Stainless steel pipes are no doubt the most used metallic pipes in the world. More than that, these pipes serve as a cheaper and more efficient alternative to copper, brass, and zinc. However, all is not rosy and stainless steel pipe does have its drawbacks. This article discusses some of the common stainless steel pipe problems you might come across when using this material:
Lack of corrosion resistance – The use of stainless steel pipe in industry generally consists of three types of alloys: stainless steel pipe with chromium-zinc alloy, stainless steel pipe with nickel-zinc alloy, and stainless steel pipe with cobalt-zinc alloy. They all exhibit good to excellent corrosion resistance. However, they are unable to withstand extremely high temperatures. To deal with this problem, manufacturers incorporate additives that help them better resist corrosion. Chromium-zinc alloy and nickel-zinc alloys are commonly used for this purpose.
Poor threading – One of the main advantages of stainless steel pipe is its excellent threading. Many different types of welded pipes are available, including seamless pipes, tapered and flat-stack welded pipes, and bent threads. Seamless pipes are usually pre-threaded, which means that they already have internal threads that help prevent leakage. Thus, many different kinds of welding processes can be used on this kind of pipe to get the best welds.
Low pressure – One of the most common disadvantages of using stainless steel pipe is its low pressure tolerance. Because of its very dense structure, pipe of this type experiences very low pressures. Commonly used applications include natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) lines. Some high voltage electric current lines that use stainless steel pipe also experience low pressure. A problem often experienced with this kind of pipe is that it tends to get clogged easily and can become damaged due to excessive exposure to the corrosive gas produced during welding.
Low efficiency – Since stainless steel pipe is a metal, its ability to resist corrosion is very good. However, since the pipe has so much carbon, nickel, and chromium added to it, its properties tend to break down over time. Most stainless steel pipe is made from steel alloy that has about 35 percent chromium, much less than the alloy used in stainless steel plate. The problem with corrosion resistance is that it depends on how the stainless steel pipe was made. If the pipe is not properly constructed, it may suffer from galvanic corrosion or its component surfaces might suffer from impurities.
High cost – Stainless steel pipes are also more expensive than their counterparts because they tend to be much stronger and much less susceptible to corrosion. The problem, however, is that they are still not corrosion-resistant. For instance, galvanized stainless steel pipes are not very corrosion resistant at all. The only way to improve its resistance is to add chromium to it. In this way, the pipes are much more corrosion resistant piping.
Higher strength – Like its stainless steel pipe cousins, stainless steel pipe tubing are generally quite a bit more difficult to work with and they have a significantly lower life span. This is because the pipe is made of two or more copper strands bonded together with reinforcing fiber. In addition, the tubing is generally much thicker, which gives it a tremendous thermal conductivity advantage. However, the disadvantage with tubing is that it is typically more expensive than comparable aluminum tubing.
Higher propensity to corrode – Stainless steel pipes suffer from another common problem with copper as well: corrosion. Copper and stainless steel pipe are particularly susceptible to corrosion because they have a higher content of chromium. Chromium occurs naturally in the environment when there is a high concentration of iron in the metal. The presence of nickel, on the other hand, causes corrosion of steel. Therefore, one of the major advantages of using stainless steel pipe, as compared to aluminum, is that it has a significantly higher propensity to corrode.
