The difference between schedule 10, 40 and 80 stainless steel pipe is the wall thickness. The wall of Schedule 10 is the thinnest, while schedule 80 has the thickest wall. The wall thickness varies within each schedule depending on the diameter of the steel pipe. So a stainless steel pipe with smaller diameter has a thinner wall, and a pipe with larger diameter has a thicker wall.

Common types of stainless steel that are used in welded pipe are 304 and 316. 304 stainless steel is most commonly used, it is easily welded by most common methods. However, 316 stainless steel is better to resist corrosion and pitting compared with 304 stainless steel.