II. Pipe & tube: what is difference?

Tube and Pipe are two remarkably similar cylindrical “materials” that are used
for a wide variety of applications. People often confuse the two, and the terms
are used interchangeably at times, but they do exhibit different characteristics.
As a general rule, a tube has higher engineering specifications and
manufacturing requirements than a pipe.

There are 5 basic differences between pipe & tube.

Size

 Pipe Size Specified in Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) or Nominal Bore (NB) or
Diameter Nominal (DN). The purpose with a pipe is the transport of a fluid
like water, oil or similar, and the most import property is the capacity or the
inside diameter.

 Tubes sized are specified in millimeter or in inches by outside diameter. The

nominal dimensions of tubes are based on the outside diameter.

Thickness

 Pipe Wall thickness is expressed in schedule number

 Tube Wall thickness is expressed in millimeter, or inches, or BWG
(Birmingham wire gauge.)

Diameter

 The outside diameter of pipe up to size 12” are numerically larger than
corresponding pipe size
 Outside diameter of tubes is numerically equal to the corresponding size.

Use

 Used in all process & utility lines

 Generally used in tracing lines, tubes for heat exchanger & fired heater & in
instrument connection.

Availability

 Pipe Available in the small bore as well as the big bore.

 Normally small-bore tube is used in process piping. For structural use, tubes
are available in custom sizes.