304 stainless steel pipe is made up of austenitic steel. The material has chromium and nickel added into the composition with carbon in them. The amount of carbon makes the varieties of 304 such as the 304H and 304L. There are different grades and standards for these pipes. Manufacturers in India produce different grades and standards of 304 stainless steel pipe as well. The applications require specific characteristics in pipes. Applications such as the thermal power plant piping require high temperature tolerant pipes. Chemical industries and sea water applications require the pipes to be corrosion resistant. Aerospace engineering requires the pipes to have both great pressure containment capacities and heat tolerance as well. Depending on the need of the application, the material is designed and is graded accordingly.

These pipes can come in different shapes and forms. The seamless pipes are cold drawn to get the desired shape and they are usually polished as well. The 304 stainless steel welded pipes on the other hand are hot rolled and welded. These are stronger. They are annealed or solution heat treated to get the desired strength levels. The use of 304 material is common across many industries. They are used in low cost applications such as domestic uses and in high end applications such as the chemical plants. The price of stainless steel pipe depends on the various factors. The demand, the grade, the standards, the availability, storage, transportation and the location of sales could all affect the pricing.

Miranda Paul