Schedule 80 steel pipe pressure rating

Schedule 80 steel pipes have thicker walls and significantly higher pressure resistance than Schedule 40 steel pipes, making them widely used in high-pressure, high-temperature systems such as gas pipelines, steam systems, oil pipelines, and industrial fluid pipelines. Understanding their pressure rating is crucial for material selection.

What determines the pressure rating of Schedule 80 steel pipes?

The pressure rating of Schedule 80 steel pipes depends on various factors, including material grade, pipe size, operating temperature, connection method, and manufacturing method. It is not a fixed value but rather the result of engineering calculations and standardized testing. The following is a detailed explanation of each factor:

1. Wall Thickness (Main Factor)：For all nominal pipe diameters, the wall thickness of Schedule 80 steel pipes is greater than that of Schedule 40 steel pipes. The thicker the wall, the higher the permissible working pressure.

For example: Schedule 40 wall thickness: 3.91mm; Schedule 80 wall thickness: 5.54mm. Increasing the wall thickness directly improves the pressure resistance by approximately 50%.

2. Material Grade: Pressure rating is largely influenced by steel grade and manufacturing standards. The mechanical properties of the material determine the upper limit of pressure resistance; different materials exhibit significant differences in pressure rating under the same SCH (Standard Pressure Rating).

3. Operating Temperature: Increased temperature affects material strength (thermal degradation effect). At 400°F (204°C), pressure resistance may decrease by 20%–40%, and at 800°F (427°C), pressure resistance decreases by 60%–80%.

4. Manufacturing Method (Seamless vs. Welded): The manufacturing method is also a crucial factor affecting pipeline pressure rating. Seamless Schedule 80 steel pipes can withstand higher pressures and are suitable for high-temperature, high-pressure systems. Welded Schedule 80 steel pipes have lower pressure resistance, especially at high temperatures.

5. Pipe Diameter (NPS): Smaller diameter pipes can withstand higher pressures. For example, a 1" SCH 80 pipe can withstand pressures exceeding 4,000 PSI, while an 8" SCH 80 pipe may only withstand 1,000 PSI.

SCH 80 Steel Pipe Pressure Rating

SCH 80 Steel Pipe Pressure Rating (psi)
Pipe Size (inches)	Pipe Schedule	Temperature (°F)
		100	200	300	400	500	600	650	700	750
1"	40	3048	2629	2362	2171	2019	1924	1867	1824	1810
	80	4213	3634	3265	3002	2791	2659	2580	2528	2501
	160	6140	5296	4759	4375	4068	3876	3761	3684	3646
1 1/2"	40	2257	1947	1750	1608	1496	1425	1383	1354	1340
	80	3182	2744	2466	2267	2108	2009	1949	1909	1889
	160	4619	3984	3580	3291	3060	2916	2829	2772	2743
2"	40	1902	1640	1474	1355	1260	1201	1165	1141	1129
	80	2747	2369	2129	1957	1820	1734	1682	1648	1631
	160	4499	3880	3486	3205	2980	2840	2755	2699	2671
3"	40	1806	1558	1400	1287	1196	1140	1106	1084	1072
	80	2553	2202	1979	1819	1691	1612	1564	1532	1516
	160	3840	3312	2976	2736	2544	2424	2352	2304	2280
4"	40	1531	1321	1187	1091	1014	967	938	919	909
	80	2213	1909	1715	1577	1466	1397	1355	1328	1314
	160	3601	3106	2791	2566	2386	2273	2206	2161	2138
5"	40	1342	1158	1040	956	889	847	822	805	797
	80	1981	1709	1535	1411	1312	1250	1213	1189	1176
	160	3414	2945	2646	2433	2262	2155	2091	2049	2027
6"	40	1219	1052	945	869	808	770	747	732	724
	80	1913	1650	1483	1363	1267	1208	1172	1148	1136
	160	3289	2836	2549	2343	2179	2076	2014	1973	1953
8"	40	1073	926	832	765	711	678	657	644	637
	80	1692	1459	1311	1205	1121	1068	1036	1015	1005
	160	3175	2738	2460	2262	2103	2004	1944	1905	1885
10"	40	974	840	755	694	645	615	596	584	578
	80	1609	1388	1247	1147	1066	1016	986	966	956
	160	3147	2714	2439	2242	2085	1986	1927	1880	1868

Applications Requiring Schedule 80 Pressure Rating

Schedule 80 is suitable for systems that demand higher strength, such as:

High-pressure air compressor lines

High-temperature steam lines

Oil and gas transfer pipelines

Chemical processing equipment

Hydraulic and pneumatic systems

Boiler piping

Fire protection mains

Seamless SCH 80 is typically required for extreme pressure and temperature.

Summary

Schedule 80 steel pipes, with their thicker walls and superior mechanical properties, can withstand working pressures ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 PSI (the exact value varies depending on pipe diameter, material, and temperature), making them an ideal pressure-resistant solution for petrochemical, high-temperature steam systems, and high-pressure industrial piping networks.

Read more：What pressure is schedule 40 pipe