ASTM A213 TP304 Stainless Steel Boiler Tubes

Gnee Steel (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. is one of the most professional manufacturers and suppliers of astm a213 tp304 stainless steel boiler tubes in China. With abundant experience, we warmly welcome you to wholesale customized astm a213 tp304 stainless steel boiler tubes from our factory. For price consultation, contact us.

 

What is ASTM A213 TP304 Stainless Steel Boiler Tube?

The ASTM A213 TP304 seamless stainless steel boiler tube is a versatile austenitic heat-exchanger and pressure tube grade. Containing a minimum of 16% chromium and 8% to 10.5% nickel, it delivers stable corrosion resistance in atmospheric environments and most mildly corrosive media. It features an upper continuous service temperature limit of up to 870°C, offering excellent resistance to high-temperature oxidation and acid-base corrosion under normal pressure. This makes it ideal for operating conditions such as hot water boilers, waste heat recovery exchangers, HVAC cooling tube bundles, and small-scale steam equipment.

 

Our 304 stainless steel tubes are manufactured using a seamless hot piercing and cold rolling process, followed by high-temperature solution annealing at 1050–1120°C with water quenching. This heat treatment ensures that carbides are fully dissolved back into the matrix, effectively eliminating the risk of weld-induced intergranular corrosion. Following pickling and passivation, the surface roughness is stabilized at Ra 1.6–3.2 μm, achieving up to 600 hours without rusting in neutral salt spray testing. The overall structural safety margin under pressure is increased by 50% compared to welded alternatives, offering a conventional service life of over 15 years while reducing procurement costs by 35% compared to TP316L or 904L grades.

What is the difference between ASTM A213 TP304 and TP304H?

In contrast to the high-carbon TP304H grade, TP304 restricts its carbon content to ≤0.08%. In conventional boiler heating surface applications below 450°C, it meets all structural pressure requirements while successfully preventing the risk of embrittlement caused by excessive carbide precipitation during long-term service.

 

ASTM A213 TP304 Stainless Steel Tubes Specification

ASTM A213 TP304 Chemical Composition 

Element	Symbol	Composition (%)
Carbon	C	0.08 max
Manganese	Mn	2.00 max
Phosphorus	P	0.045 max
Sulfur	S	0.030 max
Silicon	Si	0.75 max
Chromium	Cr	18.0 - 20.0
Nickel	Ni	8.0 - 11.0

 

Mechanical Properties

Property	Value (Metric)	Value (Imperial)
Tensile Strength, min.	515 MPa	75 ksi
Yield Strength (0.2% Offset), min.	205 MPa	30 ksi
Elongation in 2 in. (50mm), min.	35%	35%
Brinell Hardness (max.)	192 HBW	-
Rockwell Hardness (max.)	-	90 HRB

 

ASTM A213 Boiler Tube Sizes

Boiler tubes are often specified by Outer Diameter (OD) and Minimum Wall Thickness (or Average Wall). Common sizes in power plants and heat exchangers include:

Outer Diameter (OD)	Wall Thickness (WT)	Gauge (Reference)
12.70 mm (1/2")	1.24 mm / 1.65 mm	18 BWG / 16 BWG
19.05 mm (3/4")	1.65 mm / 2.11 mm	16 BWG / 14 BWG
25.40 mm (1")	2.11 mm / 2.77 mm	14 BWG / 12 BWG
31.75 mm (1-1/4")	2.77 mm / 3.40 mm	12 BWG / 10 BWG
38.10 mm (1-1/2")	2.11 mm / 3.05 mm	14 BWG / 11 BWG
50.80 mm (2")	2.77 mm / 3.40 mm	12 BWG / 10 BWG

 

If you have any technical questions, you can click to download ASTM A213.PDF.

 

Applications of ASTM A213 TP304 Seamless Boiler Tubes

Power generation and fossil fuel industry: Boiler tubes and superheaters for fossil fuel power generation facilities, capable of withstanding high-pressure steam up to 870°C.

Oil refining and chemical industry: Used in petrochemical furnaces and refinery heaters.

Aerospace and automotive industry: Used in aircraft hydraulic systems and automotive exhaust systems.

If you are looking to source or specify these tubes, please tell me:What outside diameter (OD) and wall thickness are you looking for?What is your target quantity or total length?Is this for a new build or a replacement/repair?

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Our Export Case Studies

A 300MW power plant unit originally utilized low-alloy steel boiler tubes. After more than a decade of operation, the tubing suffered from severe high-temperature oxidation, scaling, and wall thinning due to exposure to 540°C flue gas, creating a risk of tube rupture and unplanned shutdowns.

 

GNEE Stainless Steel supplied ASTM A213 TP304 seamless pipes to replace the tube bundles in the low-temperature section of the superheater.
Specifications: Outer Diameter (OD) 38.1 mm × Minimum Wall Thickness 3.4 mm.
Key Delivery Standard: Strict 100% ultrasonic testing was performed to ensure the absence of hidden cracks under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions.

Following the retrofit, the piping system maintained a stable operating pressure of 17 MPa; no valve blockages caused by oxide scale shedding occurred over three years of operation, and the equipment maintenance interval was extended by 50%.

 

Quality Control

Test Category	Description
Hydrostatic Test	Every tube is tested under water pressure to ensure no leaks.
Nondestructive Electric Test	Eddy Current or Ultrasonic testing (in lieu of Hydrostatic if agreed).
Flattening Test	Ensures the tube won't crack when flattened under pressure.
Flaring Test	Ensures the tube can be expanded for installation in headers.
Grain Size	TP304 must have a grain size of No. 7 or coarser (for high-temp strength).
Pickling/Passivation	All tubes must be free of scale (usually Solution Annealed & Pickled).

High-quality sea freight packaging

Packaged in bundles or plywood crates, wrapped in plastic, and provided with appropriate protective measures to ensure suitability for seaworthy transport, or packed according to specific requirements.
Marking shall comply with the provisions of Specification A1016/A1016M and indicate whether the pipe is hot-worked or cold-worked; markings shall include, but are not limited to: standard, grade, size, heat number, and lot number.

FAQ

1. What does "Minimum Wall" mean in procurement?
Under the ASTM A213 standard, unless the purchase order explicitly specifies delivery based on average wall thickness, the manufacturer must guarantee that the actual wall thickness of the pipe never falls below the value specified in the order. Consequently, manufacturers typically incorporate a positive tolerance of 10%–15% during production.

 

2. What is the maximum service temperature for TP304 boiler tubes?
TP304 offers oxidation resistance up to 870°C in atmospheric environments. However, under pressurized boiler operating conditions, the recommended continuous service temperature is generally below 600°C–650°C to ensure adequate strength and resistance to stress corrosion.

 

3. Which welding consumables should be used for A213 TP304 pipes?
ER308 or E308 welding wire/electrodes are typically used. For welding TP304L, ER308L should be used.

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