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Hardox® pipes and tubes - Resist abrasion and wear - SSAB

07 Jul.,2025

Hardox® pipes and tubes - Resist abrasion and wear - SSAB

Want to extend your equipment’s service life 2, 5 or 10 times or more? Do you need abrasion-resistant steel pipes for tough materials like wet concrete, slurry, soil, gravel, sand or wet coal ash? Is your equipment used in challenging sectors like mining, cement, dredging, recycling or steel production? Or perhaps you need a tubular part that can serve as a structural component in a bucket or other piece of equipment. If so, Hardox® 400 Tube or Hardox® 500 Tube can be the right steel tube to get the job done.

For more information, please visit our website.

span]:text-inherit text-[--btn-content-inv] before:bg-[--btn-bg-standard] hover:text-[--btn-content-hover] hover:before:bg-[--btn-bg-hover] active:before:bg-[--btn-bg-pressed] disabled:text-[--disabled-content-inv] disabled:before:bg-[--disabled-bg] [&:disabled>span]:text-[--disabled-content-inv] [&>span]:text-[--btn-content-standard] focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-[--border-focus] focus-visible:shadow-focus mt-[--size-12]" href="/en-us/brands-and-products/hardox/sales"> Interested in what Hardox® Pipes and Tubes can do for your equipment?

When abrasive slurry is conveyed through steel pipe, its impact on the pipe’s inner surface can be devastating. It can cause severe problems for equipment in service, especially for pipe systems used to transport slurries that contain tailings or ores from mining operations. Such abrasive and erosive wear can cause some serious ﬁnancial damage, too – loss of production time and expensive repairs.

span]:text-inherit text-[--btn-content-inv] before:bg-[--btn-bg-standard] hover:text-[--btn-content-hover] hover:before:bg-[--btn-bg-hover] active:before:bg-[--btn-bg-pressed] disabled:text-[--disabled-content-inv] disabled:before:bg-[--disabled-bg] [&:disabled>span]:text-[--disabled-content-inv] [&>span]:text-[--btn-content-standard] focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-[--border-focus] focus-visible:shadow-focus mt-[--size-12]" href="/en-us/brands-and-products/hardox/sales"> Find out what Hardox® Pipes and Tubes can do for your equipment

In transportation systems that use pipes, abrasive wear occurs when hard particles or abrasive slurry particles slide along the wall of the pipe or are forced against it. This action on the pipe wall can cause loss of material and, in extreme cases, pipe leaks or failure.

Mild steel pipe simply cannot stand tough enough against such abrasive environments to give acceptable service life. While mild steel pipe has good strength and impact resistance, it has poor abrasion resistance compared with high-strength, abrasion-resistant steel pipe in such high-wear areas.

What about cast wear pipe? In conveying applications, the pipes are constantly being subjected to movement due to pressure surges. Heavy, brittle cast piping is not a good option in such piping systems.

Abrasion-resistant steel pipe like Hardox® pipes in high-strength steel give you a maintenance-friendly alternative in abrasive or tough applications. And you can use lighter pipes with thinner wall thickness. They are easier to handle and install and will maintain the strength you need.

Hardox® steel tubes are vital components inside the Finnish company img]:inline [.inverted_&:hover]:text-[--txt-content-interactive-inv]">Remu’s screening buckets. The screening is performed by rotors with blades in Hardox® 500 wear plate that are welded to a Hardox® 500 Tube. The rotors separate bigger particles or grind aggregated material into smaller particles, causing a lot of wear on the blades and the tubes.

By upgrading from hardfaced tubes in S355 steel to Hardox® 500 Tube, Remu reduced the thickness of the tubes to save weight and get extended service life as an extra bonus.

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There is no technical difference between Hardox® tubes and pipes. They have the same mechanical and chemical properties and wear performance. Typically, we call them tubes when they are used in structural applications subjected to outside wear, and pipes when they are used for pumping abrasive liquids or slurries. In either case, it’s a good thing Hardox® steel is through-hardened – this means it has high wear resistance throughout, from the core outwards to the surface.

Hardox® abrasion-resistant pipes and tubes are roll formed and plasma welded prior to quenching. This guarantees that the mechanical properties in the weld are the same as in the rest of the material, resulting in a more durable steel tube or pipe.

With their lean proprietary chemistries and outstanding cleanliness, these abrasion-resistant steel pipes and tubes have highly consistent properties. This gives you precision and efﬁciency in the workshop. Despite their hardness, Hardox® tubes can be welded, cut, milled and drilled using standard workshop practices.

Link to Dragon

Hardox® 400 Tube and Hardox® 500 Tubes comply with standard EN in terms of dimension tolerances and testing.

How to Order Ceramic Coated Pipes and Tubes

Are you searching for manufacturers or suppliers of ceramic coated elbows or other related components and fittings? Whether you’re the purchasing officer, product engineer, or sales engineer for your company, you probably already have an ordering system, and maybe even have regular suppliers. However, if you’re searching for a new supplier, it’s good to know how to go about ordering ceramic coated pipes and tubes, and the questions to ask to ensure you’ll get the right component for your system.

First, you need to know the specifications, such as dimensions, of the part you need. When it comes to ordering ceramic coated pipes, fittings, and other similar products for your pneumatic conveying system, it’s important to make sure you specify correctly:

The diameter of the pipes or tubes
The non-dimensional number of wall thickness, known as the “schedule” for pipe OR the wall thickness, or “gauge” of tubing
The lengths of the tubes or pipes
The types of fittings
Whether you need abrasion-resistant coating such as Ceram-Back®
The number of items to buy

It’s a good idea to make a regular inventory of components that you need to replace on a regular basis so you can purchase in advance. A pneumatic conveying component supplier will also be able to help you figure out dimensions and the type of components you need.

What are the Differences Between Pipes and Tubes?

The word pipes and tubes may seem synonymous because they are oftentimes used interchangeably. However, there are precise industrial definitions between the two. Therefore, it’s crucial that you know the main differences in the specifications when placing your order:

Dimensions – Pipes can be mainly differentiated from tubes by the nominal diameter. This has a corresponding constant outer diameter and a non-dimensional number, called the schedule, specifying the thickness of the wall. Tubes are specified by the outer diameter and the wall thickness, also called the gauge.
International Standards – You can refer to standard industry charts to specify the schedule or gauge. Another crucial difference between pipes and tubes is the fact that pipes are manufactured based on one of the various industrial standards. International or national standards are used to maintain consistency. Mismatches with fittings and elbows are prevented in this manner. In comparison, dimensions and configurations of tubes vary widely in different parts of the world as measurements of the outer diameter and centerline radius can be either imperial or metric.

What is a Ceramic Coated Pipe or Tube?

A ceramic coated pipe or tube has an outer protective layer of ceramic that reinforces the structure and provides extra protection against abrasions. As the wall of the pipe or tube becomes thinner due to abrasions from the solid particulates they convey, the ceramic coating can take over to absorb wear and tear.

Ceramic is resistant to abrasion and impact brought about by the particulate solids that are conveyed at high velocities through the pipes and tubes.

Advantages of Ceramic Coating

The walls of tubes, pipes, elbows, and other fittings used in pneumatic conveying systems are particularly susceptible to long-term wear due to the rapid conveyance of solid particles under high air pressure. They are subjected to two types of wear:

Impact wear – this type of wear is usually visible on short radius elbows. The change in direction of the flowing particles can cause dents or deformation on the walls of the elbows if there is no ceramic coating.
Sliding abrasion – friction can gradually wear the walls of the tubes and pipes. Abrasion is typically visible as long, even patterns and the walls will become thinner over time.

How to Buy Ceramic Coated Elbows

If you have a regular and trusted supplier, it’s probably simple, quick, and easy to buy the ceramic coated elbows you need. However, if your pneumatic conveying system is custom-made, you will also need custom-made elbows. This adds an extra layer of complexity.

You should be as specific as possible in your requirements. In turn, if a supplier asks you lots of questions about what you need, that’s a very good sign as it means they will truly understand what you need and be able to advise you on your best options. It’s important that they ask for:

The exact dimensions of the elbow, or offer to help you found out what the dimensions are
What the pipe or tube is made of, including the type of ceramic lining or coating
What material you’re conveying, plus velocity, pressure, etc.
Any problems you’re experiencing, such as abrasion or impact wear

All this information will help a pneumatic conveying elbow supplier understand your requirements and advise you on the best solution for your needs. If you need help in selecting the right elbows for your pneumatic conveying system, it’s best to talk with an expert so you can ensure you get the correct components for your system.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of Abrasion-Resistant Pipes. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

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