Carbon Steel Pipe Tee

Carbon Steel Pipe Tee – Essential Branch Connections for Fluid Distribution

Introduction
A carbon steel pipe tee is a T-shaped fitting designed to create a branch from a main pipeline, enabling fluid or gas diversion in processing systems. Manufactured from carbon steel, these tees combine mechanical strength with versatile sizing options to meet the demands of industries such as oil and gas, petrochemical, water treatment, and power generation. Hebei Longrun Pipeline Group Company offers a comprehensive range of carbon steel pipe tees engineered for reliable service under varying pressure and temperature conditions.

Material Properties
Carbon steel is widely used for pipe fittings due to its balance of strength, ductility, and cost-effectiveness. Typical chemical composition includes 0.10–0.30% carbon, up to 0.40% silicon, and 0.30–1.50% manganese. These elemental proportions yield fittings capable of operating at pressures up to 2,500 psi and temperatures from –45 °C to 400 °C. The material’s weldability and formability allow for precise fabrication of both equal and reducing tees.

Design Variations

Equal Tee: Main and branch outlets share the same nominal diameter, ideal for splitting flow evenly.

Reducing Tee: Branch outlet diameter is smaller than the main run, used when secondary lines require reduced flow capacity.

Butt-Weld Ends: Prepared with beveled edges for butt welding to adjacent pipe ends, meeting ASME B16.25 surface finish requirements.

Socket-Weld and Threaded Tees: Available for smaller diameters (up to DN 50) in lower-pressure applications, with socket connections or NPT threads.

Manufacturing Process

Seamless Forging or Welding: Depending on size and pressure rating, the tee body is formed either by hot forging a seamless blank or by welding three pipe sections.

Heat Treatment: Normalizing or quenching and tempering refines the grain structure, improving toughness and reducing residual stresses.

Machining: End faces are faced and beveled to precise angles; branch intersections are machined to ensure concentricity and smooth internal transitions.

Surface Preparation: Pickling or sandblasting removes scale and oxidation; an optional primer may be applied for corrosion resistance.

Inspection: Non-destructive testing methods such as ultrasonic thickness measurement and hydrostatic pressure testing verify wall integrity and leak tightness.

Key Specifications

Size Range: DN 15 (½″) to DN 1200 (48″) and above.

Pressure Classes: ANSI Class 150, 300, 600, 900, 1500, 2500.

Wall Thickness: Defined by schedule numbers (Sch 10–Sch XXS) or exact millimetre values in metric series.

Standards Compliance: ASME B16.9, MSS SP-75, EN 10253, ISO 5251.

Applications

Oil & Gas: Branching off main transportation lines for product injection or sampling headers.

Petrochemical: Feeding reactors, heat exchangers, and fractionation columns with process streams.

Water Treatment: Distributing treated water to multiple discharge lines and chemical dosing systems.

Power Plants: Diverting steam, cooling water, and chemical feed lines.

HVAC & Fire Protection: Routing water or glycol mixtures in heating and fire suppression networks.

Installation Guidelines

Alignment: Ensure pipe and tee ends are properly aligned to prevent offset stresses.

Welding: Follow ASME Section IX welding procedures; preheat may be required for thicker walls or low-temperature service.

Support: Provide adequate bracing or hangers near tees to counterbalance weight of branch pipelines.

Pressure Testing: Conduct hydrostatic tests at 1.25–1.5× design pressure, inspecting weld seams and joint integrity.

Maintenance Practices
Routine inspections, including visual checks and ultrasonic thickness gauging, help detect corrosion, erosion, or wall thinning. Recoat or reapply protective finishes where external exposure is severe.

Conclusion
Hebei Longrun Pipeline Group Company’s carbon steel pipe tees deliver reliable branch connections for a wide range of pipeline systems. Through precise manufacturing, adherence to international standards, and extensive size offerings, these fittings support effective fluid distribution in diverse industrial applications.