What Is Plastic-coated Steel Pipe And What Are Its Features

Release time：

2025-11-18

Coated steel pipe is a kind of composite pipe that combines the strength of metal steel pipe with the corrosion resistance of plastic coating, which is achieved by melting a layer of plastic coating on the steel pipe base. The following table summarizes its core features and typical applications, helping you quickly build your understanding.

The specific characteristics of the feature dimension：

Characteristic dimension	Specific features
🔩 Structure and base material	The base pipe is made of welded steel pipe, seamless steel pipe, etc
🛡️ Corrosion resistance	Resistant to chemical corrosion, soil and Marine biological corrosion, cathodic disbondment, suitable for harsh environments
💪 The mechanical properties	It combines the high strength, high rigidity of steel pipes with good pressure resistance and impact resistance
🔌 special performance	Good electrical insulation, anti-static ability (for some models), flame retardancy (for some models)
📈 Fluid characteristics	smooth inner wall, low frictional resistance, no scaling, and improved conveying efficiency
🔗 connection and installation	There are various methods (threaded, grooved, flange, welding, etc.), and the process is mature and convenient
🌱 Hygiene and environmental protection	Non-toxic, does not breed microorganisms, ensures fluid quality, and the coating material can meet food-grade requirements
🏗️ Main application fields	Water supply and drainage, fire sprinkler systems, municipal engineering; Protection of power and communication cables; Industrial environments such as petroleum, chemical engineering, and mining

Selection of coating materials and processes

The performance of plastic-coated steel pipes largely depends on their coating materials and processing techniques. Understanding these differences can help you make a choice based on your specific needs.

• Common coating materials:

The most common ones are polyethylene (PE) and epoxy resin (EP). In simple terms, PE coating places more emphasis on physical properties. Its wear resistance, impact resistance and low-temperature resistance (down to -40℃) are more prominent, and it is often used in buried pipelines, cable protection pipes and other situations that may be subject to external forces or friction. The EP coating, on the other hand, focuses on chemical properties. It features strong adhesion, high hardness, good resistance to chemical solvents, and meets food-grade hygiene standards. It is more widely used in water supply, fire protection, chemical medium transportation and other fields.

• Key manufacturing processes:

mainly divided into "hot-dip molding" and "spray/rotational molding", etc. The coating formed by the hot-dip molding process is usually thicker, and the overall anti-corrosion protection and mechanical strength are also better. Electrostatic spraying and other processes can provide thinner and more uniform coatings, which are suitable for scenarios where high dimensional accuracy of pipes is required or complex post-treatment is needed.

Precautions for Use

Although coated steel pipes have excellent performance, there are still some details that need special attention during installation and use to ensure their long-term reliability:

• Avoid high-temperature welding:

During pipe installation, it is strictly prohibited to weld or perform thermal processing on pipes that have already been coated with plastic to prevent high temperatures from damaging the plastic coating. If cutting is required, a metal saw should be used and the cutting surface should be deburred. Then, apply the non-toxic room-temperature curing adhesive provided by the manufacturer to repair the coating.

• Handle with care during transportation and bending:

During transportation and construction, avoid throwing, dropping and violent impact to prevent damage to the coating. If bending is required, a pipe bender should be used for cold bending, and the bending radius should not be too small, usually not less than 8 times the pipe diameter.

• Standardized fixation:

When installing pipelines, fixed components such as piers and brackets should be set up in accordance with the specifications to prevent the pipelines from shifting or shaking under pressure.

Expansion: Comparison with Lined Steel Pipes

During the selection process, you may come across another common type of steel-plastic composite pipe - lined steel pipe. The main difference between them lies in the composite process: plastic coating is the melting and bonding of the plastic coating and the steel pipe base at high temperature; The plastic-lined pipe, on the other hand, involves inserting a plastic pipe into a steel pipe, mainly through physical bonding.

Therefore, the coating adhesion of plastic-coated steel pipes is usually stronger, the combination is more firm, and delamination problems are less likely to occur. Its comprehensive performance and service life are generally better than those of lined plastic-coated steel pipes. Of course, the price may also be relatively higher.

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