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What is the most common material gas pipes made of? I read in a unreliable website it's steel, is it true?
Also how good is steel at stopping or slowing down the leaking of gas?
The gas I am using or planning on using is Argon which is denser than air.
In my admittedly limited experience working with plumbers, natural gas pipes are typically made from galvanized steel for interior work, or from black steel pipe for underground. Last-leg fittings and tubes which connect the stub-outs to various appliances are sometimes made from copper and brass. Other materials are possible, as noted here. Some things to consider:
For argon, the first point is still relevant, though the last is likely irrelevant if the argon is pure. The second point may be relevant if you need any pipe runs outdoors.
As for leaking, the pipes themselves should not leak, typically it is joints that leak. If you need high pressure, ensure that the schedule of your pipe is sufficiently high (i.e. wall thickness) and that it is rated for the required pressure. As with all pressure vessels, ensure you have appropriate mechanical safety valves and a pressure regulator to decrease the risk of explosion. If you are worried about diffusion through the pipe, unless you plan to heat the argon to many hundreds of degrees C (which you will need specialized pipe for), the diffusion rates will probably be trivial. Focus on the pipe joints first for leak reduction.
If you only need to transport small quantities of argon over short distances, as in a lab setting, copper and brass flare fittings are most likely sufficient if the pressures aren't too high. If you need to transport large quantities, you should consult an professional engineer.
What is the context of your question? You are asking about natural gas but then mention argon. Natural gas and argon are very different substances with different uses.
The answer depends a lot on your environment, the composition of the natural gas, and the operating pressure. Most old natural gas pipelines were made with steel. However, steel pipelines are prone to corrosion and must have some kind of corrosion mitigation program in place (eg. pigging, chemical injection, etc.) This doesn't really apply if the pipe has an internal lining. Polyethylene is popular for lower pressure natural gas because it doesn't experience the same kind of corrosion problems steel does. However, it doesn't have the same kind of mechanical strength as steel.
If your pipeline is leaking I don't think it really matters what material you've chosen; it is leaking and the material isn't going to make it better or mitigate it. There is no such pipeline that will seal itself and stop the leak. Pipelines are also not porous enough that your process fluid would slowly seep out of it. If a pipe has been compromised enough to be leaking, the only way to stop the leak is to repair or replace the pipe. You should think more about what material and operating practices would prevent a leak from occurring in the first place; not about what material might slow or stop the leak once it has occurred.
