subject: A Brief Overview Of Carbon Steel Pipe And Its Uses [print this page] A pipe is a widely used componentA pipe is a widely used component. It is defined as a tube that is made of either metals, plastic, or other materials, and is used to convey materials such as fluids, powders, gases, oil etc. While plastic pipes and tubes are widely used today, industrial and heavy duty applications mostly make use of metal pipes. Based on the ultimate use, there are many different types of metal pipes that can be sourced through distributors. Pipes are usually classified as carbon steel pipe, Alloy steel pipe and stainless steel pipe. Each of these serves a unique purpose.
The basics of carbon steel:
Carbon steel, as the name suggests comprises carbon as the main alloying component. The amount of carbon present in this alloy could go up to 1.2%. This type of steel often contains 1.5% of manganese, and negligible amounts of other elements such as chromium, nickel, molybdenum etc. As a general practice, if steel contains specified amounts of other alloying elements such as nickel, titanium, molybdenum, chromium etc, it is specifically referred to as alloy steel. However, if the steel doesnt comprise any specified amounts of these alloying materials, then it is considered to be carbon steel. This point should always be kept in mind while ordering steel pipes and tubing. High temperature services often make use of the ASME SA106 Grade B pipes that is a seamless steel pipe.
Benefits of adding carbon:
Carbon is known to increase the tensile strength of steel. This means that the lower the amount of carbon, the more ductile or malleable you can expect steel to be. On the contrary, increasing the amount of carbon would lead to a harder metal that cannot be easily bent. This hardness is usually achieved through a process called tempering. Tempering is the process of hardening the steel that includes three main steps. First the metal is heated to a particular temperature. Then, the desired temperature is maintained for a short period. Finally, the metal is rapidly cooled to achieve the required tensile strength.
Sourcing a carbon steel pipe :
If you need pipe or tubing made from carbon steel, you could source the desired types and quantities online through a reputable distributor. Such pipes are most typically used in the energy, fabrication, construction, manufacturing and processing industries. Always remember to purchase seamless steel pipe pipe from a distributor that stocks ASTM, ASME and API pipes.
Fulfilling your carbon steel pipe requirements from such a distributor would give you access to pipe and tube manufactured by the most reputable mills that adhere to industry codes. You can purchase both domestic and imported pipe and tubing from such distributors. The services of such a firm would be especially useful when you need to source a hard-to-find product range.
