difference between pipe and tube

Pipe

a. Specified by NB

b. Thickness mentioned by Sch

c. No size limitation

A pipe is a cylindrical conduit and can either be round or of round cross section designed to transport fluids and or gases comprising of metals, and plastics among others. They are widely used in plumbing, construction, manufacturing and the generation of energy among other uses.

Characteristics of Pipes:

1. Cylindrical Shape: Pipes are circular in cross-section but can be of other shapes where necessary.
2. Standardized Dimensions: Standard dimension of many pipes are based on external diameter (OD), thickness and most pipe manufacturers stock their products according to industry wide recognized dimensions.
3. Materials: Covers can also be manufactured using a variety of material types such as metal (steel, copper or aluminium), plastics (PVC or CPVC) or composite material.
4. Wall Thickness: Wall thickness of a pipe maybe in various thickness, whereby pipe with thicker walls are more suitable for use where more strength and durability is required.
5. End Connections: Piping system usually have threaded or welded connection at the end used for joining the pipes and joining them with other system like fittings, valves flangers e.tc.
6. Coatings: For the purpose of protection from environmental conditions the pipes may be painted with paint, enamel or even some anti-corrosive coating as per the need of its application.

Uses of Pipes:

1. Fluid Transportation: Pipes are commonly used to transport various fluids, including water, oil, natural gas, chemicals, and sewage. Different materials and coatings are chosen based on the specific fluid being conveyed.
2. Plumbing: In residential, commercial, and industrial buildings, pipes are used for plumbing systems to supply clean water, remove wastewater, and provide gas distribution.
3. Structural Support: Pipes can be used as structural components in buildings and infrastructure, such as handrails, scaffolding, and support columns.
4. Energy Production: In power plants and energy facilities, pipes transport steam, coolant, and fuel for electricity generation and other energy-related processes.
5. Industrial Processes: Pipes are integral to various industrial processes, including manufacturing, petrochemical production, and chemical processing.
6. Heating and Cooling: Pipes are used in HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems to distribute hot or cold air or fluid for temperature control.
7. Transportation: In the automotive and aerospace industries, pipes are used for fuel and hydraulic fluid transport in vehicles and aircraft.
8. Mining and Construction: Pipes are used in mining operations and construction sites for applications such as dewatering and slurry transport.

These pipes can be of a vast scale, can be made of different materials and may be designed to have different structures that may be expected of different areas of use. The various types of pipes, and their selection as well as installation plays a major role in the provision of safety as well as efficiency in the transfer of the fluids and gases through out a given environment.

Tube

a. Specified by OD

b. Thickness mentioned by BWG (Birmingham wire gauge)

c. Size limitation exists

Pipe is a cylindrical body mainly of metal or plastic and the forms of tubes are round, square, rectangular, oval etc. Tubes are used in a broad spectrum of processes in different kinds of industries.

Characteristics of Tubes:

1. Shape: Tubes can be of various cross-sectional profiles, but the circular cross-sectioned tubes are the standard ones. There are also square, rectangular and oval tubes which are employed where they are required.
2. Precise Dimensions: Containing or holding fluids, gases or slurries; Tubes can be made to precise specification with high tolerance and accuracy and thus can be employed in applications that require high level of accuracy.
3. Materials: Many types of material may be employed in the construction of tubes including metals such as steel, aluminum and copper; plastics such as PVC and acrylic and composite materials.
4. Wall Thickness: The thickness of walls of a tube is flexible because tubes can be made in such a way to suit a certain need.
5. End Finishing: Tubes can be classified according to the kind of end finishes that they can possess and they include; Cut ends, Beveled edges, and Flared edges.
6. Surface Finish: The outer surface of tubes can be treated by applying various coatings or through polishing or any type of finishing to provided better looks and quality.
7. Joining Methods: By welding, brazing, soldering or pinning, tubes can be fashioned where they can interconnect in a form of many tubes or interact with other constructional features.

Uses of Tubes:

1. structural Applications: Tubes are very preferential as members in buildings, bridges, and other constructional work. Squares and rectangle are favorite shapes are used with tubes and pipes in constructions sites.
2. Mechanical and Automotive Components: It is applied in the construction of automobile and airplane mechanical accessories, frames, roll cages as well as automobile exhaust systems.
3. Heat Exchangers: Tubes constitute a part of heat exchangers in heating, cooling, and transferring heat within several processes in industries.
4. Furniture and Decor: This is because tubes are flexible in terms of shape and design therefore they are used to fabricate furniture frames, stairs hand rails, and other decorations.
5. Piping and Tubing Systems: Tubes are used in mostly the same way as pipes but the difference between them is in dimensions, tubes are more accurate.
6. Electrical Conduits: In electrical systems it has been used as protective casing for electrical tubes and cables.
7. Hydraulic Systems: Tubes are used in hydraulic systems for conveying the hydraulic fluid to equipments and machines that are to be powered.
8. Instrumentation and Control Systems: Tubes in instrumentation and control are applied in the conveying of gases and fluids to the instruments or controlling devices.

Tubes are chosen according to their characteristics such as material, dimensions and tolerance as well as the end treatment. These basic forms make them suitable across myriad sectors such as construction, manufacturing, transportation and infrastructural developments.

Which pipe is best for plumbing

Complexity of the choice of the best pipe material for plumbing is defined by the type of the plumbing system, cost, local code requirements, and the kind of project. A number of materials can be used for pipes for plumbing and each of these pipe materials has its strengths and weakness. Here are some of the most commonly used pipe materials for plumbing:Here are some of the most commonly used pipe materials for plumbing:

Copper: Copper has some very useful characteristics such as long-lasting, corrosion resistance and free from most types of pipe diseases. Both are frequently applied in the construction of houses as well as in commercial buildings. There are two main types of copper pipes: There are two broad classifications of cooper conductor namely, rigid copper and flexible copper or soft cooper. Copper is the best material for the current得 circuit but it is more costly than other available materials.

CPVC (Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride): CPVC pipes have wonderful qualities such as corrosion as well as scaling opposition. These are ideal for use in distributing hot and cold water and are widely in use in home and office. CPVC is nevertheless way cheaper than PEX pipe and it is also very easy to install.

PEX (Cross-Linked Polyethylene): PEX pipes are flexible which makes them suitable for use because they do not require to be solders or glued. It is a material that is immune to corrosion and freezing, and therefore is suitable for use in cold areas. Newer types of PEX has gained popularity for residential use because of its superior characteristics for plumbing and radiant heating system.

Galvanized Steel: Galvanized steel pipes were used in the past for plumbing applications, but these days there appear some problems with corrosion, and scaling off the pipe inner surface. They are rarely used in present time but are still used in some small applications where they are gradually being replaced by other material types.

PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): PVC pipes are used in drain, waste and vent applications in buildings and homes plumbing systems. USG 3/8 Tip Wall Pall is lightweight and easy to install and is also resistant to chemicals. PVC is not recommended to be used in the construction of potable water supply tubes.

ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene): ABS pipes as exist for DWV systems like that of PVC. Are tough and withstand impact forces and, therefore, ideal for drain and vent purposes.

Cast Iron: Among pipes, cast iron pipes are very strong and durable pipes. They are applied in sanitary and storm water drainage of the commercial and industrial buildings. Nevertheless, cast iron is fairly heavy; therefore, it is not easy to work with and can be harder to install.

Choosing the “best” pipe for plumbing can therefore be said to depend on the particular needs in any given facility as well as the code of the country. For potable water supply lines copper and CPVC are the most commonly used because of durability and resistance to corrosion. PEX is very easy to install and therefore makes an excellent choice. PVC and ABS materials are widely used in DWV systems. One should seek advice from a plumber or follow the code of the local building when choosing the right pipe material to lay down on for the plumbing project at hand.

pipe tube difference

Pipes and tubes are both cylindrical structures used for conveying fluids, but they have distinct differences:

Shape:

• Pipe: Pipes are most often smooth round uniform in cross-section having predetermined dimensions of outside diameter and thickness of the walls. They are manufactured for special purposes such as usage in conveying fluids and loads bearing purposes.
• Tube: Pipe are of different forms such as round, square, rectangular, or even oval in shape. These can often be more accurately sized and can be incorporated into a large number of purposes.

Manufacturing:

• Pipe: Pipes are typically manufactured using standardized processes and dimensions. They are mass-produced with standardized specifications.
• Tube: Tubes may have tighter tolerances and can be cold-drawn or cold-rolled for greater precision. They are often more precise in terms of dimensions.

Usage:

• Pipe: Pipes are widely used for the transmission of the water, oil, and natural gases; and in construction as structural members.
• Tube: Tubes are employed in various vocations such as machinery, automobile parts, heat exchanging equipment and so on. It can be used in various techniques due to it shape and sizes.

Strength:

• Pipe: Pipes are made to bear clearly defined pressure and loading capacities and as such are mostly thicker than tubes of the same cross sectional sizes.
• Tube: As it is produced with high accuracy, tubes might possess more strength in selected orientations.

Thickness:

• Pipe: The thickness of the wall can results in variation of weights and structural features between pipes and tubes.
• Tube: Tubes normally occur with thinner walls than Channels and hence could be even lighter than channels, but in some uses, they may not offer the necessary strength as may be required.

Cost:

• Pipe: They are also generally cheaper than Their uses include areas that require standardized use and repeated usage or usage in its large numbers.
• Tube: Tubes are more costly as materials to be used as they are precise and flexible in their structure. Both pipes and tubes are hallow tubes but they are not same as the following points indicate.

Conveyance equipments are also in the form of pipes through which fluids and gasses including; water, oil; gases and steam are conveyed. These are mostly produced using steel or copper in addition to PVC and also plastic. They may also be circular, oval or rectangular in cross-sectional shape.

Tubes are most commonly employed in load-bearing or as casing or sheathing for electrical conductors and cables. They are usually constructed from steel, aluminum, brass and copper and in some cases stainless steel. Tubes can have circular, square, rectangular or oval cross sections.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between pipes and tubes:

Here are some examples of pipes and tubes:

Pipe examples:

• Water pipes
• Sewer pipes
• Oil and gas pipelines
• Steam pipes
• Heating and cooling pipes

Tube examples:

• Structural tubes used in bridges and buildings
• Conduit tubes for electrical wiring and cables
• Heat exchanger tubes
• Boiler tubes
• Air conditioner tubes

In a whole, pipes and tubes play an essential role in nearly every distinct sector of the economy including the industrial market. Thus it is essential to appreciate the distinctions between the two so that the right one for a given application can be selected.

In summary it can be concluded that: Pipes and tubes are used as channels for conveying fluids or materials through which fluids or gases can flow; however, they differ by shape, manufacturing method, application, structure, wall thickness, and price. Tubes are usually more accurate and adaptable, while pipes are generally intended for certain use, such as conveyance of fluids as well as load bearing. Therefore the use of a pipe and a tube depends on some circumstances of the given application.

Pipe with tube

What’s more, pipes and tubes are capable of being employed interchangeably within a number of uses. For instance the pipes can be used to convey fluids or gasses while the tubes may be used for the protection of the pipes or for support.

Here are some examples of pipes and tubes being used together:

• In a power plant, conduits may be used to transport water and/or steam whilst protection tubes may be used to shield the conduits from the temperature and/or pressure.
• Pipes may be employed for conducing corrosive chemicals in a chemical plant while tubes may act as a safeguard for pipes conveying the corrosive chemicals.
• As with pipes can be used to convey concrete in constructions, tubes may be used as protection to the pipes.
• Pipes may be used to convey fluids or gases within a medical device while tubes may be employed in the structural component of the device.

When choosing pipes and tubes for a particular application, it is important to consider the following factors:

• The type of fluid or gas being transported
• The temperature and pressure of the fluid or gas
• The environment in which the pipes and tubes will be used
• The degree of strength and the level of permissible tube and pipe defects

Another factor, which cannot be disregarded, is that pipes, and tubes should be selected as compatible with each other. For instance, if you are using steel pipes then the valves should also be of steel tubes. Alloying one type of metal with another type may lead to corrosion complication.

If you are in doubt as the type of pipe and tube for your specific project, it is recommended that you consult a professional engineer or other similar professional.

Pipe vs tube

The terms "pipe" and "tube" are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct differences in various industries and applications:The terms "pipe" and "tube" are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct differences in various industries and applications:

Shape:

• Pipe: Pipes are usually round with metro-logic outside diameters (OD) and thicknesses measured in schedule numbers. They are round in cross-sectional shape, uniform in thickness and are widely used in the communication of fluids and gases and used in the frame-work systems.
• Tube: This pipes come in different cross sectional shapes these include round, square, rectangles, and ovals. They can be of definite size and specifications and are employed in numerous other operations apart from conveying fluids.

Manufacturing:

• Pipe: Pipes are produced with consistent rate or flow, and may be produced with seamless or welded variety. Some of their characteristic parameters such as OD and wall thickness are determined by standards prevalent in the industry.
• Tube: Tubes may perhaps have improved tightness of dimensions and may be cold drawn or cold formed in order to reach the required size. Such manufacturing process may however defer depending on the application that is being sought to be achieved.

Usage:

• Pipe: They are employed to transport fluids that include but not limited to water, oil, natural gas, sewage and others. They also find application in construction as parts of structure and support means.
• Tube: Tubes are used in connections and containers’ construction, as well as the part of various types of machinery and automobiles, heat interchange equipment as the framework of buildings. Due to their shape, they can be adapted for several functions.

Strength:

• Pipe: Pipes are produced to have the required pressure and loaded bearing characteristics in order to be used for applications that call for strength and sturdiness.
• Tube: They might have higher strength in certain directions up to the limits of precision manufacturing. It is common to incorporate them in the uses that require accuracy of dimensions.

Thickness:

• Pipe: Pipes typically have thicker walls, which can vary depending on the pipe schedule (e.g., Schedule 40, Schedule 80). Thicker walls contribute to their strength and durability.
• Tube: Tubes often have thinner walls, making them lighter but potentially less robust in certain applications.

Cost:

• Pipe: Pipes are often more cost-effective for standardized applications and mass production. The use of standardized sizes contributes to cost efficiency.
• Tube: Tubes can be more expensive to manufacture due to the precision required. Custom dimensions and shapes may incur additional costs.

In conclusion, the use of a pipe and a tube depends on the need of the application of the two in different circumstances. Pipes are primarily employed for conveying fluids and providing support where as tubes are selected for applications where tight tolerances of dimension and flexibility of section shape are needed. The choice of the term and product depends on the purpose and the specification current in the field of interest.

pipe vs tube definition

It is sometimes very difficult to distinguish between pipes and tubes since these two terms are used simultaneously.

Pipes are often used for conveying liquids or a gaseous phase like water, oil, gas and steam and so on. These include steel, copper, PVC, and plastic among others depending on the type and the especial needs of the utility. The pipes may be circular, square, or of any other cross sectional shape such as rectangular.

Tubes are employed for load bearing or for shielding electrical wires and cables. Each of these objects is normally constructed from steel, aluminium, brass and copper among other materials. The tubes may be circular, square, rectangular, or of any other desired form, for example, oval.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between pipes and tubes:

Here are some examples of pipes and tubes:

Pipe examples:

• Water pipes
• Sewer pipes
• Oil and gas pipelines
• Steam pipes
• Heating and cooling pipes

Tube examples:

• Structural tubes used in bridges and buildings
• Conduit tubes for electrical wiring and cables
• Heat exchanger tubes
• Boiler tubes
• Air conditioner tubes

Although, pipes and tubes both convey fluids and gasses both have been specified to bear discrete purpose where, pipe conveys fluids and gasses while tubes are identified to support structures and to enclose electrical wire and cable. Nevertheless, there are few uses where pipes and tubes are interchanged with each other. For instance, power generation involving the use of water and steam possibly via pipe and several tubes where the later may be used for shielding the pipe from conditions such as high temperature and pressure.

If you are uncertain as to which is the right pipe or tube for a project, then, it is always important to consult an engineer or other technical personnel.

pipe vs tube strength

Tubes are usually better than pipes in terms of strength. This is the case because tubes generally feature greater thickness or wall and are usually manufactured with stronger materials including steel. But pipes for instance can be manufactured from PVC which is not as strong as steel.

In the same manner, tubes are generally used at higher pressure as well as higher temperature and for this reasons they are stronger than pipes. For instance, the tubes that are used for hydraulic systems require extreme pressures of pressure and hence the pipes used in the system have to be strong while pipes that are used to carry water, do not.

Here is a table that summarizes the key differences between the strength of pipes and tubes:

Here are some examples of applications where tubes are used because of their strength:

• Structural tubes used in bridges and buildings
• Heat exchanger tubes
• Boiler tubes
• Hydraulic system tubes
• Aerospace tubes

One should also point out that the degree of Pipe or Tube strength will be determined by such factors as material type, size, and thickness of the wall. Ideally, this article has shown that anyone seeking a pipe or tube for their project should seek advice of an engineer or any other professional in that field.

pipe vs tube dimensions

Pipes and tubes have different dimensions and are typically specified using distinct measurement parameters:

Pipe Dimensions:

• Outside Diameter (OD): Pipe size by definition is the pipe outside diameter expressed as a measurement through the broader point of the pipe cross sectional area. Pipe OD is usually specified an defined in some standard and might be given in inches (for example, 2 inches) or millimeters (for example, 50 mm). The most popular sizes of pipe are the half, three fourths, one, two pipes and so on.
• Wall Thickness: Thickness of the pipes is usually determined with the help of schedule number like schedule no. 40, schedule no. 80 etc. Every of the schedules is associated with a certain wall thickness for a particular pipe diameter. For example, Schedule 40 pipes have a specific wall thickness for their respective sizes.

Tube Dimensions:

• Outside Dimensions: Tubes can be of round, square, rectangular or oval cross sectional shape. In round tubes the principal measurement is the outside diameter, O.D. like the pipes. Squarer and rectangular tubes which used in the construction of fabricated structures are usually defined in terms of size-code or width and height or diagonal code.
• Wall Thickness: Tube dimensions can be stated in millimetres or in inches depending on the requirements of the area and of the production industry. Tubes can be manufactured to be of different thickness of the wall to fit certain applications.

Here it is necessary to mention that although pipes have standard dimensions of outer diameter and width of the wall, tubes, especially square or rectangular ones may have certain dimensions of each side. Further, while dealing with tube, even accuracy of the dimensions might be more important depending on the application of the tube in a system with tighter tolerance.

When working with pipes or tubes, it is critically important to recall the standard and specifications of a certain industry to point out that the selected product corresponds to the requirements of the project.