Boiler tubes in power-generation are used only for utility boilers to generate steam for electricity production. Boilers for industrial applications produce steam or hot water for process applications for various industries – biomass firing (fluidized bed boilers), heating, pulp and paper industry (recovery boilers), waste to energy plants, various chemical processes. Boilers are used for different combustion systems (conventional coal, oil and gas) and usually boiler tubes withstand high pressure and high temperature conditions.
Boiler tubes for nuclear power-generation are used within secondary cycle of nuclear power stations and are a tube components of a steam generation boiler. Special safety requirements are applied to nuclear boiler tubes, which is due to critical application area.