Piping Materials - Temperature Expansion Coefficients

Temperature expansion coefficients for materials used in pipes and tubes like aluminum, carbon steel, cast iron, PVC, HDPE and more. Use these coefficients to calculate thermal expansion of pipes and tubes.

MaterialExpansion Coefficient (10⁻⁶ in/in °F)Expansion Coefficient (10⁻⁶ m/m °C)
Aluminum12.823.1
Carbon Steel6.511.7
Cast Iron5.910.6
Copper9.316.8
Stainless Steel9.917.8
ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)3563
HDPE (High density polyethylene)67120
PE (Polyethylene)83150
CPVC (Chlorinated polyvinyl chloride)4479
PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)2850.4

Notes

  • Conversion: 1 in/in °F = 1200 in/100ft °F = 1.8 m/m°C
  • Important: Plastic materials have significantly higher expansion coefficients, making plastic pipes and tubes extremely sensitive to temperature changes. Always pay attention to plastic pipes and tubes when temperature varies.

Example - Thermal Expansion of a PVC Pipe

A PVC pipe with length 6 m is heated from 0°C to 60°C.

Expansion of the pipe can be calculated as:

Δl = (50.4×10⁻⁶ m/m°C) × (6 m) × ((60°C) - (0°C))

  • Δl = 0.018 m
  • Δl = 1.8 cm