Steel Pipe: What is it?

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Steel pipes are made of iron and carbon and used in construction and industrial applications. Carbon tubing is affordable and used for large projects, while stainless steel is expensive but highly corrosion-resistant. Galvanized steel is used in harsh conditions and black steel is commonly used for plumbing. Pipes can be seamless or welded, with NPS used to measure size in the US and ND in Europe.

Steel pipe is a building material made up of an alloy of iron and carbon. It is used extensively in the construction industry but can also be found in a variety of industrial and manufacturing applications. In plumbing, steel pipes can be used to transport liquids and gases for commercial and residential buildings, as well as in municipal water supplies. This material also serves as a structural component for scaffolding and framing systems. Outside of the United States, the term “pipe” is often used in place of “pipe.”

There are different types of steel pipes available for use in various applications. The most common is the carbon tube, so called because it contains no other alloys. Carbon tubing is widely available and relatively affordable, making it a popular choice for very large projects like pipelines. Stainless steel pipe consists of an alloy of steel and chromium and is one of the more expensive types of pipe on the market. It offers a high level of corrosion resistance, which allows smaller and thinner pipes to be used, even in highly corrosive or acidic scenarios.

Galvanized steel is often used for pipes that will be exposed to harsh conditions such as salt water or marine use. This material features traditional carbon steel with an electrolytic zinc coating, which helps resist rust and corrosion. When it comes to selecting tubing for most plumbing applications, black steel tubing is commonly used. The black coating is caused by oxidation of the pipe surface during manufacturing and is considered aesthetically pleasing for pipes that will be left exposed. These pipes are usually treated with an anti-corrosion sealant at the factory before being sold.

The steel tube is available in seamless or welded versions. Seamless pipe is made using a drill rod, which gives the material a smooth, even finish with no joints. This product is the more expensive of the two, but is also considered more reliable, especially in high pressure applications. Welded pipe consists of steel sheets that are rolled around a shape, then welded along the joints. While welded steel pipe is less expensive, it is also more likely to break and generally cannot hold up well in high pressure uses.

In the United States, steel pipes are measured using a system known as Nominal Pipe Size (NPS). NPS provides the outside diameter of the pipe and the wall thickness of the pipe. For example, a pipe labeled NPS 14 Schedule 40 means that the outside diameter of the pipe is 14 inches (35.56 cm), while its walls are 437 inches (1.11 cm). A pipe’s “Schedule” value can be found using the NPS tables and the higher the schedule, the thicker the pipe walls will be. The European equivalent of NPS is known as the Nominal Diameter (ND).




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