【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】2720-2025: Breaking Foreign Monopolies! Beichong Group takes the lead in the localization of ultra-long and ultra-high-pressure steel pipes

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This post was last edited by HaiChuanLaoYu on 2025-10-2 at 08:58. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Equipment】A continuously updated summary thread – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** With the rapid development of high-end chemical projects such as high-pressure polyethylene production in China, ultra-long and ultra-high-pressure steel pipes, as key equipment for these projects, have become increasingly important. However, for a long time, our country has faced insurmountable bottlenecks in the manufacturing technology of ultra-long and ultra-high-pressure steel pipes. This bottleneck not only hinders the development of China’s high-end manufacturing industry but also renders many petrochemical companies unable to compete effectively on the international stage. “The manufacturing technology of ultra-high-pressure steel pipes has always been a challenge for us. ”Zhou Zhongcheng, chief engineer of the Special Steel Division at Beichong Group, said, “There is strict foreign technological blockade, and even if technology is introduced, core equipment and raw materials are often under the control of others. This situation must change!” ” Piercing through obstacles to forge a “silver spear”. As a leading enterprise in the fields of special steel and ultra-high pressure technology in China, BEIC Group has achieved significant success in the research, development, and production of high-end pipes for applications in domestic thermal power and nuclear power sectors. Faced with the technical challenges associated with ultra-high-pressure steel pipes, Beichong Group has pooled its resources to form a specialized R&D team dedicated to overcoming this technical obstacle. The manufacturing of ultra-high-pressure steel pipes involves multiple complex processes, including the purification and smelting of materials, the precise fabrication of extremely long steel pipes, and the precision machining of deep holes. Each of these processes requires high technical standards, and companies need to possess strong technical capabilities as well as extensive production experience; this represents a significant challenge for any enterprise. “Firstly, controlling the purity of the material is a significant challenge; harmful elements in steel such as sulfur and phosphorus must be kept at extremely low levels, otherwise it will severely affect the performance and lifespan of the steel pipes ； Secondly, ensuring the straightness of ultra-long steel pipes is also a technical challenge. Since the length of these pipes exceeds 17 meters, they are prone to bending and deformation during processing, which not only affects the visual quality of the products but can also prevent the equipment from functioning properly. ” Tu Mingjin, director of the Special Steel Research Institute at Beichong Group’s Special Steel Division, said that the operating pressure is as high as 250–350 MPa, the operation takes place at temperatures around 300°C; harmful elements in the steel must be kept at extremely low levels; the material needs to possess good strength and toughness, and its length is usually over 17 meters... Facing numerous challenges, Beichong Group had a difficult journey in developing this technology. “During that period, we devoted almost all of our efforts to research on the purification and smelting of materials,” recalled Hu Yongping, a leader in weapons technology and senior deputy chief designer at Beichong Group’s special steel division. “We tried various smelting processes and deoxidization techniques, but none of them yielded satisfactory results.” Sometimes, even though the surface of the steel produced appears to be in good condition, tests reveal that the levels of harmful elements are too high or that the amount of impurities is excessive. ” Furthermore, the high-precision machining of the inner hole surface is also a major challenge in the development process. Due to the small inner diameter of the steel pipe and the requirement that the surface roughness be no greater than Ra0.1μm, this imposes extremely high demands on both the processing equipment and the manufacturing processes. The team must develop processing techniques such as deep-hole drilling, boring, and honing suitable for ultra-long and ultra-high-pressure steel pipes in order to ensure the quality and performance of the products. Faced with numerous challenges, the R&D team of the Special Steel Division at Beichong Group stepped up to the task and drove breakthroughs through technological innovation. At the same time, they collaborate with numerous universities and research institutions both at home and abroad to tackle technical challenges together. Hard work pays off; after going through numerous rounds of challenges, good news kept coming one after another. In the field of research on materials purification and smelting technologies, leveraging decades of experience in specialty steel smelting, the team uses raw materials such as low-element iron and alloys. By combining various multi-element deoxidization techniques involving aluminum, silicon, calcium, etc., along with argon-shielded electroslag remelting processes, they manage to keep the total oxygen content in the steel at an extremely low level. All types of non-metallic inclusions are kept at levels of ≤1.0, thereby laying a solid foundation for subsequent processing and manufacturing. In the research on heat treatment techniques for ultra-long rough forgings, they overcame key challenges such as heat processing temperature control, grain-refining annealing, heat treatment, and microstructure regulation, thereby ensuring the uniformity and stability of the forging’s properties. In addition to technological innovation, the team also emphasizes the deep integration of industry, academia, research, and application. They have collaborated with several petrochemical companies to jointly advance the localization of ultra-long and ultra-high-pressure steel pipes for high-pressure polyethylene plants. By gaining a thorough understanding of market demands and customer feedback, the team continuously improves product design and manufacturing processes to ensure that the products better meet users’ needs. Through the joint efforts of the team, Beichong Group has now overcome the technical barriers associated with the production of ultra-long and ultra-high-pressure steel pipes for high-pressure polyethylene plants. It has successfully manufactured such pipes with lengths exceeding 17 meters, which meet all the required technical specifications, and has also developed complete design drawings, production processes, and technical standards. Moreover, the mass production capability has been established, with plans to achieve large-scale production in the coming years. “Next, we will enhance our brand’s visibility and influence by participating in international exhibitions and collaborating with foreign companies. At the same time, the company will also continue to pay attention to international technological trends and market developments, adjusting its product portfolio and marketing strategies in a timely manner to maintain its leading position in the global market. ” Zhang Jianjun, deputy general manager of the Special Steel Division at Beichong Group, said.