With so many varieties of products and grades like seamless pipes, welded pipes it might be difficult to pick which Stainless steel pipe will be best for your business applications, or even what they can be used for in the first place. Each pipe has different properties that make it unique in its respective industries, it is important to learn the different types of pipes available, where they can be used and how they can be applied to various industries.
Types of Stainless Steel Pipe
Seamless Pipe
A seamless pipe is a pipe that does not contain any seams or weld joints. It is the capability to withstand high pressure and severe temperatures. It is not only used in different oil and gas applications, but they are also used in mechanical and engineering industries too. Making Seamless pipes versatile in nature. Seamless Pipes are examined with high levels of accuracy to ensure the quality of the material.
Welded Pipe
Welded pipes can be used in practically every industry due to its flexibility. However, they far better in corrosion resistance as opposed to withstanding high pressure. Welded pipes are cost-efficient and offer the best value for money due to the materials used they are lightweight in nature and more effective than other pipes.
Types of Industry
Oil and Gas
Technology plays a major role in the oil and gas industries. In the recent years as we explore the depths for extracting oil from the surface of the earth, the need for corrosion-resistant piping has increased, high pressure is being exerted on these duplex and super duplex steel pipes used in extraction. The harsh environments are extremely corrosive and if the damage is left unchecked, the pipes would easily burst and become unusable for deeper depths. This is why it is important to have robust pipes in the oil and gas industry.
Nuclear Power
Obtaining usable energy from atomic nuclei is no easy task. Nuclear reactors heat water to produce steam which is then used to spin turbines to produce energy most of these nuclear reactors are placed near the seacoast because they need to be cooled. The water used to cool down these reactors is obtained from the sea, and hence the pipe needs to be resistant to the corrosive nature of seawater. Stainless steel 316 pipes are the most corrosion resistant to seawater, hence used in the nuclear power industry.
LNG
LNG (liquefied natural gas) is gas that is temporarily converted into a liquid form for easy transportation. Its volume is greatly reduced to make it easier and cheaper to transport. In some cases, transporting natural gas via pipelines is not feasible or expensive, and hence it is transported in liquid form in cryogenic sea vessels and road tankers. Hence it becomes necessary to have a pipe that provides safe and economical transport to deliver natural gas to parts of the country or world that are difficult to reach.
Desalination
Desalination is the removal of salt and other minerals from a source of water. This is done to convert water into fresh water that is fit for human consumption or possibly irrigation. In the present times, desalination usually means an attempt to bring potable water to the parts of the world where it is difficult. Saltwater and metals usually do not easily mix, hence it is important to choose pipes which are resistant to corrosion to withstand the corrosive property of saltwater.
Mining and Minerals
Mining is the process of extracting minerals and metals from the earth. The materials are extracted since ancient times these metals include both precious and non-precious metals. Stainless steel has made it easier and more profitable to undertake mining operations on a larger scale. It is used in a variety of different applications to provide safety and reliability.
