With the increase in technological advances, lined and clad materials are getting popular in Process industries. By combining two materials, we can get the advantage of the two materials at a low cost. In this lecture, I will teach you about lined & clad materials used in piping.

Lined Pipe

The lined pipe has a Mechanical bonding between pipe and line material.

  • By applying a lined material to a carbon steel pipe, we can get the benefit of anti-corrosion property of lined material and the strength of carbon steel.
  • Commonly used lined materials are
    • PTFE
    • Rubber
    • Glass
    • FRP (Fiber reinforced plastic)

You can see the images of the lined pipe.

Image – PTFE India

Advantages of Lined Pipe

  • A lined pipe can withstand tough chemical environments
  • And Also offer an abrasion-resistant property with hard-lined material
  • It is a cost-effective solution for non-critical services

Disadvantages of Lined Pipe

  • Lined Pipe has a limitation of non-metal such as it cannot be used in high temperature and pressure services.
  • The lined pipe is manufactured in small length pipe spools hence, large no of flange joints in line, which increases maintenance costs and chances of leakages.

Clad Pipe

A clad pipe has a Metallurgical bond between pipe and cladding material

  • The cladding is done by an explosive bonding process or by welding clad material on a pipe
  • High-strength carbon steel materials are cladded with high corrosion-resistant metal to achieve cost benefits
  • Here you can see the clad pipe

Image – Butting.com

Piping Component Quiz – Test yourself, Take This Quiz

Advantages of Clad Pipe

Clad carbon steel can withstand tough chemical environments.

  • A clad pipe can be used in high temperature and pressure services
  • It is cost-effective for critical services as carbon steel can be used with a cladding of exotic materials.

Disadvantages of Clad pipe

  • Fabrication of clad material is difficult, a special skill required for welding.
  • Clad pipes are costly compared to lined pipe

Summary – Difference Between Lined and Clad Pipes

Lined Pipe Vs Clad Pipe
Lined Pipe Clad Pipe
Use Non-metallic Material for lining Use Metallic Material for cladding
Mechanical bonding with adhesive Metallurgical bonding with welding or explosion bonding
Preferred in low pressure and temperature application Use in all high pressure and temperature application as well
Fabrication is easy as mostly bolted joints Fabrication is complicated due to dissimilar welding.
Less costly Costly

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Varun Patel - HardHat Engineer

About Author: Varun Patel is a Mechanical Engineer and an Oil & Gas Professional. He is a Certified Project Management Professional – PMP® from PMI® USA. With over nineteen years of experience, he has worked with Fortune 500 Oil & Gas Companies. Know more.