Stainless Steel JIC 37° Flare Fittings (SAE J514)

The Shop Floor Truth on Stainless JIC

A JIC fitting is a simple metal cone seal. When you make it out of stainless steel, the design doesn't change, but the rules of the game do. Here's what you need to know before you put a wrench on one.

When to Spec Stainless Over Steel

You choose 316 stainless for the same reason you'd choose any other stainless part: the environment is trying to kill it. This is for the jobs where plated steel is a guaranteed failure:

• Marine and Offshore: Salt spray will eat a steel fitting alive. 316 SS is the only real choice here.
• Chemical and Processing: For lines that see acids, solvents, or other aggressive chemicals.
• Food and Beverage: In washdown environments where caustic cleaners are used daily, and you absolutely cannot have rust.
• High-Temperature Lines: Stainless holds its strength at higher temperatures where carbon steel starts to lose integrity.

The Grade Matters: Always Demand 316 SS

If a supplier just says their JIC fittings are "stainless," you need to ask more questions. Cheaper 304 stainless will look the part, but it's missing Molybdenum. That's the key ingredient that gives 316 Stainless Steel its superior ability to fight off rust from salt and chlorides. For any serious marine or chemical job, 316 isn't just better; it's the only acceptable answer.

The Big Challenge: How to Stop Galling

Stainless threads can cold-weld themselves together under pressure—a problem called galling. Once it happens, the only way to get the fitting apart is with a cutting torch. It's not a defect; it's just physics. Preventing it is simple: always use a dab of anti-seize lubricant on the nut's threads before you tighten it. Don't skip this. It's the most important step in a stainless JIC install.

The Bottom Line

A stainless JIC fitting combines the simple, reusable seal of a JIC flare with the raw durability of 316 stainless steel. It’s the high-pressure workhorse for the world's toughest environments. For jobs where a failure isn't just an inconvenience but a major problem, this is the fitting you can count on.