Skip to content

Need stainless steel fittings, valves or hose?

Materials & Grades

SS304 vs SS316 and SS316L for stainless fittings, valves and hose: corrosion resistance, cost and when each grade ships from FerruleX factory stock.

Tri-clamp joint on a stainless corrugated hose assembly — the gasket seats between the ferrule flanges

Tri-Clamp Gaskets: Sizes, Materials, and Choosing the Right One

Tri-clamp gasket sizing decoded: named by pipe size, not by measured diameter. Material temperatures for silicone, EPDM, PTFE, FKM and envelope gaskets, plus the DIN/ASME compatibility trap.

Read article →
Hose barb connectors, the termination style plastic tubing usually ends in

Polyethylene vs Stainless Steel Instrument Tubing

Polyethylene vs stainless steel instrument tubing: permeation leaks you cannot hear, temperature and fire limits, vibration, and where PE lines make sense.

Read article →
Stainless fitting at the bench with a magnet, the field test buyers misread

Is Stainless Magnetic? 304, 316 and the Cold Work Truth

Is stainless steel magnetic? Austenitic, ferritic and martensitic behavior, why cold-worked 304 attracts a magnet, what magnetism does not tell you, and the test that works.

Read article →
Stainless fitting threaded into a dissimilar-metal pipe, the galvanic pair in question

Galvanic Corrosion in Mixed Fittings: The Dissimilar-Metal Rule

Galvanic corrosion in mixed-metal fittings: the seawater nobility order, the area-ratio rule, real pair behavior from carbon steel to copper, and isolation that works.

Read article →
Stainless fitting for sour service review, where hardness and condition decide eligibility

NACE and Sour Service: When H2S Changes Your Material List

NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156 sour service basics: when the rules apply, hardness limits by alloy family, duplex envelopes, and the four numbers that decide the material.

Read article →
Sealed bagged stainless fitting labeled for oxygen service cleanliness

Oxygen Cleaning: What 'Oxygen Service' Means on a Fitting

Oxygen service cleaning explained: why oxygen attacks contaminants, CGA G-4.1 and related standards, the cleaning and inspection process, and packaging for oxygen duty.

Read article →
Stainless valve and fittings for steam line service with high-temperature seals

Steam Service on Stainless Valves: Saturated vs Superheat

Steam service on stainless valves: saturated steam temperature-pressure pairs, superheat and what it does to seals, PTFE seat boundaries, and water hammer prevention.

Read article →
Stainless ball valve with soft seat against the ball, the sealing line the material decides

Ball Valve Seat Materials: PTFE, PEEK and Reinforced Options

Ball valve seat materials compared: PTFE temperature bands, filled PTFE variants, PEEK boundaries, media compatibility limits, and how to write the seat on the RFQ.

Read article →
Assorted stainless fitting bodies in different wrought grades for service selection

Stainless Steel Grades Chart: A Field Guide for 304 to 904L

Stainless steel grades field guide: choose 304, 316, 316L, 310S, 321, 347 or 904L by media, temperature and welding — with PREN quick-compare.

Read article →
Stainless fitting cross-section where chloride cracking initiates at crevices and weld zones

Chloride Stress Corrosion Cracking: The 316 Failure Nobody Checks

Chloride stress corrosion cracking of 304/316 stainless: the temperature-chloride threshold band, why 316L does not help, and when to upgrade to duplex or nickel alloys.

Read article →
Stainless weld-end fitting connector for permanent small-bore connections

Socket Weld vs Butt Weld Fittings: Where Each Belongs

Socket weld vs butt weld fittings: the 1/16 in gap rule, NPS 2 convention, crevice and inspection differences, and which belongs on instrument lines.

Read article →
Flanged hex head stainless plug with washer-face sealing seat

Hex Plug vs Flush Plug: Close Ports Without Dead Volume

Stainless steel hex plug vs flush plug: when to use socket flush plugs for dead-volume-free ports, square and flanged heads, and thread seal choice.

Read article →
Investment cast stainless fitting body showing near-net-shape cast surfaces

Investment Cast vs Machined Fittings: Cost, Shape, Tolerance

Investment cast vs machined stainless fittings: how lost-wax casting and CNC machining differ on cost curves, tolerances, surface finish and pressure integrity.

Read article →
Stainless sanitary fitting with smooth internal bore for food-grade service

Sanitary Ball Valves: When 'Sanitary' Means Sanitary

Sanitary stainless ball valves: what sanitary actually means — full bore, no dead legs, drainable design, Ra surface — plus 3-A vs ASME BPE and the RFQ lines.

Read article →
Stainless steel coil tube wound on a reel for long instrument runs

Stainless Steel Coil Tubing: Long Runs Without Couplings

Stainless steel coil tubing for long instrument runs: sizes, 316 vs 316L, ASTM A269 testing, coil lengths, on-site cutting and the RFQ lines to write.

Read article →
Stainless ball valve with stem and handle assembly showing valve trim parts

Valve Trim Materials: 316 vs 17-4 PH vs 410/420 Explained

Valve trim materials decoded: what 316, 17-4 PH and 410/420 mean for valve bodies, balls, stems, seats and packing — and how to write trim lines on the RFQ.

Read article →
Stainless cylinder connector with electropolished and passivated finish samples

Electropolishing vs Passivation: Which Stainless Finish Do You Need?

Electropolishing vs passivation for stainless fittings: EP removes material and smooths to a lower Ra; passivation restores the oxide film. When to pay for EP.

Read article →
Forged stainless compression elbow for welded and thread-welded assemblies

316 vs 316L Stainless Steel: Which Grade for Welded Fittings and Tubing

316 vs 316L stainless steel for fittings and tubing: carbon limits, weld sensitization, and when the low-carbon grade is worth paying for on the RFQ.

Read article →
Freshly passivated stainless compression fittings after machining and cleaning

Passivation of Stainless Steel Fittings: What It Does and What It Cannot Fix

Passivation of stainless steel fittings: what nitric and citric acid passivation do, why pickling handles weld tint, and how to prevent rust after fabrication.

Read article →
Stainless angle ball valve on a chloride process line, pitting-prone duty

Pitting Corrosion in Stainless Steel Fittings: Why 316 Still Pits

Pitting corrosion in stainless steel fittings: why 316 still pits in chlorides, the PREN difference by grade, and how design and maintenance prevent it.

Read article →
Industrial piping using stainless steel fittings

SS304 vs SS316 Stainless Fittings — Which to Pick

Factory guide to choosing SS304 or SS316 for compression fittings, ball valves and hose — corrosion, cost and delivery notes from FerruleX.

Read article →