Pipe and tube

Tube is generally considered to be much smaller than pipe but in essence they are both the same in make up.Tube is generally and widely used for pneumatics and hydraulics in instrument control systems and it comes in small internal diameters from as little as 1/16" up to 3/4".Remember the smaller you go then the greater the pressure it can withstand as the medium has less surface area acting on the wall of the pipe tube.This also depends upon the wall thickness and the type of material used during manufacture.Pipefitters have a blue book which may be available online this would probably explain the differences and uses better than me.

VISIT SWAGELOK.COM

Joseph,

I've had very good experiences using Swagelok products in hydraulic applications!

fm!

Pipe is generally dimensioned on it ID for fluid handling purpose. It has different sizes of wall thickness called schedules which rate its pressure capability's. Tubing is by it's ID with listed wall thickness

Just to amplify a bit, pipe is produced to standard pipe sizes (called IPS, or Iron Pipe Size) of various schedule numbers. All pipes of a given IPS have the same outside diameter while the schedule number defines the wall thickness. For example, all standard 2" IPS pipe (regardless of material) has a nominal outside diameter of 2.375" and is normally available in schedule numbers from 5S (.065" wall) to XX (.436" wall). The most commonly used schedule is 40 (.154" wall).

Pipe above 12" is measured by the actual O.D.

HI,

GENERALY TUBE SIZE IS SPECIFIED BY IT'S OD. AND PIPE SIZE IS SPECIFIED

BY NOMINAL SIZE (NW/DN/IPS).

EXAMPLE: 1"TUBE IS HAVING OUTSIDE DIA. 25.4mm /1".WHERE AS

1" NW (NOMINAL SIZE) IS HAVING OUTSIDE DIA.33.4mm /1.315"

TUBE AND PIPE BOTH ARE HOLLO AND CILINDRICAL MADE IN VETIUS

MATERIAL. BOTH CAN BE EITHER SEEMLESS OR WELDED. FOR PIE NW AND SCH. NO

IS REQUIR TO SPECIFY.

FYI. Capital letters indicate shouting. No need to yell, we can hear you just fine.

What is(are) distinguishing feature(s) between pipe and tube?

I used to ask this question at the beginning of my lectures concerning piping design, fabrication, inspection and stress analysis. Till now, I didn't found the engineer who has the sound reply.

The following definitions are the optimum and actual distinguishing features between pipe & tube :

Pipe is manufactured to standard dimensions, sizes, and standard thicknesses designated as "Schedules".

In all standard sizes the OD remains constant regardless of thickness. In sizes up to and including 12" the size refers to the nominal inside diameter, and in sizes 14" and larger the size denotes the actual OD.

Tube, not including furnace or exchanger tubes, is similar to pipe, but is manufactured in many sizes of outside diameters and wall thicknesses.

Try this website for a pretty good discussion about Pipe and Tubing.

http://www.pipingdesigners.com/Training%20-%20section%201b.htm

I use tubes in exchangers and boilers whose thickness are called BWG but IPS designation for pipes are called Schedules.Tickness and outside diameters are diferent in both cases (see the other responses above)

tube Vs Pipe :

Tube differs from the Pipe in that it does not have the more liberal tollerances for inside daimeter, outside diameter, wall thickness and nominal sizes given to the pipe.

Pipe sizes upto 12 inches ( 300 mm ) are designated by nominal sizes which are smaller of the pipe; where as, in most cases, tubes are identical to the outside daimeter of the tube.

Tubing is clasified in to three major types.: structural tube, mechanical tube and pressure tube.

structural generally used for building constructioon, roadway median barriers and available in round, square,rectangle or special shapes.

Mechanical tubes is used in variety of mechanical / structural work and like in structural tube, it is not intended to carry fluids or gases under pressure.

Pressure tubes is the type of tubing used often in the piping industry and designed to carry fluids gasses under pressure.

sizing is customarilly desingned by the tube's actual outside daimeter and wall thickness or tube gauge given in either: ASTM standards cover ferrous and non ferrous in both welded or seamless forms.

Maximum sizes normally extended upto 24 inches( 609.4 mm) for round tubing with wall thickness upro 1 inch ( 25.4 mm). Structural tubing can also be made provided they meet ASTM or equicaalent specifications.

Sridhar

The optimum definition still the following:

Pipe is manufactured to standard dimensions, sizes, and standard thicknesses designated as "Schedules".

In all standard sizes the OD remains constant regardless of thickness. In sizes up to and including 12" the size refers to the nominal inside diameter, and in sizes 14" and larger the size denotes the actual OD.

Tube, not including furnace or exchanger tubes, is similar to pipe, but is manufactured in many sizes of outside diameters and wall thicknesses.

That means that if you have a pipe produced with a size and wall thickness not in accordance with the standard dimensions, this thing can't be nominated as a pipe, it shall be a tube, whatever its diameter or thickness. The only exception is the tubes used for furnaces and heat exchangers which produced to a standards thickness and outside diameters.