Marine & Shipbuilding

Why Marine Environments Demand Specialist Alloys

Seawater is one of the most aggressive environments any piping material faces. High chloride concentration, salt spray, humidity, and temperature swings combine to accelerate several types of corrosion, such as pitting corrosion, seawater corrosion, crevice corrosion, stress corrosion cracking (SCC), microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), and biofouling.

Unprotected carbon steel loses 0.1-0.3mm per year in seawater. Over a 25-30-year vessel lifespan, that’s not a viable option. Piping also faces vibration, wave-loading fatigue, and thermal cycling throughout its service life.

Classification societies include DNV, LR, ABS, BV and CCS, which require type-approved materials for marine piping. There’s no alternative. IMO regulations are also tightening restrictions on anti-corrosion coatings, which is increasing demand for alloys that resist corrosion without surface treatment.

Marine-Grade Alloys for Shipbuilding & Offshore

XTD manufactures the full range of marine-grade seamless pipes and tubes. Certified by all five major classification societies. Below is a breakdown by material family.

Where Our Pipes & Tubes Serve the Marine Industry

XTD’s seamless solutions are engineered for high-integrity performance across the most demanding maritime sectors. By utilising corrosion-resistant alloys (CRA), we ensure operational longevity in environments where failure is not an option.

In Vessel Piping Systems, our pipes form the critical infrastructure for seawater cooling, ballast water treatment systems (BWTS), and fire-suppression lines. For specialised ships like LNG carriers and chemical tankers, our austenitic and duplex grades offer the vital cryogenic toughness and corrosion resistance needed for intricate cargo tank piping and fuel oil transfer systems.

Within the Offshore & Subsea sector, we provide high-pressure piping solutions for FPSO, FSO, and FSRU topsides, as well as drilling rigs and subsea manifolds. These applications use XTD’s super duplex and nickel alloy materials to handle extreme water pressure and prevent chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking in deep-water conditions, where maintenance is both difficult and expensive.

For heat transfer and condenser systems, we manufacture precision seamless U-tubes and straight tubes. These are used in marine engine condensers, freshwater generators, and seawater-cooled heat exchangers. Our tubes are designed to ensure optimal thermal efficiency. They also offer long-lasting protection against biofouling and erosion-corrosion, which contributes to the dependable performance of a vessel’s essential thermal management systems.

Why Choose XTD for Marine & Shipbuilding Piping

XTD has been manufacturing seamless pipes for decades. Seamless pipes resist fatigue better than welded pipes under vibration and wave loading, which is important in marine service. XTD is certified by all five major classification societies, DNV, LR, ABS, BV and CCS, covering every major shipbuilding region in the world.

We supply the full material range from a single source, including 316L, 304L, duplex S31803/S32205, super duplex S32750/S32760, SMO 254, Inconel 625 and Incoloy 825. XTD also holds NORSOK M650, PED, AD2000, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001 certifications.

Quality assurance includes hydrostatic testing, non-destructive testing such as UT, ET and RT, positive material identification, full traceability and EN 10204 3.1 and 3.2 documentation. XTD is based in China, the world’s largest shipbuilding nation, which gives Asian shipyards a direct supply chain advantage.