embrittlement, a decrease in room-temperature notch toughness.

Sulfur is present to some limited degree in every melt. The sulfur content can also be
directly correlated to the volume of sulfide inclusions in the alloy. Sulfur enhances
machinability, but the sulfide inclusions, if large enough, are also preferential sites for
corrosion.

Silicon is a common deoxidizer used in steel making. It increases oxidation resistance

and contributes slightly to the hardness. When oxygen level is low, it is dissolved in the
alloy in solid solution. Silicon improves the resistance of austenitic stainless steels to
stress corrosion cracking in chloride solutions.

Chromium gives the steel its corrosion resistance. Chromium participates in the
formation of a complex chromium oxide layer on the surface of the alloy.

Nickel stabilizes the austenitic structure, so the alloy is nonmagnetic and ductile ove r a
wide range of temperatures.

Molybdenum increases the ability of the alloy to resist pitting, especially to chloride
solutions. Molybdenum has also been shown to have a synergistic effect with nitrogen in
the formation of the passivation layer.

Nitrogen contributes to the stability of the austenite. As a dissolved gas, it is present to

some degree in all melts of stainless steel. Nitrogen can also be used to increase the
hardenability of the alloy. At very low levels, nitrogen content is strongly affected by
processing route.

Chemistry effects on machinability

Machinability is enhanced by the presence of ductile sulfide inclusions. These inclusions

act to break the chip and also provide some lubricity between the workpiece and the tool.
Sulfur is present to some limited degree in every melt. The volume of sulfide inclusions
can also be directly correlated to the sulfur content in the alloy.

Carbon has effects on hardenability, which indirectly impacts machinability. Swagelok’s

316 has a controlled range of carbon to ensure consistency in machinability from heat to
heat.
MILL RELATIONSHIPS, QUALITY ASSURANCE AND QUALITY CONTROLS

Swagelok Quality Verification

Swagelok manages a supply chain, rather than purchasing bar stock “off the shelf” from
mill warehouses or service centers. Through Swagelok’s large economies of scale, we
control the quality of material we receive. Our financial commitment to maintaining this
supply gives us the ability to provide a high-quality product with the shortest lead-time.
We control materials by mill heat, which are usually 10 000 to 40 000 lb. (4 500 to 18
100 kg) This enables single-heat production runs for single products, and enhances
product consistency and reliability.

Once the bar stock is received from the mill, it undergoes a series of tests and inspections
prior to its release to our manufacturing facilities. The Swagelok quality verification tests
include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ultrasonic testing
• Eddy current testing
• Oxalic etch testing for intergranular corrosion resistance (ASTM A262)

Each of these tests adds value to our products by preventing the majority of materials-
based product problems before they occur. This proactive, prevention-based approach
provides our customers fittings of high quality with the lowest cost-of-ownership.

Ultrasonic testing is one of the most widely used methods of nondestructive inspection.
Its primary application in the inspection of metal bar stock is the detection and
characterization of surface flaws, such as scratches and laps, and internal flaws, such as
inclusions, voids, pipe, laminations, and flakes. Beams of high- frequency sound waves,
well above the range of human hearing, are introduced into the material. The sound
waves travel through the material with some attendant loss of energy (attenuation), and
are reflected at interfaces. The reflected beam is displayed and then analyzed to define
the presence and location of flaws or discontinuities.

Bar stock used in the manufacture of Swagelok products undergoes 100 % ultrasonic
inspection at the mill. This testing occurs as the bars are packaged to be sent to us.
Standard reference blocks are used to adjust the controls of the instrument to a level that
will detect flaws with amplitudes above a certain predetermined level. The inspection
equipment is set up to be able to detect a flaw as small as a 3/64 in. (1.19 mm) flat
bottomed hole.
Eddy current testing is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, and is used
to identify or differentiate among a wide variety of conditions in electrically conductive
metals and metal parts. Eddy current testing is used as a surface inspection method, and
will detect seams, laps, cracks, and voids in material. The part to be inspected is placed
within or adjacent to an electric coil in which an alternating current is flowing. The
alternating current causes eddy currents to flow in the part as a result of electromagnetic
induction. The flow of eddy currents in the part will be affected by the presence or
absence of flaws or other discontinuities in the part. The condition of the part can be
monitored by observing the effect of the resulting field on the electrical characteristics of
the exciting coil, such as its electrical impedance, induced voltage, or induced currents.

High-speed, automatic eddy current testing machines detect seams, laps, cracks, slivers,
and similar surface discontinuities in round and hex steel bars. Entire lots of bar stock can
undergo nondestructive inspection on a production basis. Eddy current testing is
performed at the mill prior to shipment.

Oxalic etch testing for intergranular corrosion resistance

All Swagelok’s 316 mill heats undergo corrosion testing using Practice A of ASTM
A262, “Standard Practices for Detecting Susceptibility to Intergranular Attack in
Austenitic Stainless Steels.” The oxalic acid etch test is a rapid method of identifying, by
simple etching, those specimens of certain stainless steel grades which are essentially free
of susceptibility to intergranular attack associated with chromium carbide precipitates.
These specimens will have low corrosion rates in certain corrosion tests and therefore can
be eliminated (screened) from testing as “acceptable.”

MATCHING MATERIAL PROCESSES AND PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

The combination of chemistry, melting/refining procedure, and mill quality

controls and assurance will result in high quality material. The additional scrutiny
provided by Swagelok quality verification (ultrasonic testing, eddy current testing, and
oxalic etch testing) is our guarantee to our customers that our products are manufactured
of high quality material. Bar stock sizes are matched to the final product, taking into
account design issues (such as critical wall thickness), and economics.

This level of material control allows for consistent properties, lot-to-lot, and part-to-part,
and for reliable product performance.