Ceramic‑Lined Pipe : High‑wear Resistant Steel Composite

Technical Knowledge & Specifications

SHS Manufacturing Process

Inner liner ceramic wear-resistant steel pipe is made by SHS high-temperature synthesis-centrifugal method. The melting point of corundum in ceramic steel pipe is 2045°C.

Vickers Hardness: 100-1500 (Rockwell 90-98)
Equivalent to: Tungsten cobalt hard gold
Wear Resistance: 20+ times higher than carbon steel

Material Properties

Mohs Hardness: 9 (second only to diamond and SiC)
Melting Point: 2045°C
Expansion Coefficient: 6-8 × 10⁻⁶/°C
Structure: Single stable crystalline
Thermal Shock: Excellent resistance up to 900°C

Thermal Shock Resistance

When temperature rises to 900°C and the pipe is repeatedly soaked in water, the composite layer does not crack, showing incomparable thermal shock resistance compared to ordinary ceramics. This performance is invaluable in construction applications.

Technical Parameters of Ceramic Lined Pipe
Items	Index
Alumina Content	92%
Bulk Density	3.62g/cm³
Rockwell Hardness (HRA)	90
Compressive Strength	850MPa
Fracture Toughness	4.8MPa·M¹/²
Bending Strength	290MPa
Thermal Conductivity at 20℃	20W/m·K
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion	7.2×10⁻⁶m/(m·K)
Young's Modulus at 20℃	277GPa
Shear Modulus at 20℃	113GPa
Surface Finish (As-Fired)	1.27mm

Wear-resisting bend (wear-resistant ceramic pipe), as the name implies, is a relatively traditional yet more abrasion-resistant pipe. Manufactured with new wear-resistant plastics, it is widely used in large-scale industries and currently holds approximately 80% of the market share.

Wear resistance test data for ceramic lined pipes
Sand Injection Test		30% SiO₂ Sludge Transfer Test
Material	Volume Diminution (cm³)	Material	Volume Diminution (cm³)
Ceramic Lined Steel Pipe	0.0022	Ceramic Lined Steel Pipe	3
Ceramic Pipe (Al₂O₃ 97%)	0.0025	S45C Steel	25

SHS Self-Burning Ceramic Composite Pipe FAQ

The SHS (Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis) technology is part of China’s national "863" high-tech project, producing composite pipes with exceptional performance in harsh industrial environments.

Self-propagating high temperature synthesis (SHS) is used to describe a process in which the initial reagents (usually powders), when ignited, spontaneously transform into products due to the exothermitic heat of reaction.

A well-known example of SHS reaction is the thermite reaction given below:

This reaction generates temperatures above the melting point of alumina and is used in the thermit welding process for joining railway lines.

Several other terminologies - such as combustion synthesis, gasless combustion or self-propagating exothermic reaction - are used to describe the process.

The types of material that can be formed using this process include metal borides, silicides, carbides, nitrides, sulphides, aluminides and oxides.

The ceramic layer achieves Mohs hardness of 9.0 (HRC ≥90), which is nearly as hard as diamond. This makes it ideal for transporting abrasive materials in mining, metallurgy, coal, and power industries, outperforming traditional steel pipes by 5-10 times in wear resistance.

The inner ceramic surface is extremely smooth with a drag coefficient of ≈0.0193, similar to Teflon. This reduces frictional losses by up to 30% compared to steel pipes, leading to lower energy consumption and operational costs for pumping systems.

Composed of α-Al₂O₃ ceramic, the pipe resists most acids, alkalis, and seawater corrosion. It remains stable in pH ranges from 1 to 14 and shows no scaling even in hard water conditions, making it suitable for chemical processing and marine applications.

The pipe maintains structural integrity from -50°C to 700°C, with the corundum layer melting at 2045°C. It passes thermal shock tests (900°C water quenching) without cracking, making it suitable for high-temperature flue gas and molten slag transport.

Weighing 30% less than cast stone pipes, SHS ceramic pipes reduce transport and installation costs. Their 20-40% lower life cycle cost comes from reduced maintenance and replacement needs, with some applications lasting over 15 years without failure.

The pipe supports multiple installation methods: welding (for steel layers), flanged connections, and quick couplings. Its weldability allows on-site modification, while lightweight design reduces crane requirements and installation time by up to 50%.

With Vickers hardness of 1000-1500, the ceramic layer resists impact, bending, and vibration. Drop tests from 3 meters show no damage, and finite element analysis confirms its ability to withstand 40 bar pressure without deformation.

Key applications include power plant ash discharge systems, metallurgical slag transport, cement mill dust lines, chemical corrosive fluid pipes, and coal mine tailings conduits. They excel in elbows, tees, and reducers where erosion is most severe.

A ceramic lined pipe features an inner coating of high-alumina ceramic for superior wear and corrosion resistance. Compared to bare steel pipes, it offers:

5-10x longer service life in abrasive environments
Reduced downtime from maintenance
Improved flow efficiency
Compatibility with various fittings (elbows, tees, etc.)

Ceramic steel pipe and traditional steel pipe, wear-resistant alloy cast steel pipe, cast stone pipe, as well as steel plastic, steel rubber pipe, etc. have essential differences. The outer layer of ceramic steel pipe is steel, and the inner is corundum. The Vickers hardness of corundum layer is as high as 100-1500 (Rockwell hardness is 90-98), which is equivalent to tungsten cobalt hard gold. The wear resistance is more than 20 times times higher than carbon steel pipe, it is superior to the corundum grinding wheel which is usually bonded. Now the corundum grinding wheel is still the main grinding wheel of the grinding mill. The corundum layer in the ceramic steel tube can wear away the corundum grinding wheel. The abrasion resistance of ceramic steel tube is mainly by the inner layer of several millimeters thick corundum layer, its Morse hardness is 9, second only to diamond and SIC, in all oxides, its hardness is the highest.

The inner liner ceramic wear-resisting steel pipe is made by SHS high temperature synthesis-centrifugal method, the melting point of corundum in ceramic steel pipe is 2045 ℃, the corundum layer and steel layer have special structure and stress field because of the process reason. Under normal temperature, the compressive stress of the ceramic layer, the tensile stress of the steel layer, the two opposites, into a balanced whole. Only when the temperature rises to more than 400 ℃, because the thermal expansion coefficient is different, the new stress field produced by the thermal expansion and the original stress field in the ceramic steel pipe cancel each other, so that both the ceramic layer and the steel layer are in a free equilibrium state. When the temperature rises to 900 ℃ the inner liner ceramic wear-resistant steel pipe into the water, repeatedly soaked repeatedly, the composite layer does not crack or cracking, showing the incomparable thermal shock resistance of ordinary ceramics. This performance is of great use in construction, because the outer layer is steel, in addition to heating the inner layer does not crack, in the construction, the flange, blowing, explosion-proof doors can be welded, but also can be directly welded to connect, which is more than wear-resistant cast stone pipe, wear-resistant cast steel pipe, Rare-earth wear-resistant steel pipe, bimetal composite pipe, steel pipe, Steel rubber pipe In the construction is not easy to weld or welding more than a chip. Internal liner ceramic Wear-resistant steel pipe resistance to mechanical impact is good, in transport, installation beat and the two support between the weight bending deformation, the composite layer does not break off.

At present, the practice of dozens of thermal power plants shows that the wear resistance of the inner-lined ceramic steel tube is high, and the resistance to fluid scouring is strong. In the first air duct, the bending pipe wear the most quickly, the wear resistance of the inner liner ceramic wear-resisting steel pipe is more than 5 times times higher than that of the thick wall wear-resisting cast steel elbow.

In practice, the inner liner ceramic wear-resistant steel pipe after 1-2 years to open observation and measurement, the composite layer has no obvious wear or fall off, in the same size and unit length of the pipeline, the internal liner ceramic wear-resistant steel tube weight only wear-resistant cast steel pipe or bimetal composite pipe of about 1/2, the cost of each of the meters reduced 30–40%, Only cast stone pipe and Rare-earth wear-resistant steel pipe weight of about 2/5, per meter project cost reduction of more than 20%. In the corrosive or high-temperature place to use the liner ceramic wear-resistant steel pipe, its price is only a stainless steel tube, nickel-titanium tube of a fraction of.

Fluid pipeline transportation is not only used in the power industry, but also in metallurgy, coal, petroleum, chemical, building materials, machinery and other industries. When the pipe is transported with large grinding material (such as ash residue, pulverized coal, mineral fine powder, tailings cement, etc., there is a problem of fast abrasion of pipe, especially the bending pipe wear fast; when conveying a strong corrosive gas, liquid or solid in the pipeline, there is a problem that the pipeline is corroded and destroyed quickly. When conveying the material with high temperature in the pipeline, there are some problems such as the price of heat-resisting steel pipe is very expensive. The internal liner ceramic wear-resistant steel pipe market, these problems are solved.

SHS Self-Burning Ceramic Composite Pipe Characteristics

Self-propagating High-temperature Synthesis technology of corundum ceramic composite steel pipe utilizes "SHS" technology composite, a national High-tech "863" project originally promoted by the national metallurgical Industry Department and Ministry of Electricity.

Three-Layer Composite Structure

The tube consists of three parts from inside to outside: ceramic (corundum) layer, transition layer, and steel layer, creating a durable composite structure.

Excellent Wear Resistance

Corundum ceramic (α-Al₂O₃) with Mohs hardness of 9.0, equivalent to HRC90+. Wear life is 10-20 times longer than hardened steel, confirmed by industrial operation.

Low Operating Resistance

Smooth inner surface with drag coefficient of 0.0193, better than any metal pipe. Reduces operating costs and improves flow efficiency.

Corrosion & Anti-Scaling

Neutral α-Al₂O₃ ceramic layer resists acid, alkali, and seawater corrosion while preventing scale buildup.

Temperature & Heat Resistance

Operates normally in temperature range of -50°C to 700°C. Linear expansion coefficient of 6-8 × 10⁻⁶/°C, about 1/2 of steel pipe.

Low Project Cost

50% lighter than cast stone pipes, 20-30% lighter than wear-resistant alloy pipes. Project cost reduced by about 20% compared to wear-resistant alloy pipes.