I would like to know experience of any body in the use of and in the behavior of SS 304 piping for dry air in the sea water environment. We would like to lay a !'' line along the jetty. It is not sea water service. Carbon steel is out of question. SS316 L is selected, but we would like to use SS304L to cut costs. Please ;et me know the long term effects on both. Thank you KK

There are study regarding the 304SS in Marine Atmosphere, one is "Corrosion resistance of the Austenitic Cr-Ni SS in Atmospheric Environments" and you can find it in NIDI website. If your 304 is not directly in contact with sea water spray, it could perform well. Probably you'll have some problems in certain areas like clamps or pipe support where a crevice can develop. Your final material selection should be based not only on cost analysis but also on reliability and maintenance of the pipe. If the service is no critical and you'll have the possibility to inspect and in case repair your pipe you can select a material less resistant and cheaper. regards Vitt