Titanium Tube ASTM B338 Industrial Standard

Heat exchangers. Condensers. Heat transfer equipment. Corrosive fluid lines.

Titanium tube ASTM B338 industrial standard is what engineers spec when steel tubes keep failing. No rust. No pitting. No corrosion allowance needed. Just years of service in seawater, chlorides, and dilute acids.

The ASTM B338 stamp means it's been tested. Hydraulic pressure. Flattening. Flaring. It's not just titanium tube - it's certified tube.

Not all titanium tube is the same. Some suppliers sell "industrial tube" with no standard. No testing. No traceability.

Titanium tube ASTM B338 industrial standard gives you:

Mill test reports with heat number. Full dimensional inspection. Non-destructive testing (eddy current or ultrasonic). Pressure test certification.

You need this for insurance. For warranties. For customer specs.

If you're building a heat exchanger for a chemical plant or a condenser for a power station, B338 is the minimum your customer will accept.

Grade 2 is the standard. Most heat exchangers and condensers use Grade 2. Good strength. Good formability. Excellent corrosion resistance.

Grade 5 is stronger. Use it when tube has to hold high pressure or carry structural load. Same corrosion as Grade 2 but harder to bend.

Grade 7 adds palladium. Expensive. For very hot reducing acids where Grade 2 isn't enough.

Grade 12 adds molybdenum and nickel. Middle ground between Grade 2 and Grade 7. Cost less than Grade 7. Good for hot seawater.

Seamless tube starts as billet. Rotary pierced. Rolled. Drawn. No weld seam. Slightly more expensive. Preferred for high pressure and small diameters (under 25mm).

Welded tube starts as strip. Rolled into shape. Welded. Seam annealed. Less expensive. Available in larger diameters. Fine for most heat exchanger service.

Both are ASTM B338 certified. Both pass the same tests.

For titanium tube ASTM B338 industrial standard, we stock both types. Tell us seamless or welded when you ask for a quote.

• Chemical plants. Heat exchangers and condensers. Tube sheets full of B338 titanium tube. Shell and tube exchangers. Plate and frame with titanium tubes.
• Power stations. Cooling water condensers. Titanium tubes in the hot well. Seawater on one side. Steam on the other.
• Desalination plants. High temperature brine. Multi-stage flash or reverse osmosis. Grade 2 or Grade 12.
• Marine systems. Seawater cooling lines. Hydraulic lines. Instrument tubing.
• Pharmaceutical and food. Clean service. No contamination from rust. Easy to sanitize.
• Pull a failed steel tube out of a heat exchanger. Replace it with titanium tube ASTM B338 industrial standard. That exchanger will outlast the building.

Tolerance: OD ±0.1mm to ±0.3mm depending on size. Wall ±10%.

• ASTM B338 isn't just a label. It requires specific tests.
• Hydrostatic pressure test. Every tube. No leaks.
• Flattening test. Flattens without cracks.
• Flaring test. Flares without cracking.
• Eddy current or ultrasonic NDT. Finds hidden defects.
• We provide the test reports. Every lot. Every size.

Titanium tube welds like titanium plate. Same rules.

Argon purge inside the tube. Shielding gas outside. Clean tube ends before welding. No oil. No dirt. No fingerprints.

For titanium tube ASTM B338 industrial standard, the tube is pickled and clean from the mill. But after cutting and handling, clean it again.

Tube-to-tubesheet welding is common. Use matching filler. ERTi-2 for Grade 2 tube. ERTi-5 for Grade 5 tube. Purge the tubesheet side.

Bending titanium tube is harder than copper alloy or stainless. Use a mandrel bender. Minimum bend radius about 3x OD for thin wall. 5x OD for thick wall.

You don't buy titanium tube ASTM B338 industrial standard because it's cheap. It's not. You buy it because stainless tubes pit. Copper-nickel tubes erode. Carbon steel tubes rust through.

Grade 2 for most heat exchangers. Grade 12 for hot seawater. Grade 5 for high pressure.

B338 means tested. Certified. Traceable.