Steel Pipe Coating Types

There are many industries that rely on pipes for fluid transfer, including potable water supplies, HVAC systems, petrochemical refineries, pipelines, irrigation, and more. Typically these pipes will be protected by various steel pipe coating types to slow down the rate of wear and tear the pipe and prevent damage such as corrosion.

Pipe coatings are designed to prevent direct contact between pipes and the fluids they transport. Some of these pipe coating types include galvanized, polyethylene coating, fusion bonded epoxy coating and concrete coating. Each has its own advantages and limitations that can affect plumbing quality and functionality.

In this passage, we will know the description, features and applications of various types of steel pipe coatings.

Galvanizing

Galvanizing is one of the most popular methods of steel pipe coating. There are many ways of galvanizing, but the most popular type is hot dip galvanizing or pre galvanizing. The metallurgical reaction formed by the steel pipe alloy and the zinc creates a finish on the the metal surface that gives the pipe unprecedented corrosion resistance properties. Another advantage of galvanizing is cost effectiveness, because the process is simple and doesn’t require too much secondary operations and post-processing, it has been the first choice for many manufacturers and industries.

Two Layer/ Three Layer Polyethylene Coating (2LPE/3LPE Coating)

Polyethylene coating is mainly used in situations involving extreme environmental conditions, such as oil and gas, petrochemical plants, water transportation, etc. Polyethylene coating can give pipe a higher resistance to shear, corrosion, impact and cathodic disbondment.

Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coating (FBE Coating)

Fusion bonded epoxy coating is used for preventing steel pipes from corrosion and harmful chemicals. These are thin coatings of epoxy-resin powder materials formed in a film and applied on pipes byspecialized coating facilities by electrostatic spraying.

FBE Coating has been used as a standard in industries for protection against corrosion, which can be used in pipeline projects that have normal requirements and do not have harsh conditions.

Concrete Coating

Concrete Weight Coating are generally used in the construction of marine pipelines, especially in the transportation of marine crude oil. Due to the buoyancy of the steel pipe, the depth of the steel pipe dive is very limited, which cannot meet the actual use requirements. Adding the weight of the concrete layer to the outer layer of the steel pipe can greatly increase the weight of the steel pipe itself, and solve the problem of insufficient depth of the steel pipe. It can also play a good role in protecting the outer surface of the steel pipe.

Each coating type has advantages and disadvantages in terms of performance and application. You can choose the most suitable pipe coating according to the required service environment.