Standards for boiler pipes

In industrial boilers and heat exchange systems, the material, size, tolerance, chemical composition and mechanical properties of boiler tubes need to comply with specific national or international standards, such as ASTM/ASME A/SA 106, A192, A210, A213, A335, EN  10216-2, DIN 17175, etc. These standards jointly stipulate the reliability and safety of boiler tubes in high-temperature and high-pressure environments.

1.ASME BPVC material code (American standard)

ASME BPVC Section II - material specifications (Part A, B, C, D) puts forward requirements for the chemical composition, mechanical properties, heat treatment, etc. of steel tube materials for boilers; The specification numbers are generally mainly SA-XXX (ferrite and austenite) and SA-2XX (carbon steel and carbon-molybdenum alloy).

Common seamless tubes for boilers/superheaters:

ASME SA -106 /SA -106M: High temperature carbon steel.
ASME SA - 192/SA - 192M: Carbon steel for high-pressure boilers.
ASME SA - 209/SA - 209M: Carbon-molybdenum alloy steel.
ASME SA - 210/SA - 210M: Medium carbon steel.
ASME SA - 213/SA - 213M: Ferritic and austenitic alloy steel.
ASME SA - 335/SA - 335M: High-temperature ferritic alloy steel (P Grades).

2.ASTM series Standards (American Society for Testing and Materials)

ASTM A209/A209M -- 03(2022) : Specifies the dimensions, wall thickness, mechanical properties and inspection methods of carbon-molybdenum alloy steel seamless boiler and superheater tubes, applicable to tubes with an outer diameter of approximately  12.7-127 mm and a wall thickness of 0.9-12.7 mm.

ASTM A178/ A178M-19: It is applicable to resistance welded carbon steel and carbon-manganese steel boiler and superheater tubes, covering A similar size range. It also defines different material grades A, C, and D, involving requirements for mechanical properties, etc.

3. Eu and German standards

DIN 17175: German standard for heat-resistant steel seamless boiler tubes, such as St35.8, 15Mo3, etc.
EN 10216-2: EU standard, specifying the performance grades of high-temperature non-alloy and alloy steel pipes, such as 13CrMo4-5, P265GH, 10CrMo9-10, etc.
The EU Pressure Equipment Directive PED 2014/68/EU: It sets out legal requirements for the design, manufacture and conformity assessment processes of pressure equipment (including boilers), complementing the ASME code.

4. British standard

Old standards such as BS 53 have specific provisions for cold-drawn seamless steel tubes for locomotive boilers.

5. Chinese National Standards (GB/T/GB Series)

China has established multiple standards for different pressure levels and material types:

GB  3087-2008 / GB  3087-1999: seamless steel tubes for low and medium pressure boilers, commonly used in industrial boilers and condensers, suitable for carbon steel grades such as 10 and 20.
GB  5310-2008 / GB  5310-1995: seamless steel tubes for high-pressure boilers, materials such as 20G, 12Cr1MoVG, 25MnG, etc., applicable to high-pressure and ultra-high-pressure steam boilers (superheaters, reheaters, water-cooled walls, etc.)
GB  6479-2013: standard for seamless steel tubes for power station grade high-pressure boilers further refines the technical requirements.
GB/T 20409-2006: Special technical specifications for high-temperature and high-pressure boiler tubes are proposed.
GB/T 13296-2023: The newly released standard for stainless steel seamless tubes, used for boilers and heat exchangers, including classification, code, ordering, dimensions, tolerances, technical requirements and test methods, has been implemented since June 1, 2024.

The selection of materials and standards for boiler tubes must be based on actual working conditions such as temperature, pressure and corrosive media. Whether it is carbon steel pipes that can withstand low pressure, alloy steel pipes that can withstand high temperatures, or stainless steel pipes that are resistant to corrosion, only by strictly following the corresponding standards such as ASTM/ASME, EN/DIN or GB/T can the reliable operation and the longest service life of the boiler system be ensured.

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