Carbon steel tube is made of steel ingot or solid round steel through perforation into rough tube, and then made by hot rolling, cold rolling or cold drawing. Because of its good strength and toughness, and relatively low cost, it is widely used in many fields such as construction, machinery manufacturing, chemical industry, petroleum, etc., such as structural support of buildings, machinery parts manufacturing, chemical fluid transportation pipelines, etc. Common materials for making carbon steel tubes include Q235B, Q345B, etc. Q235B has a certain elongation and strength, good toughness and castability, easy to stamp and weld; Q345B is a low alloy steel with good comprehensive mechanical properties, good low temperature performance, good plasticity and weldability.
Ideal storage environment for carbon steel tubes
An ideal carbon steel tube storage environment is essential. The warehouse should be kept dry and well ventilated, which can effectively reduce the accumulation of water vapor and harmful gases in the air and prevent the carbon steel tube from rusting due to moisture oxidation. A humid environment can easily cause rust, and an environment with high salt content, such as coastal areas, will accelerate the corrosion process, so stay away from these unfavorable environments. If conditions permit, desiccants can be placed in the storage area, such as common calcium chloride desiccant, silica gel desiccant, etc. They can effectively absorb excess moisture and keep the environment dry.
At the same time, the warehouse should be cleaned regularly to remove dust and debris to prevent them from adhering to the surface of the carbon steel tube and creating conditions for corrosion. In addition, fire prevention facilities should be set up, such as fire extinguishers and fire alarm systems, because although carbon steel tubes are not flammable, there may be other flammable materials in the storage environment. Once a fire occurs, it will damage the carbon steel pipes.
How to store carbon steel tubes?
When storing carbon steel tubes, classified storage is the key. They should be separated according to specifications and materials, such as separating Q235B and Q345B, and large-diameter and small-diameter pipes, so that they are easy to manage and use. When storing, be sure to avoid direct contact between carbon steel tubes and the ground. They can be supported by wooden brackets, plastic pads, or rubber sheets with a thickness of ≥20mm and a width of ≥200m, sleepers, etc. to prevent corrosion.
If carbon steel tubes need to be stacked in the open air, the ground should be padded with sandbags, sleepers, etc., and the sleepers or sandbags should allow the steel pipes to be stacked with a certain slope to avoid rainwater accumulation. If necessary, they should be covered with rainproof cloth to prevent excessive rust on the surface of the steel pipes. From a safety perspective, the number of steel pipe stacking layers should not exceed 8 layers, and short pipes should be placed on the upper layer. The steel pipes around each stack can be fixed with U-shaped clips, or the steel pipes on both sides of the bottom layer can be secured with wedges to prevent the stack from collapsing.
Can carbon steel tubes be placed together with stainless steel pipes?
The materials of carbon steel tubes and stainless steel pipes are different, and the two cannot be stacked together. At room temperature, when a carbon steel pipe comes into contact with a stainless steel pipe, carburization will not occur immediately. Spotted rust on the stainless steel pipe will only appear after a certain period of time. Carbon steel and stainless steel are made of different materials. When they come into contact in a humid environment, chemical reactions are likely to occur, destroying the protective layer of the stainless steel pipe and causing it to rust.
When different types of steel come into contact with each other, a potential difference will be generated, which will lead to electrochemical corrosion. Especially in the presence of water, the electrochemical corrosion rate between carbon steel pipes and stainless steel pipes will be accelerated, just like the principle of batteries. In chemical batteries, chemical energy is directly converted into electrical energy because of the redox reaction inside. Therefore, in order to prevent electrochemical corrosion and carburization of stainless steel pipes, it is best not to stack them together.
Read more: Pickling Treatment of Carbon Steel Tubes
