Selection Guide of Stainless Steel Materials for Bellows

Metal bellow is something that acts as the expansion control for the pipelines, vessels and other things through which the hot and cold liquid,gases and solids flow down. The major problem is generated when there are large variations in the temperature of the hot and cold fluid, which might degenerate the machines and cause its failures. And here the bellows come into play. They are highly necessary to avoid such cases like failures and degenerations. Metal bellows are basically made from ferrous and non-ferrous materials, and those which are used under extreme conditions are mostly made up of stainless steel to give strong resistance to the high temperature.

The stainless steel bellows are also available in different shapes, sizes with varying heat resistant powers. As such it is extremely important for a user to make the right selection of the bellows to get the best benefits out of them.

What is the Criteria for the Selection of Stainless Steel Materials for Bellows?

Stainless steel bellows are one of the best kinds of bellows which are designed according to the needs of the customers. They have great strength and capacity to handle the pressure and sudden changes in temperature. There are several materials included under the stainless steel grouping which are basically categorised according to their temperature tolerance. Check out this selection guide for stainless steel materials for bellows to decide on the right one for you:

Alloy AM350: When the temperature is between -100 F to 800 F, alloy AM350 is used because of its high strength. But it has to be used in a non-acidic environment only.

316L material: When you need the operation for cryogenic and non-magnetic application then the 316L material can be used, because of its corrosion resistant property. It can also work in acidic environment. This quality boosts up the acceptance and popularity of this material for bellows up to a great extent.

Metal diaphragms are welded from inside and outside in order to provide that extra strength and toughness along with the flexibility. The assemblies are built by using Ultra high Vacuum to the highest pressure.

Types of Bellows

The expansion bellows can be of various types, based on their shapes, sizes and their application. Here are few examples that you should look at to understand and serve your requirements in a better way:

1. Axial expansion joints: These are the bellows that need to control the axial motion of the straight pipe. These are very small and require no space beyond the bellows length and the end connections.
2. Lateral expansion joints: They are used to control the deflection of the pipeline in the lateral direction. Apart from this, these also reduce the angular deflection of the pipeline.
3. Hinged expansion joints: These are used to control the angular deflection which is in one plane only. The hinges are connected by the hinge pins, so as to reduce the direct pressure from the bellow on the anchors or equipments.

Thus, it is quite clear from the above discussion that there are several things that can make stainless steel bellows even better than the other non-ferrous materials. It is their basic and unique quality to handle the pressure and control the pipe pressure while expansion and contraction of the fluid. All you need to do is to choose the stainless steel material wisely and hopefully this selection guide will help you in doing the same.

Arpita Shah is a well known marketing professional and is very much interested in reading and writing. She loves to share and browse interesting information about industrial equipments and material.