Carbon Steel Elbows Manufacturer & Exporter

Solitaire Overseas manufactures carbon steel elbows for changing pipeline direction, supplied as large bore buttweld elbows dimensioned to ASME B16.9 and ASME B16.28 in ASTM A234 Grade WPB or WPC, and as small bore forged threaded or socket weld elbows dimensioned to ASME B16.11 in ASTM A105. Carbon steel elbows are available in 90 degree and 45 degree bend angles, in long radius (LR) and short radius (SR) patterns, and as 180 degree return bends. Our carbon steel elbow range covers NPS 1/8 inch to 48 inch across both product families, with full mill test certification and dimensional inspection on every batch.

Need small bore forged tees, unions or couplings to complete the routing? See our Carbon Steel Forged Fittings range, or reach out for a combined quote.

Technical Data

Specifications Chemical Composition (ASTM A234, %) Mechanical Properties (ASTM A234) Chemical Composition (ASTM A105, %) Mechanical Properties (ASTM A105) Equivalent Grades Dimensions Long Radius vs Short Radius

Carbon Steel Elbows Specifications

Parameter	Specification
Standard	ASME B16.9 (buttweld LR elbows, 45°/90°, NPS 1/2"-48"); ASME B16.28 (short radius elbows & returns); ASME B16.11 (forged elbows, NPS 1/8"-4")
Material Specification	ASTM A234 Grade WPB / WPC (buttweld); ASTM A105 (forged threaded and socket weld)
Size Range	NPS 1/2" to 48" buttweld; NPS 1/8" to 4" forged threaded/socket weld
Wall Thickness / Class	Any producible wall thickness per ASME B36.10M (buttweld); Class 2000, 3000 or 6000 (forged)
End Connection	Butt weld, square or bevel cut (buttweld elbow); NPT taper thread or socket weld bore (forged elbow)
Manufacturing	Wrought from seamless or welded pipe (buttweld); forged from bar stock (forged)
Bend Angle / Radius	90° and 45° bends; Long Radius (1.5 x NPS) and Short Radius (1.0 x NPS) center-to-end dimensions
Heat Treatment	Not mandatory for standard hot formed WPB/WPC or as-forged A105; cold formed or NPS 12+ locally heated fittings require it
Certification	Mill Test Certificate EN 10204 3.1, 3.2 on request

Chemical Composition (ASTM A234, %) - Buttweld Grades

Element	WPB max	WPC max
Carbon	0.30 (0.35 bar/plate/forging)	0.35
Manganese	0.29 - 1.06	0.29 - 1.06
Phosphorus max	0.050	0.050
Sulfur max	0.058	0.058
Silicon min	0.10	0.10
Chromium max	0.40	0.40
Molybdenum max	0.15	0.15
Nickel max	0.40	0.40
Copper max	0.40	0.40
Vanadium max	0.08	0.08

Sum of Cu, Ni, Cr and Mo shall not exceed 1.00%. Carbon equivalent (C.E. = C + Mn/6 + (Cr+Mo+V)/5 + (Ni+Cu)/15) shall not exceed 0.50 for WPB and WPC, reported on the test report.

Mechanical Properties (ASTM A234)

Grade	Tensile Strength min	Yield Strength min	Elongation min
WPB	415 MPa (60 ksi)	240 MPa (35 ksi)	22% (longitudinal, round specimen)
WPC	485 MPa (70 ksi)	275 MPa (40 ksi)	22% (longitudinal, round specimen)

Chemical Composition (ASTM A105, %) - Forged Grade

Element	A105 max/range
Carbon max	0.35
Manganese	0.60 - 1.05
Phosphorus max	0.035
Sulfur max	0.040
Silicon	0.10 - 0.35
Copper max	0.40
Nickel max	0.40
Chromium max	0.30
Molybdenum max	0.12
Vanadium max	0.08

Sum of Cu, Ni, Cr, Mo and V shall not exceed 1.00%; sum of Cr and Mo shall not exceed 0.32%. A105N denotes the normalized condition, offering improved impact toughness for low-temperature or critical service.

Mechanical Properties (ASTM A105)

Property	Requirement
Tensile Strength min	485 MPa (70 ksi)
Yield Strength min	250 MPa (36 ksi)
Elongation min (2 in.)	22%
Reduction of Area min	30%
Brinell Hardness	137 - 197 HBW

Approximate International Equivalents

ASTM Grade	EN	JIS
A234 WPB	P235GH / P265GH (EN 10253-2)	STPG370
A234 WPC	P280GH (EN 10253-2)	STPG410

ASTM Grade	EN	DIN	JIS
A105	P245GH / P250GH (EN 10222-2)	1.0460	SFVC1 (G3202)

Carbon Steel Elbow Dimensions

Dimensions of Carbon Steel 90 Degree Elbow & 45 Degree Elbow

NPS	O.D.	90° Long Rad Center to End A	45° Long Rad Center to End B	90° 3D Center to End A	45° 3D Center to End B
1/2	21.3	38	16
3/4	26.7	38	19	57	24
1	33.4	38	22	76	31
1.1/4	42.2	48	25	95	39
1.1/2	48.3	57	29	114	47
2	60.3	76	35	152	63
2.1/2	73	95	44	190	79
3	88.9	114	51	229	95
3.1/2	101.6	133	57	267	111
4	114.3	152	64	305	127
5	141.3	190	79	381	157
6	168.3	229	95	457	189
8	219.1	305	127	610	252
10	273	381	159	762	316
12	323.8	457	190	914	378
14	355.6	533	222	1067	441
16	406.4	610	254	1219	505
18	457	686	286	1372	568
20	508	762	318	1524	632
22	559	838	343	1676	694
24	610	914	381	1829	757
26	660	991	406	1981	821
28	711	1067	438	2134	883
30	762	1143	470	2286	946
32	813	1219	502	2438	1010
34	864	1295	533	2591	1073
36	914	1372	565	2743	1135
38	965	1448	600	2896	1200
40	1016	1524	632	3048	1264
42	1067	1600	660	3200	1326
44	1118	1676	695	3353	1389
46	1168	1753	727	3505	1453
48	1219	1829	759	3658	1516

Carbon Steel Elbows: Long Radius vs Short Radius

Criteria	Long Radius (LR) Elbow	Short Radius (SR) Elbow
Center-to-End Dimension	1.5 x NPS	1.0 x NPS
Pressure Drop	Lower	Higher
Availability	Standard, most widely stocked	Used where space is constrained
Typical Use Case	General process piping, long runs	Tight layouts, skids, congested routing

Applications of Carbon Steel Elbows

Changing flow direction on process, utility and pipeline piping
Tight-radius routing on skids, packages and congested plant layouts
Long radius runs on cross-country and plant transmission piping
Heat exchanger, coil and jacketed piping using 180° return bends
Structural, marine and general industrial piping systems

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a carbon steel elbow used for?

A carbon steel elbow changes the direction of a pipe run, most commonly through a 90 degree or 45 degree bend, and is one of the most widely used fittings in any piping system.

What is the difference between a long radius and short radius elbow?

A long radius elbow has a center-to-end dimension of 1.5 times the nominal pipe size, giving a smoother direction change and lower pressure drop, while a short radius elbow uses 1.0 times the nominal size for tighter, space-constrained routing.

What standard governs carbon steel elbow dimensions?

ASME B16.9 covers large bore buttweld long radius elbows from NPS 1/2 inch to 48 inch, ASME B16.28 covers short radius elbows and returns, and ASME B16.11 covers small bore forged threaded and socket weld elbows from NPS 1/8 inch to 4 inch.

What material grade is used for carbon steel elbows?

Buttweld elbows are typically supplied in ASTM A234 Grade WPB, with WPC available for higher strength service. Forged threaded and socket weld elbows use ASTM A105.

Are carbon steel elbows seamless or welded?

Buttweld elbows can be fabricated from seamless or welded pipe, plate or forgings provided the finished fitting meets ASME B16.9 dimensional tolerances; welded construction is marked with a supplemental W.

What size range is available for carbon steel elbows?

Buttweld elbows are available from NPS 1/2 inch through NPS 48 inch, while forged threaded and socket weld elbows are available from NPS 1/8 inch through NPS 4 inch.

Get a quote for carbon steel elbows from Solitaire Overseas, or visit our Carbon Steel Pipe Fittings hub to compare elbows against tees, reducers and cap options.