Small Diameter Tubing Alloys
Small Diameter Tubing Materials Information & Selection
Tubing can be manufactured in a variety of alloys. An alloy is metal mixture that is composed of various elements melted together in a furnace. All widely used alloys follow specific formulations, generally developed by worldwide standard organizations like ASTM. These recipes describe which elements (iron, copper, nickel etc.) are included in the alloy being produced, the acceptable ranges of each of these elements, and the other critical elements of alloy production (melting temperatures and other controlled variables. Once an alloy is cooled and tested for acceptance, it can then be further processed into billets or strip in order to eventually manufacture tubing.
Vita Needle carries a wide variety of alloys in tube form, accommodating a range of applications. Stainless steel alloys, high nickel alloys, copper, brass and aluminum comprise most of what we sell, however there are a number of other non-standard alloys that can also be supplied in tube form on request.
Important considerations for alloy selection include:
- Intended application. A qualified engineer or other person in your organization knowledgeable about the use of the end product should take into consideration desired performance characteristics when selecting a tubing alloy. This process also includes considering the life of the product.
- Cost effectiveness. In many cases, there are several acceptable alloys and optimizing for cost is an important driver.
- Relative availability compared to other alloys. If supply for a given alloy and tube size is sub-optimal, delays to your project could occur.
- Regulatory requirements. Some applications may be governed by regulatory oversight restricting alloys which exceed limits on certain elements that make up the alloy.
Please visit the pages for stainless steels, nickel alloys, and copper, brass and aluminum for more specific details on these alloy groupings.
Stainless Steel Tubing
Most of the tubing and wire we sell is from the 300 series stainless steel family, but we also offer additional alloys.
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Nickel Alloy Tubing
Vita Needle also carries high nickel alloy small diameter tubing for your specialty needs.
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Copper, Aluminum, and Brass Tubing
Vita Needle Co. carries small diameter copper tubing in alloys of C102 and C122.
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