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DEFINITION OF PIPES
Pipe is a hollow tube with round cross section for the conveyance of products. The products include fluids, gas,
pellets, powders and more. The word pipe is used as distinguished from tube to apply to tubular products of
dimensions commonly used for pipeline and piping systems. On this website, pipes conforming to the
dimensional requirements of: ASME B36.10 Welded and Seamless Wrought Steel Pipe and ASME B36.19
Stainless Steel Pipe will be discussed.
PIPE OR TUBE?
In the world of piping, the terms pipe and tube will be used. Pipe is customarily identified by "Nominal Pipe Size" (NPS),
with wall thickness defined by "Schedule number" (SCH). Tube is customarily specified by its outside diameter (O.D.)
and wall thickness (WT), expressed either in Birmingham wire gage (BWG) or in thousandths of an inch. Pipe: NPS 1/2SCH 40 is even to outside diameter 21,3 mm with a wall thickness of 2,77 mm.
Tube: 1/2" x 1,5 is even to outside diameter 12,7 mm with a wall thickness of 1,5 mm.
The principal uses for tube are in Heat Exchangers, instrument lines and small interconnections on
equipment such as compressors, boilers etc..
For example, a carbon steel pipe can be internally lined with material able to withstand chemical attack permits
its use to carry corrosive fluids. Linings (Teflon, for example) can be applied after fabricating the piping, so it is
possible to fabricate whole pipe spools before lining.
Other internal layers can be: glass, various plastics, concrete etc., also coatings, like Epoxy, Bituminous
Asphalt, Zink etc. can help to protect the inner pipe. Many things are important in determining the right material.
The most important of these are pressure, temperature, product type, dimensions, costs etc..
NOMINAL PIPE SIZE
Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) is a North American set of standard sizes for pipes used for high or low pressures and
temperatures. The name NPS is based on the earlier "Iron Pipe Size" (IPS) system.
That IPS system was established to designate the pipe size. The size represented the approximate inside
diameter of the pipe in inches. An IPS 6" pipe is one whose inside diameter is approximately 6 inches. Users started
to call the pipe as 2inch, 4inch, 6inch pipe and so on. To begin, each pipe size was produced to have one
thickness, which later was termed as standard (STD) or standard weight (STD.WT.). The outside diameter of the
pipe was standardized.
As the industrial requirements handling higher pressure fluids, pipes were manufactured with thicker walls,
which has become known as an extra strong (XS) or extra heavy (XH). The higher pressure requirements
increased further, with thicker wall pipes. Accordingly, pipes were made with double extra strong (XXS) or double
extra heavy (XXH) walls, while the standardized outside diameters are unchanged. Note that on this website only
terms XS and XXS are used.
PIPE SCHEDULE
So, at the IPS time only three walltickness were in use. In March 1927, the American Standards Association
surveyed industry and created a system that designated wall thicknesses based on smaller steps between sizes.
The designation known as nominal pipe size replaced iron pipe size, and the term schedule (SCH) was invented
to specify the nominal wall thickness of pipe. By adding schedule numbers to the IPS standards, today we know a
range of wall thicknesses, namely:
SCH 5, 5S, 10, 10S, 20, 30, 40, 40S, 60, 80, 80S, 100, 120, 140, 160, STD, XS and XXS.
Nominal pipe size (NPS) is a dimensionless designator of pipe size. It indicates standard pipe size when
followed by the specific size designation number without an inch symbol. For example, NPS 6 indicates a pipe
whose outside diameter is 168.3 mm.
The NPS is very loosely related to the inside diameter in inches, and NPS 12 and smaller pipe has outside diameter
greater than the size designator. For NPS 14 and larger, the NPS is equal to 14inch.
For a given NPS, the outside diameter stays constant and the wall thickness increases with larger schedule
number. The inside diameter will depend upon the pipe wall thickness specified by the schedule number.
Summary:
Pipe size is specified with two non-dimensional numbers,
nominal pipe size (NPS)
schedule number (SCH)
and the relationship between these numbers determine the inside diameter of a pipe.
Stainless Steel Pipe dimensions determined by ASME B36.19 covering the outside diameter and the Schedule
wall thickness. Note that stainless wall thicknesses to ASME B36.19 all have an "S" suffix. Sizes without an "S"
suffix are to ASME B36.10 which is intended for carbon steel pipes.
The International Standards Organization (ISO) also employs a system with a dimensionless designator.
Diameter nominal (DN) is used in the metric unit system. It indicates standard pipe size when followed by the
specific size designation number without a millimeter symbol. For example, DN 80 is the equivalent designation of
NPS 3. Below a table with equivalents for NPS and DN pipe sizes.
NPS 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4
DN 15 20 25 32 40 50 65 80 90 100
Note: For NPS 4, the related DN = 25 multiplied by the NPS number.
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EXAMPLES INSIDE/OUTSIDE ACTUAL
Actual outside diameters
Pipe manufacturing refers to how the individual pieces of pipe are made in a pipe mill; it does not refer to how the
pieces are connected in the field to form a continuous pipeline. Each piece of pipe produced by a pipe mill is
called a joint or a length (regardless of its measured length). In some cases, pipe is shipped to the pipeline
construction site as "double joints", where two pieces of pipe are pre-welded together to save time. Most of the
pipe used for oil and gas pipelines is seamless or longitudinally welded, although spirally welded pipe is common
for larger diameters.
Steel Pipes are manufactured in 4 versions:
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Seamless
Welded Pipes
Welded pipe (pipe manufactured with a weld) is a tubular product made out of flat plates, known as skelp, that are
formed, bent and prepared for welding. The most popular process for large diameter pipe uses a longitudinal seam
weld.
Spiral welded pipe is an alternative process, spiral weld construction allows large diameter pipe to be
produced from narrower plates or skelp. The defects that occur in spiral welded pipe are mainly those associated
with the SAW weld, and are similar in nature to those for longitudinally welded SAW pipe.
Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) and High Frequency Induction (HFI) Welded Pipe, originally this type of
pipe, which contains a solid phase butt weld, was produced using resistance heating to make the longitudinal weld
(ERW). But most pipe mills now use high frequency induction heating (HFI) for better control and consistency.
However, the product is still often referred to as ERW pipe, even though the weld may have been produced by the
HFI process.
Seamless Pipe Plug Mill Process
This process is used to make larger sizes of seamless pipe, typically 6 to 16 inches (150 to 400 mm) diameter. An
ingot of steel weighing up to two tons is heated to 2,370F (1,300C) and pierced. The hole in the hollow shell is
enlarged on a rotary elongator, resulting in a short thick-walled tube known as a bloom. An internal plug
approximately the same diameter as the finished diameter of the pipe is then forced through the bloom. The bloom
containing the plug is then passed between the rolls of the plug mill. Rotation of the
rolls reduces the wall thickness. The tube is rotated through 90 for each pass through the plug mill to ensure
roundness. The tube is then passed through a reeling mill and reducing mill to even out the wall thickness and
produce the finished dimensions. The tube is then cut to length before heat treatment, final straightening,
inspection, and hydrostatic testing.
Seamless Pipe Mandrell Mill Process
This process is used to make smaller sizes of seamless pipe, typically 1 to 6 inches (25 to 150 mm) diameter.
The ingot of steel is heated to 2,370F (1,300C) and pierced. A mandrel is inserted into the tube and the
assembly is passed through a rolling (mandrel) mill. Unlike the plug mill, the mandrel mill reduces wall thickness
continuously with a series of pairs of curved rollers set at 90 angles to each other. After reheating, the pipe is
passed through a multi-stand stretch-reducing mill to reduce the diameter to the finished diameter. The pipe is
then cut to length before heat treatment, final straightening, inspection, and hydrostatic testing.
Seamless Pipe Extrusion Process
This process is used for small diameter tubes only. The bar stock is cut to length and heated to 2,280F (1,250C)
before being sized and descaled. The billet is then extruded through a steel die. After extrusion, the final tube
dimensions and surface quality are obtained with a multi-stand reducing mill.
Electric Resistance Welded (ERW) and High Frequency Induction (HFI) Welded Pipe
Originally this type of pipe, which contains a solid phase butt weld, was produced using resistance heating to make
the longitudinal weld (ERW), but most pipe mills now use high frequency induction heating (HFI) for better control
and consistency. However, the product is still often referred to as ERW pipe, even though the weld may have been
produced by the HFI process.
The defects that can occur in ERW/HFI pipe are those associated with strip production, such as laminations
and defects at the narrow weld line. Lack of fusion due to insufficient heat and pressure is the principal
defect, although hook cracks can also form due to realignment of non metallic inclusions at the weld
interface. Because the weld line is not visible after trimming, and the nature of the solid phase welding
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process, considerable lengths of weld with poor fusion can be produced if the welding parameters fall outside the
set limits. In addition, early ERW pipe was subject to pressure reversals, a problem that results in failure in service
at a lower stress than that seen in the pre-service pressure test. This problem is caused by crack growth during the
pressure test hold period, which in the case of early ERW pipe was due to a combination of low weld line toughness
and lack of fusion defects.
ENDS OF PIPES
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The TE implementation speaks for itself, this performance will generally used for small diameters pipe systems, and
the connections will be made with threaded flanges and threaded fittings.
The BE implementation is applied to all diameters of buttweld flanges or buttweld fittings, and will be directly
welded (with a small gap 3-4 mm) to each other or to the pipe. Ends are mostly be beveled to angle 30
(+ 5 / -0) with a root face of 1.6 mm ( 0.8 mm).
STEEL PIPES MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
Introduction
The advent of rolling mill technology and its development during the first half of the nineteenth century also
heralded in the industrial manufacture of tube and pipe. Initially, rolled strips of sheet were formed into a circular
cross section by funnel arrangements or rolls, and then butt or lap welded in the same heat (forge welding
process).
Toward the end of the century, various processes became available for the manufacture of seamless tube and
pipe, with production volumes rapidly increasing over a relatively short period. In spite of the application of other
welding processes, the ongoing development and further improvement of the seamless techniques led to welded
tube being almost completely pushed out of the market, with the result that seamless tube and pipe dominated
until the Second World War.
During the subsequent period, the results of research into welding technology led to an upturn in the fortunes of the
welded tube, with burgeoning development work ensuing and wide propagation of numerous tube welding
processes. Currently, around two thirds of steel tube production in the world are accounted for by welding
processes. Of this figure, however, about one quarter takes the form of so-called large-diameter line pipe in size
ranges outside those which are economically viable in seamless tube and pipe manufacturing.
Seamless Tube and Pipe
The main seamless tube manufacturing processes came into being toward the end of the nineteenth century. As
patent and proprietary rights expired, the various parallel developments initially pursued became less distinct and
their individual forming stages were merged into new processes. Today, the state of the art has developed to the
point where preference is given to the following modern high-performance processes:
The continuous mandrel rolling process and the push bench process in the size range from approx. 21 to
178 mm outside diameter.
The multi-stand plug mill (MPM) with controlled (constrained) floating mandrel bar and the plug mill process in the
size range from approx. 140 to 406 mm outside diameter.
The cross roll piercing and pilger rolling process in the size range from approx. 250 to 660 mm outside
diameter.
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* Note: Processes marked by an asterisk are conducted specification and/or customer requirements
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submerged-arc welding process has gained a position of pre-eminence for the welding of line pipe of diameters
upward of approx. 500 mm.
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Electric Weld Pipe Mill
Steel strip in coil, which has been slit into the required width from wide strip, is shaped by a series of forming rolls
into a multiple length shell. The longitudinal edges are continously joined by high frequency resistance/induction
welding.
The weld of multiple length shell is then head treated electrically, sized and cut to specified lengths by a flying
cut-off machine. The cut pipe is straightened and squared at both ends.
These operations are followed by ultrasonic inspection or hydrostatic testing.
PIPES MATERIALS
ASTM Grades
Dimensions from carbon steel pipes are defined in the ASME B36.10 standard, dimensions for stainless steel pipe
are defined in the ASME B36.19 standard. The material qualities for these pipes are defined in the ASTM
standards.
These ASTM standards, define the specific manufacturing process of the material and determine the exact
chemical composition of pipes, fittings and flanges, through percentages of the permitted quantities of
carbon, magnesium, nickel, etc., and are indicated by "Grade".
For example, a carbon steel pipe can be identified with Grade A or B, a stainless-steel pipe with Grade TP304 or
Grade TP321 etc..
Below you will find as an example a table with chemical requirements for fittings ASTM A403 Grade WP304,
WP304L, WP316L and a table with frequent Grades, arranged on pipe and pipe-components, which belong
together
As you may be have noted, in the table below, ASTM A105 has no Grade. Sometimes ASTM A105N is described; "N"
stands not for Grade, but for normalized. Normalizing is a type of heat treatment, applicable to ferrous metals only. The
11
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purpose of normalizing is to remove the internal stresses induced by heat treating, casting, forming etc..
Chemical requirements composition, %
Grade F304 (A) Grade F304L (A) Grade F316L (A-B)
Carbon, max
0.08
0.035
0.035
Manganese, max
2.00
2.00
2.00
Phosphorus, max
0.045
0.045
0.045
Sulfur, max
0.030
0.030
0.030
Silicon, max
1.00
1.00
1.00
Nickel
8 - 11
8 - 13
10 - 15
Chrome
18 - 20
18 - 20
16 - 18
Molybdenum
2.00-3.00
(A) Carbon 0.040% max. is necessary where many drawing passes are required, as with outside diameter
<0.5 inch (12.7 mm), or nominal wall thickness <0.049 inch (1.2 mm).
Pipes
Fittings
Flanges
Valves
A106 Gr A
A234 Gr WPA
A105
A216 Gr WCB
A234 Gr WPB
A105
A106 Gr C
A234 Gr WPC
A105
A216 Gr WCB
A335 Gr P1
A234 Gr WP1
A182 Gr F1
A217 Gr WC1
A335 Gr P11
A234 Gr WP11
A182 Gr F11
A217 Gr WC6
A335 Gr P12
A234 Gr WP12
A182 Gr F12
A217 Gr WC6
A193 Gr B7
A335 Gr P22
A234 Gr WP22
A182 Gr F22
A217 Gr WC9
A194 Gr 2H
A335 Gr P5
A234 Gr WP5
A182 Gr F5
A217 Gr C5
A335 Gr P9
A234 Gr WP9
A182 Gr F9
A217 Gr C12
A420 Gr WPL6
A350 Gr LF2
A352 Gr LCB
A420 Gr WPL3
A350 Gr LF3
A352 Gr LC3
Carbon Steel
Alloy
High-Temp
Austenitic
Stainless
Steel
12
A333 Gr 3
A320 Gr L7
A194 Gr 7
A193 Gr B8
A194 Gr 8
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ASTM Materials Pipes
A106 = This specification covers carbon steel pipe for high-temperature service.
A335 = This specification covers seamless ferritic alloy-steel pipe for high-temperature service.
A333 = This specification covers wall seamless and welded carbon and alloy steel pipe intended for use at
low temperatures.
A312 = Standard specification for seamless, straight-seam welded, and cold worked welded
austenitic stainless steel pipe intended for high-temperature and general corrosive service.
Fittings
A234 = This specification covers wrought carbon steel and alloy steel fittings of seamless and
welded construction.
A420 = Standard specification for piping fittings of wrought carbon steel and alloy steel for lowtemperature service.
A403 = Standard specification for wrought austenitic stainless steel piping fittings.
Flanges
A105 = This specification covers standards for forged carbon steel piping components, that is,
flanges, fittings, Valves, and similar parts, for use in pressure systems at ambient and highertemperature service conditions.
A182 = This specification covers forged or rolled alloy and stainless steel pipe flanges, forged
fittings, and Valves and parts for high-temperature service.
A350 = This specification covers several grades of carbon and low alloy steel forged or ring-rolled
flanges, forged fittings and Valves for low-temperature service.
Valves
A216 = This specification covers carbon steel castings for Valves, flanges, fittings, or other pressurecontaining parts for high-temperature service and of quality suitable for assembly with other castings or
wrought-steel parts by fusion welding.
A217 = This specification covers steel castings, martensitic stainless steel and alloys steel castings for
Valves, flanges, fittings, and other pressure-containing parts intended primarily for high- temperature and
corrosive service.
A352 = This specification covers steel castings for Valves, flanges, fittings, and other pressurecontaining parts intended primarily for low-temperature service.
A182 = This specification covers forged or rolled alloy and stainless steel pipe flanges, forged
fittings, and Valves and parts for high-temperature service.
A193 = This specification covers alloy and stainless steel bolting material for pressure vessels, Valves,
flanges, and fittings for high temperature or high pressure service, or other special purpose applications.
A320 = Standard Specification for Alloy-Steel and Stainless Steel Bolting Materials for LowTemperature Service.
A194 = Standard specification for nuts in many different material types
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