In piping systems, elbows are fittings used to change the direction of the pipeline. They come in three common angles: 45°, 90°, and 180°. Additionally, elbows with other non-standard angles, such as 60°, are included based on engineering requirements. Materials for elbows include cast iron, stainless steel, alloy steel, malleable cast iron, carbon steel, non-ferrous metals, and plastics.

Ways to connect pipes include direct welding (the most common method), flange connection, hot melt connection, electric melt connection, threaded connection, and socket weld connection, etc. They can be categorized by production process into: welded elbows, stamped elbows, extruded elbows, cast elbows, and socket-welded elbows, etc. Other names: 90-degree elbows, right-angle elbows, etc.