JFE Steel to Launch Large Diameter, Thin Wall Seamless Pipe

JFE Steel announced on Tuesday the firm launches production and sales of large diameter thin wall seamless specialty pipe with 18 inches or more outer diameter and 30 millimeters or less thick. The firm tries to follow growing demand in gas turbine combined cycle power plants and petroleum refineries through the new item.

Seamless pipe is used for piping between boiler and steam turbine of power plant and high temperature and high pressure steam and oil piping of petrochemical plant. The pipe gets larger and high strength grade alloy with thinner wall for cost reduction when the plant gets larger and needs better efficiency.

Combined cycle power plant construction increases in the world power industry due to the better energy efficiency and lower carbon dioxide emission. Pipe makers tries to develop light thinner wall pipe for main steam piping, connecting piping and header pipe when combined cycle power plant needs lighter pipe than thermal power plant. Petrochemical plant also needs thinner pipe for lower cost.

JFE Steel developed the new pipe. The firm makes seamless pipe with 16 inches diameter and with higher strength under high temperature by adding chrome. The process is to expand the pipe to 18-30 inches with 9-30 mm thick. The firm makes the mother pipe at Chita plant and ships to the partner of SungKwang Bend in Busan, South Korea. The partner, which introduces an expanding machine and heat treatment facility, expands the pipe and ships back to Chita. Chita plant ships the products after the final inspection of the quality. JFE Steel provides the heat treatment technology to the partner.

JFE Steel tries to meet the growing demand for large diameter thin wall pipe when construction and expansion increases for combined cycle power plant and petrochemical plant in the world.