Stainless steel pipe fittings are made of stainless steel which is an alloy. Stainless steel is highly corrosion resistant and durable. It has cryogenic toughness and resistance to high temperatures. It can be easily fabricated and transformed. Stainless steel has several grades but the most commonly used stainless steel grade is 304, 316, and 316L.

Stainless pipe fittings are used for connecting pipes and controlling the volume, direction, and pressure of the flow of gases, liquids, and fluids. There are several kinds of stainless steel pipe fittings for piping systems, plumbing systems, and pressure applications.

All the stainless pipes fittings are attached by different types of connections formed by using adhesive, mechanically, welded, or may have threads at its ends. The stainless steel fittings include Tee, Cross, Elbow, Reducer, Coupling, Nipple, Plug & Cap, Adapters, Union, Connectors, Compression fittings, and Valve.

The stainless steel tee fitting is a T shaped fitting. It has two outlets at an angle of 90° each and one inlet. These fittings may have threads at their ends. These fittings are used in several industries, for instance, oil refining, water treatment, and other processing units. The tee fittings are available in different sizes and shapes including straight tee, equal tee, reducing tee, wye tee, lateral tee, male and female branch tee, and male and female-run tee.

The stainless cross fitting is a fitting shaped like a cross. It has three inlets and one outlet or vice versa. The opening ends of the stainless cross may have thread or socket. The cross fitting is preferred in applications where the main concern is saving the space or there is lesser space to fix the fitting. The cross fitting is suitable for low-pressure applications because it has for openings which can cause increased pressure in the center affecting the seal.

The stainless steel fittings usually have good resistance to corrosion, cryogenic toughness, heat resistance, pressure tolerance, and durability. The stainless elbow fitting is used for changing the direction, volume, and pressure of the flow of liquids, fluids, or gases in the pipes. It has high corrosion resistance and a sharp bent that helps to control the direction, volume, and pressure of chemicals, fluids, liquids, and gases, during the processing cycle.

Stainless elbow fittings are available in several different shapes and sizes but the most common types are the 90° angle elbow fitting and the 45° angle elbow fitting. The other types of elbow fittings are the street elbow fitting and the reducer elbow fitting.

A reducer is a fitting that has a big diameter on one end and a small diameter on the other end. There are two main types of reducer: concentric and eccentric reducers. The concentric reducer is also called a conical reducer. It has a cone shape and it has the center of both ends on the same axis. On the other hand, the eccentric reducer has the center of both ends on a different axis.

A nipple is a piece of small stainless steel pipe that has a male thread on either one end or both ends of the fitting. The pipe nipple is used for joining two different types of pipes and fittings, for instance, pipes, tubes, hoses, and valves.

Stainless plug and cap are used to close the pipe openings when the piping system requires repair and maintenance or replacement of any part. The stainless steel piping plug has a male thread and the piping cap has a female thread. They are highly corrosion resistant and are considered suitable for high-pressure applications.

Stainless steel pipe adaptors are used for connecting pipes. They have a male thread (external thread) as well as a female thread (internal thread) ends. There are adaptors that do not have threads, in that case, they are either welded or soldered.

The valves are used to change the direction, volume, or pressure of the flow of water, liquid, fluid, or gas in the piping system. There are different types of valves available that have different functions and purposes. They include the throttling valve, non-return valve and isolation valve.

A Coupling is a small pipe or tube that has either socket or a female threaded end or ends that allow connecting two pipes or tubes of either the same or different sizes. It is used for terminating or extending the piping system.

The coupling may be rigid or flexible and permanent (fixed) or removable. There are several different types of couplings available in the market such as full coupling, half coupling, compression coupling, reducing coupling, and slip coupling.

Stainless steel pipe bushings are usually considered suitable for pneumatic systems having a male as well as female threaded ends. The purpose of stainless pipe bushing is to connect the pipes of different diameters.

A Pipe Union is a fitting that unites two pipes and this fitting is easily detached without any pipe deformation. The pipe union consists of three parts:

• Nut
• Female end
• Male end

There are two types of pipe unions:

• Ground (it consists of three parts)
• Flange (it consists of two pieces)

They are used in several applications such as water plants, fire protection and processing units. It is easy to install and remove and provides leak proof connection as well as disconnection

Stainless Pipe Flanges are fittings having high corrosion resistance. It is used for connecting two pipes, tubes, components or equipment mechanically. Flanges are available in different shapes such as square, round, and rectangle.

The stainless flanges are available in different shapes and sizes. They are given as under:

• Round
• Square
• Rectangle
• Buttweld
• Blind
• Reducing
• Socket weld
• Gasket
• Captive
• Lap Joint
• Split

The flange is attached to the pipe either by brazing, welding, and threaded fittings. The stainless pipe flanges are used in several applications such as hydraulic systems, high-pressure applications, power plants, etc.

The connectors are used to connect pipes in industrial and commercial piping systems. The connectors are of different shapes and sizes such as elbow, tee, cross, pipe union, etc. They have female threads, male threads, or can be welded in order to connect different components including pumps, valves, filters, and flexible hoses, etc.

Stainless Bulkhead fittings allow free flow of liquids in a vessel, drum drainage and piping and plumbing systems. These fittings help in branching out or creating distribution outlets in the piping system. They are easy to install and have high corrosion resistance. They provide leak proof and reliable connection. They are available in several types including threaded and slip bulkhead fittings.

Stainless Compression fittings are used to connect two pipes or tubes or other components. A compression fitting provides strong, reliable and leak-proof seal.

The stainless compression fittings consist of three parts

• Nut
• Ring or inner ring and
• Seat

There are two main types of compression fittings:

• Non-manipulative fitting: These fittings do not require any modifications to the piping or tubing system. These fittings are used for hydraulic systems. They are easy to install.
• Manipulative fittings: These fittings require flaring or belling the tubing. This type of fitting is considered suitable for pneumatic systems.