Despite having a degree in Chemical Engineering, I don’t really use it. However, I’ve noticed that many practicing chemical engineers are unfamiliar with a nuanced concept regarding pipes and tubes, so I’ve decided to explore this topic.

Pipes and tubes are curious terms because dictionaries often use one to define the other. Moreover, they’re often considered synonyms. As a result, the average person might not perceive any difference between them.

A chemical engineer, however, must understand an important distinction between the two for the sake of the discipline, even if they use the words interchangeably in practice. The key difference is that pipes are rigid, while tubes are flexible. This is why the water line to the kitchen sink is a pipe, but the hose that drains dirty water from a water purifier is a tube. This distinction also applies to many laboratory apparatuses where pipes are made of glass or metals (for rigidity) and tubes are made of plastic or membranes (for flexibility).


#chemical-engineering