Carbon Steel Tee Manufacturer & Exporter

Solitaire Overseas manufactures carbon steel tees for branch connections, supplied as large bore buttweld tees dimensioned to ASME B16.9 in ASTM A234 Grade WPB or WPC, and as small bore forged threaded or socket weld tees dimensioned to ASME B16.11 in ASTM A105. A carbon steel tee joins a branch line to a run at 90 degrees and is available as an equal tee, where all three outlets share the same nominal size, or a reducing tee, where the branch outlet is smaller than the run. Our carbon steel tee range covers NPS 1/8 inch to 48 inch across both product families, with full mill test certification and dimensional inspection on every batch.

Types of Carbon Steel Tee

Equal Tee - run and branch outlets are all the same nominal size.
Reducing Tee - the branch outlet is one or more sizes smaller than the run, marked with the run and branch sizes.
Straight Tee - general term for a 90 degree three-way buttweld fitting, equal or reducing.
Barred / Reducing Outlet Tee - small branch outlets fitted with a support bar across the opening for structural continuity.
Forged Threaded Tee (ASME B16.11) - NPT connections, Class 2000/3000/6000, for small bore utility piping.
Forged Socket Weld Tee (ASME B16.11) - socket bore connections, Class 3000/6000, for small bore process piping.

Need small bore forged elbows, unions or couplings to complete the branch connection? 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 Equal Tee vs Reducing Tee

Carbon Steel Tee Specifications

Parameter	Specification
Standard	ASME B16.9 (buttweld equal/reducing tee, NPS 1/2" - 48"); ASME B16.11 (forged tee, 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 tee); NPT taper thread or socket weld bore (forged tee)
Manufacturing	Wrought from seamless or welded pipe (buttweld); forged from bar stock (forged)
Fitting Types	Equal tee, reducing tee, straight tee, barred/reducing outlet tee
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

Equivalent Grades

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 Tee: Equal Tee vs Reducing Tee

Criteria	Equal Tee	Reducing Tee
Outlet Sizing	Run and branch are the same NPS	Branch outlet is smaller than the run
Marking	Single NPS designation	Run size x branch size (e.g. 8" x 4")
Typical Use	Equal flow splitting or combining	Tapping a smaller branch line off a larger header
Flow Effect	Balanced pressure drop on all outlets	Higher velocity/pressure drop through the reduced branch

Applications of Carbon Steel Tee

Branch connections on process piping headers and manifolds
Three-way flow distribution and combination in plant piping
Fire water loop branch take-offs
Utility and instrument branch connections on skid packages
HVAC, plumbing and general industrial branch piping

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a carbon steel tee used for?

A carbon steel tee connects a branch pipe to a main run at a 90 degree angle, allowing flow to be split, combined, or tapped off a header for instrumentation, drains, or secondary process lines.

What is the difference between an equal tee and a reducing tee?

An equal tee has a run and branch outlet of the same nominal pipe size, while a reducing tee has a branch outlet one or more sizes smaller than the run, and is marked with both the run and branch sizes.

What standard governs carbon steel tee dimensions?

ASME B16.9 covers large bore buttweld tees from NPS 1/2 inch to 48 inch, while ASME B16.11 covers small bore forged threaded and socket weld tees from NPS 1/8 inch to 4 inch.

What material grade is used for carbon steel tees?

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

Are carbon steel tees seamless or welded?

Buttweld tees 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 tees?

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

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