On April 26, Japanese steelmaker JFE Steel announced that it will manufacture and sell seamless specialty pipe of 18" or more in outer diameter and 30 mm or less in wall thickness, aiming to capitalize on the increasing use of large outer diameter, thin-wall seamless specialty pipes for steam and gas-turbine combined cycle power plants and petroleum refineries.
Accordingly, JFE Steel's Chita Works in Japan will produce seamless pipes (mother pipes) measuring16" (406.4mm), which it will enhance with chromium for extra high-heat resistance. The pipes then will be outsourced to SungKwang Bend Co., Ltd. in Busan, South Korea for expansion and heat treatment. These seamless pipes measuring 18"-30" will be imported back into Japan and inspected by Chita Works before final shipment.
Seamless pipes for transporting mainly steam and oil under high temperature and high pressure are used for connections between boilers and steam turbines in power plants and transportation of distilling oil in refineries. Pipes with larger diameters help to raise operational efficiency in all facilities, while thinner walls enabled through the use of an alloy for extra hardness help to reduce construction costs in refineries and lower weight loads in power plants.