The 9 best and most common types of pipes

We distinguish pipes by material, divided into cast iron pipes and other material pipes. 

The 4 best and most popular types of cast iron pipes

Grey cast iron

Grey cast iron's grey appearance is caused by graphite bits spread throughout its mass. Grey cast iron pipe has reduced tensile stamina as well as is weak. It has good machinability but is challenging to weld. Grey cast iron is made use of in applications such as building equipment calling for resonance wetting and put on resistance. 

White Cast Iron

White cast iron has no graphite bits in its mircostucture. It has a lot lower silicon web content than gray cast iron. With less silicon, the carbon in white cast iron changes to cementite or iron carbide (Fe3C). White cast iron display screens white fractured surface areas due to the visibility of an iron carbide speed up. It has inadequate machinability. 

Ductile Cast Iron

Ductile iron pipes are made by adding a closely regulated amount of magnesium to a molten iron of reduced phosphorous and reduced sulfur content. Addition of magnesium creates an amazing modification in the microstructure by creating the carbon in the iron to think a spheroidal or nodular form as opposed to the flake type of graphite in grey cast iron, as well as at the same time, creating a finer grained iron matrix in the surrounding ferrite structure. As a result of this impressive modification, a far more powerful, tougher, as well as ductile material is gotten. Because ductile cast iron has small spherical nodules of graphite in its microstructure, this creates it to be pliable. Ductile iron is similar to Gray cast iron in machinability however has remarkable mechanical properties. Ductile Iron is utilized for pipelines, shutoff bodies, pump and also compressor housings. 

Wrought Iron

Wrought Iron is pure iron low in carbon with a couple of percent of slag continuing to be in the form of iron silicate. Wrought iron locates application in pipes. 

The other 5 most popular materials of cast iron pipes

Plastic pipe

Plastic pipes including rubber and PVC pipes - for supplying water, acidic water and alkaline water. Hot water is not suitable for this purpose. These pipes are connected using threaded fittings or using solution connection sockets. Such pipes do not rust. They are light in weight. These pipes are easy to cut, bend and connect.

These types of pipes have good resistance to electric currents. They become useless at elevated temperatures. They also become useless when abraded by nails, etc.

Asbestos Cement Pipe

Asbestos pipe is made of asbestos, silica and cement, which is transformed into a dense and homogeneous material with considerable strength under pressure. Asbestos fibers are thoroughly mixed with cement and used as reinforcing material. This type of pipe is available in diameters of 4 to 36 inches and lengths of 13 feet. There are different grades of this pipe, with the strongest used to withstand internal pressures of up to 200 psi. Asbestos pipe is assembled by means of a special coupling device consisting of a pipe sleeve and two rubber rings that are pressed inside the pipe and the sleeve. This coupling is as resistant to corrosion as the pipe itself and is flexible enough to allow for deviations of up to 12° when laying the pipe on bends. The asbestos cement pipe is lightweight and does not require skilled labor to assemble.

Concrete Pipe

Most precast concrete pipes are reinforced. Reinforcement can be in the form of spirally wound steel wire or elliptical spreader bars. In large pipes, the reinforcement usually consists of two cylindrical cages. Precast concrete pipes are usually made by rapidly rotating the formwork around the pipe axis. For low heads, concrete pipes are usually connected with mortar-caulked bell-tie connections, but for high pressures, locking connections or some other special connections are required. For heads above 100 feet, a welded steel cylinder is usually cast into the pipe to ensure watertightness. Because precast concrete pipe is better controlled during fabrication, it is usually of higher quality and does not need to be as thick as cast-in-place pipe of the same size. 

Vitrified Clay Pipe

Terra cotta pipes are not often used as pressure pipes, but are widely used in sewer and drainage systems for partial depth flow. The main advantages of terra cotta pipe are its almost non-corrosive nature, its long service life and its smooth surface that provides high hydraulic efficiency. The use of clay pipes under pressure is often hampered by their low tension strength and the difficulty of ensuring watertight joints. The most common joints for ceramic clay pipe are bell and spigot flexible compression joints in which the precision mating surfaces are in close contact with each other. Rubber-sleeved joints held in place with corrosion-resistant steel straps are sometimes used for common end clay pipes... More often than not, however, the joints in this type of pipe are left open, allowing water to enter or exit the pipe. 

Copper pipe

Copper pipes are made of small diameters. Since copper does not rust, these pipes are durable. However, because copper is expensive, their use is limited. These types of pipes are usually used to transport hot water or steam. They do not bend or sag, even at high temperatures. Copper is a mild metal. Therefore, copper pipes bend easily. They are connected by flange joints and union joints.