9.6. Choosing the material for pipelines




System pipelines are normally made of steel, non-ferrous metal or plastic. They must meet various criteria, which limits the choice of material for some applications:
    • Protection against corrosion.
      The question of resistance to corrosion is always a prime consideration unless the compressed air is dried in a pre-treatment
      unit. The pipes must not rust through over the course of time.
    • Maximum operating temperature.
      Some materials lose tensile strength at high temperatures and become brittle at low temperatures.
    • Maximum operating pressure.
      The maximum operating pressure drops with increasing thermal stress.
    • Low pressure loss.
      Low pressure loss is obtained by high surface quality on the inside of the pipe.
    • Low-cost installation.
      Installation prices can be reduced by a multitude of pre-shaped parts, fast and easy installation and cheap material.