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Reference Notes
Decision-support content

Material Selection Quick Notes

Short orientation note on the most common piping material choices in process plants. Always defer to the project Material Selection Diagram (MSD) and piping specs.

Carbon steel

  • ASTM A106 Gr B / API 5L X42-X65 — workhorse for hydrocarbons and utilities
  • Low-temp limit typically −29 °C without impact testing
  • A333 Gr 6 for impact-tested low-temperature service to ~ −46 °C

Stainless steel

  • 304/304L — general corrosion service, not for chlorides at temperature
  • 316/316L — chloride and mild acid resistance, default SS in oil & gas
  • Watch for sensitisation above ~425 °C and chloride SCC above ~60 °C

Higher alloys

  • Duplex 2205 / Super duplex 2507 — chloride SCC resistance, seawater
  • Inconel 625 / 825 — sour, high chloride, high temperature
  • Hastelloy C-276 — aggressive acids and oxidising/reducing mixes

Sour service

For wet H2S service, materials, hardness, and PWHT must comply with NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156. Confirm with the project sour-service philosophy before specifying.

Key references

  • · NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156
  • · API RP 571

Use of this content

This page is a decision-support and training reference. It is not a substitute for the governing code, the project specification, or the judgement of a responsible engineer. Always validate against the current edition of the applicable standard before use on live engineering work.