QUANGE GUANYE
Blog
15
2025
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07
The power industry is driving innovation in steel pipes, accelerating the application of high-temperature resistant products
The power industry, as a major application area for steel pipes, has seen a growing demand for high-temperature, high-strength steel pipes in recent years. With the construction of ultra-supercritical thermal power and nuclear power projects and other clean energy projects, traditional steel pipes can no longer meet the high-temperature and high-pressure operating environment, driving the industry to accelerate product innovation and upgrading.
The power industry, a major application area for steel pipes, has seen a growing and urgent need for high-temperature, high-strength steel pipes in recent years. With the construction of ultra-supercritical thermal power plants and nuclear power plants and other clean energy projects, traditional steel pipes can no longer meet the high-temperature and high-pressure operating environments, driving the industry to accelerate product innovation and upgrades.
The characteristics of these special steel pipes lie in their high-temperature resistance and structural stability. Taking boiler pipes for thermal power plants as an example, they are made of martensitic heat-resistant steel (such as T91, T122), and can still maintain sufficient strength at high temperatures of 600-650℃, with creep rupture strength more than 3 times that of ordinary carbon steel. The inner wall of the steel pipe is subjected to oxidation treatment to form a dense oxide film, which can reduce steam scouring and oxidation corrosion, and extend the service life. Nuclear power plant steel pipes use austenitic stainless steel (such as 316H), which has good resistance to intergranular corrosion, and the change in mechanical properties under neutron irradiation is small, meeting the safety requirements of the reactor cooling system.
In terms of advantages, high-temperature steel pipes can adapt to the extreme operating conditions of power equipment. Compared with cast iron pipes, they have higher thermal conductivity, reducing heat loss by more than 15%, and improving energy utilization efficiency; compared with ceramic pipes, they have better toughness and excellent thermal shock resistance, and are not easily cracked due to sudden temperature changes during start-up and shutdown. In addition, the modular manufacturing characteristics of steel pipes can shorten the installation cycle. For example, serpentine pipes used in boiler superheaters are prefabricated in the factory, and only welding and assembly are required on site, increasing installation efficiency by 40%.
Application scenarios are constantly expanding. In ultra-supercritical thermal power units, the high-temperature reheater uses T122 steel pipes, which can withstand working conditions of 620℃ and 30MPa, with a single unit using more than 500 tons of steel pipes. The main steam pipes of nuclear power plants use austenitic stainless steel seamless pipes with a diameter of 800mm, ensuring that the structure remains intact even under accident conditions. In the field of new energy, the thermal storage system of concentrated solar power plants uses high-temperature alloy steel pipes to transport heat transfer oil above 300℃, achieving efficient energy storage and conversion.
Many steel pipe companies have established special R&D teams to meet the needs of the power industry, and through cooperation with design institutes and equipment manufacturers, they have carried out material formula optimization and process improvement. It is expected that by 2025, the market size of special steel pipes for the power industry will increase by 20%, becoming an important force in promoting technological upgrading of the industry.
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