Three Important Uses for Line Pipe

Line pipe is used in various situations where a non-solid material (i.e. gas or liquid) is transported over a large distance. As a type of steel pipe, it is utilized across a number of various industries. From water and sewage to oil and gas, even mineral slurry; pipelines are essential for a wide range of resources we consume any given day of the week.

Water & Sewage:
Water and sewage pipelines are imperative for administering a hygienic and sterile water supply which includes impeding the spread of viruses and diseases. In order to avoid being structurally compromised, water and sewage pipelines must be able to defy both internal and external forces. These forces may consist of internal stress from water pressure, external stress from the surrounding geographical features and even corrosion. Typically, this type of line pipe used to move a flow of fresh water.  

Oil & Gas:
Perhaps the most evident use for line pipe is in the oil and natural gas industry. Subject to transport large volumes of natural resources, certain types of pipelines are entrusted to fulfill a certain purpose. In the oil and natural gas industries, stretches of line pipe are referred to as gathering lines. This type of line pipe moves oil and gas from where it uncovered to a larger pipeline or even a storage facility. Natural gas producers also use another version of line pipe called “trunk lines.” Generally a steel pipe larger in diameter, trunks lines haul large volumes of natural gas through what is called a transmission pipeline system.

Mineral Slurry:
Seamless or welded line pipe is generally the type of steel pipe utilized by the mining industry due to its versatile nature. More often than not the application will determine the type of line pipe used. Internal pipe coatings are also determined by the project in which they will be used for. Along with transporting mineral slurry, these pipelines are utilized to carry treated and untreated water for urban water supply systems.

Conclusion:
There are a number of various daily applications for line pipe that go unnoticed by the general population. These variations are line pipe are considered to be instrumental in providing valuable resources necessary to continue on with everyday life.

Galvanized Steel Sheet Corrosion

               Depending on the applications, steel sheet will need to have an extra layer of protection to help defend corrosion that naturally occurs over time. In order for manufactures and distributors of steel products to ensure the material they are using in their projects will last, the steel is often galvanized. Galvanization is done via a hot dipping method, coating the product in a layer of Zinc.  While the protective coating is designed to further safe-guard the steel sheet’s future, corrosion is a process that is hard to fully avoid. galvanized steel sheet is still susceptible to corroding – whether that be because of natural, chemical or electrochemical conditions.

                The degree and speed of a steel product’s corrosion depends on a few factors – though in the majority of cases will gradually occur overtime.  The type of steel, the thickness of protective Zinc on the steel sheet, and the product’s environment all play major roles in steel sheet corrosion.

Natural Corrosion

              Galvanized steel sheet that has is exposed to the atmosphere and rainwater is likely to corrode overtime. The product develops a natural carbonate on it that becomes brittle and will eventually crack and split. The split exposes a new layer of zinc that will corrode, and it can even corrode enough to expose the base layer of steel to the atmosphere and its elements. 

Chemical Corrosion

               Steel sheet that has been galvanized has the ability to resist corrosion from a number of chemicals it comes into contact with including concrete, lead, tin and aluminum. However there are some chemicals that will reduce the products’ protection to corrosion: plaster and cement with chlorides and sulfates, acidic rainwater runoff, zinc plate condensation, moss, lichen, and pooled water on the exterior of the zinc coating.

Electrochemical Corrosion

              Certain electrolytes that come into contact with the zinc layer on galvanized steel sheet can cause an electrolytic reaction.  Some electrolytes that could have an effect include rain, fog, condensation and dew. In order to avoid the reaction, prevent contact between the galvanized steel sheet and electrolytes as much as possible. Another solution is applying paint to the galvanized product to thwart corrosion of the coating of zinc.

Three Types of Steel Tubing

Steel tubing has a wide variety of applications and is used all over the world. Its versatility means that steel tube suppliers stock various different sizes and types to meet the many different needs of their customers. 

Some of the applications of steel tube include structural support, automotive parts, plumbing purposes, and transportation of gas and oil – it can be cut to specific lengths a customer requires for their project. There are three common types of steel, carbon, alloy and stainless, used by suppliers to manufacture tubing before it is distributed. There are several known advantages and disadvantages to each that will be presented in this article allowing steel tube operators to make the most informed decision when purchasing steel tube from suppliers. 

Steel Tubes

All steel is made with carbon and iron, how much carbon and alloy is used determines the classification. Most suppliers should, at least, offer the following three materials for their seam or seamless steel tubes.

Carbon Steel Tubes

Steel tube operators usually turn to carbon as an affordable option for many different applications because it is offered in a range of sizes and wall thicknesses – making it easy to find the perfect option for almost any project. In most cases, carbon is a less expensive material than other common materials, including alloy and stainless steel. There are three types of carbon steel tube available for purchase including low carbon steel (the largest class of carbon steel also referred to as mild steel), medium carbon steel and high carbon steel.

Rolled Steel Products

 Alloy Steel Tube

Alloy steel is manufactured by taking carbon steel and adding various elements, including manganese, nickel, copper and aluminum, to it. The addition of these and other elements in various amounts changes the properties of the carbon to create a product with features that carbon steel lacks, like increased hardness or resistance to corrosion for example.To bring out the properties of alloy steel, including weld ability and form ability, treatment with heat is required. 

 Operators who are not satisfied with a few of carbon’s drawback usually turn to steel tube suppliers for alloy tubing that will be more suitable for their projects. Alloy steel is commonly used for tubing more likely to be exposed to more extreme environments and harsher weather conditions.

Steel Pipe

Stainless Steel Tube

Probably the most common type of tubing found from steel tube suppliers is stainless steel. It has been alloyed to withstand corrosion and rust, making it the preferred choice for most projects requiring steel tubing. The final product is extremely durable and able to withstand even the harshest conditions, with very low chances of ever rusting. It is also a popular choice because it is recyclable – making stainless steel an earth-friendly option. Because of the multiple different lengths and diameters available, stainless steel tubing can usually be found from suppliers in three different shapes: round, square and rectangular. It is an extremely versatile product used in a wide range of industries including marine, gas and oil transportation, construction, biotech and automotive.

Steel pipe suppliers feeling effects of long winter

At least one steel pipe supplier is seeing negative effects from a long and harsh winter. Earnings in the second quarter of the fiscal year dropped and the spread between the selling prices of products and the cost of raw material narrowed. The decline in business can be attributed to winter conditions that stalled the production and the shipment of steel products.

 

Delayed production and problems with on-time delivery weren’t the only factors effecting steel pipe suppliers. They also had to deal with higher conversion costs and a much smaller spread between how much raw material costs and how much they were being sold for. Dealing with snow removal and additional heating costs for a prolonged winter can also add up.  The polar vortex of 2013/2014 that gripped most of the nation led to some preparation by manufactures and suppliers for this year’s winter, but in most cases everything is up to Mother Nature and the main focus turns to everyone’s safety in rough conditions.

                                                                                 

Luckily as the nation begins to thaw out and summer is within reach, companies effected by the cold are expecting a significant turnaround in the last six months of the fiscal year. The summer season creates a surge in demand for steel pipe and other steel products meaning most suppliers will be able to recover. However, to fully improve financial standings costs may need to be cut and facilities may need to be consolidated or closed. Operational volume may also need to be increased in order to achieve lower product costs.

As the industry approaches its peak season, it is important for suppliers and manufacturers to go back and review any policy and procedures in place for continuing operations during winter months, including the safety of those manufacturing the products and delivering them. Any adjustments should be made to ensure that customers’ needs are met efficiently, and with caution. Just because steel suppliers can’t control the weather doesn’t mean they can’t effectively prepare for it.

Things Know about Tubular Goods

A group of seamless rolled products consisting of drill pipe, casing and tubing subjected to loading conditions according to a specific application is called tubular goods. A drill pipe is nothing but a heavy seamless tube that rotates the drill bit in order to circulate the drilling fluid. Segments of pipe that are almost 30 ft. long are coupled with tool joints to make it. Drill pipe is also simultaneously subjected to high torque by drilling, axial tension, and internal pressure by exclusion of drilling fluid. Casing pipe is subject to axial tension, internal pressure and it helps line the borehole. Casing is exposed to axial tension and internal pressure by pumped oil or gas emulsion. Tubing is pipe through which the oil or gas is transported. Sometimes, alternating bending loads are superimposed on these basic loading patterns. 

 Corrosion resistance is a very vital Tubular Goods characteristic, especially for casing and tubing under sour service conditions. A typical manufacturing process for above goods includes continuous mandrel-rolling process, push bench process, plug mill rolling, cross-roll piercing and pilger rolling. Most of these processes usually do not allow thermomechanical processing customary for the products used for welded pipe. Hence, high-strength seamless pipe has to be produced. This is usually done by increasing the alloy content and with a suitable heat treatment like quench or tempering. 

Chromium and Manganese are the major alloys used to produce good hard enable steel. Good harden ability is required to ensure large pipe wall thickness which is a fundamental requirement of any micro structure. Though the requirement of good sulphide stress cracking resistance limits the use of Manganese and Chromium, they are still used for their advantages. Manganese does tend to segregate during continuous casting and can reduce hydrogen induced cracking resistance. Higher levels of Chromium can lead to formation of chromium carbide precipitates with coarse plate-shaped morphology, which in turn collect hydrogen and initiate cracks. 

The limitations faced by use of Manganese and Chromium can be overcome by using Molybdenum which is much stronger and a better hardener. In the recent past, due to deep well drilling and reservoirs containing contaminants that cause corrosive attack, there is a demand for higher strength materials that can be resistant to hydrogen embrittlement and sulphide stress cracking.

Types of Pipe Piling

               Pipe piling is used transfer the loads of structures from shallow, weak soils unable to support such a heavy foundation to stronger layers that are found deeper underground. Pipe piling is driven into the ground either open ended or closed ended. If it is open ended, soil is able to enter the tube or it is filled with concrete to provide additional support or capacity to the structural foundation. There are several materials available that are used to manufacture pipe piling including: Steel, timber and concrete. Each are equipped with various advantages and disadvantages, and deciding which to use relies mainly on the intended project for the product. Knowing some basic information and which benefits these different materials presents to consumers makes it much easier to choose the product specific to their needs.

Steel

               Steel is a popular choice for pipe piling application because of the many advantages it provides to consumers. One main advantage is that steel pipe piling come in a wide variety of sizes while pipe piling made of material like timber which is usually manufacture in shorter lengths. Steel is a widely-used choice because of its sustainability in hard-driving projects, and it is also easier to drive than other materials – especially through harder soils. Another benefits includes a minor displacement of the soil when steel in the chosen material. While there are a lot of advantages to steel, there also some downfalls. It can be costly and it tends to corrode. It also can present more challenges during delivery and is much louder to drive than a material like timber.

Timber

               Timber piles are constructed of wood, and due to the material wide availability piles made of timber are usually not as expensive as other material like steel or concrete. While the cost of timber piles is definitely an advantage to those utilizing the product, some timber piles – depending on the type of wood used and the source – may not be the most suitable choice for heavier loads. Other advantages to choosing timber include that it is easy to handle and made of wood – a material that doesn’t corrode. Also, in most cases timber pipe piling is resistant to decayed if it is fully driven into the ground but it may require treatment beforehand to prevent damage from decay and insects, which can be a disadvantage to some. Another disadvantage is timber piles are more likely to be damaged during driving.  

Concrete

               Lastly, concrete pipe piling is another available choice. Some positive aspects of choosing concrete are that it is relatively inexpensive and resistant to corrosion – unless utilized in marine applications. It is also a good choice because the length of concrete pipe piling can be easily adjusted to match customers’ specifications and it as a low level of noise as it is driven into the ground. However, on the flip side concrete does have some disadvantages to the consumer. It is hard to handle and transport, and splicing concrete can be a real problem.