ASTM A179 Cold Drawn Low Carbon Steel Pipe

ASTM A179/A179M - Standard Specification for Seamless Cold-Drawn Low-Carbon Steel Heat-Exchanger and Condenser Tubes

ASTM A179/ASME SA179 Low Carbon Steel Tubes shall be made by the seamless process and shall be cold drawn. ASTM A179 is an American standard that specifies the technical requirements for seamless cold-drawn low-carbon steel pipes for heat exchangers and condensers. These steel pipes should undergo thermal analysis and product analysis during the manufacturing process, and the steel should meet the required carbon, manganese, phosphorus and sulfur chemical composition. Steel materials should also undergo hardness tests, flattening tests, flaring tests, non-destructive testing, and hydraulic tests. ‌

‌ASTM A179 standard also places special emphasis on the chemical composition and physical properties of steel to ensure that the quality and performance of the product meet the usage requirements. ‌In addition, ‌the standard also covers the cold drawing process of steel to ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the final product. ‌Therefore, ‌mild steel pipes manufactured in compliance with ASTM A179 standards ‌not only guarantee their mechanical properties and corrosion resistance, ‌but also meet the high requirements for size and appearance in specific applications.

Specifications: 
Out diameter: 3.2 to 76.2 mm [1/8 to 3 inch.]
Wall thickness: 1.2 to 12 mm 

Length: 6 m above

Chemical Composition:

C: 0.06-0.18 

Mn: 0.27-0.63

P: ≤0.035

S: ≤0.035

Si: ≤0.25

Mechanical Properties:
Tensile strength, min, ksi [MPa]       47 [325]

Yield strength, min, ksi [MPa]          26 [180]

Elongation in 2 in. or 50 mm, min, %        35

Applications:
Heat exchangers: heat exchange equipment for chemical, food processing and other industries.
Condensers: suitable for condensing pipes in power plants and refrigeration systems.
Heating systems: heating and hot water supply pipes for residential and commercial buildings.

Production process:

- The steel pipes must be seamless and cold-drawn to ensure high dimensional accuracy and surface finish. After the last cold drawing, they must be heat treated (annealed) at 1200 degrees Fahrenheit (650℃) or higher.
- Appearance requirements: The finished pipes must be free of peeling, and a small amount of oxide cannot be identified as peeling.

Mechanical properties and testing requirements:

- Product analysis: When the purchase order indicates that product analysis is required, the supplier shall extract 1 from every 250 for analysis. And when the steel pipes differ due to heat treatment, 1 from each heat treatment batch shall be analyzed. The chemical composition shall be consistent with that specified in the order.

- Mechanical property tests include flattening test, flaring test, bending test (instead of flaring test under certain conditions), hardness test and water pressure test. For example, the flattening test requires taking 2 steel pipes from each batch and collecting 1 specimen each; the water pressure test requires each steel pipe to be carried out, or it can be replaced by non-destructive electrical test when the purchaser requires it.

- In terms of hardness requirements, the hardness coefficient of the steel pipe shall not exceed 72 HRB.

Labeling and packaging:

Product labeling: In addition to meeting the labeling requirements of relevant general standards, the steel pipe should also include the company name and order number of the purchaser.
Packaging: Specific packaging requirements can be customized according to customer needs.

Comparison with other standards:

ASTM A106: High temperature and high pressure seamless pipe (≤650℃), with higher carbon content, suitable for steam/oil and gas pipelines
ASTM A53: General purpose carbon steel pipe (welded/seamless), weldable, low strength.
API 5L: Oil and gas transmission pipeline, heavy pressure resistance, not dedicated to heat exchange.

What are the standards for boiler tubes?

The ASTM standard strives to allow engineers around the world to use the same terminology and symbols, the same measurement system and the same experimental methods, and to ensure product quality. It is one of the most commonly used boiler tube standards in the world. Common ASTM standards include ASTM A106, ASTM A179, ASTM A192, etc.

The EN standard is a technical standard for boiler tubes formulated in Europe. It is similar to the ASTM standard and mainly uses terminology, symbols, measurement systems and experimental methods to unify the design and selection standards of engineers around the world. Common EN standards include EN10216-2, EN10216-3, EN10216-4, etc.

The GB standard is a technical standard for boiler tubes formulated in China, which mainly includes several specific specifications such as GB/T3087, GB/T5310, and GB/T6479. Among them, GB/T3087 is suitable for seamless steel pipes for low and medium pressure boilers, GB/T5310 is suitable for high-pressure, high-temperature, and corrosion-resistant boiler seamless steel pipes, and GB/T6479 is suitable for high-pressure and high-temperature seamless steel pipes in chemical equipment.

In addition to the above-mentioned mainstream boiler tube standards, there are other standards such as JIS standards, DIN standards, etc., but these standards have relatively few application scenarios.

Notes:
When ordering, it is necessary to specify the specific quantity and size information, and submit relevant test reports. At the same time, since the steel pipe undergoes processes such as cold drawing and heat treatment, its mechanical properties and chemical composition must meet the standard requirements.

ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials standards are somewhat similar to China's GB 10#. But please note that it is not the corresponding steel grade that can be used. Please consult the Chinese seamless pipe supplier for details.

Conclusion:
ASTM A179 is the standard for seamless steel pipes for heat exchangers and condensers. With low carbon composition, cold drawing precision processing and strict heat treatment requirements, it is suitable for medium and low temperature heat transfer equipment. Its economy and easy processing make it widely used in heat exchangers, condensers and other equipment in the petroleum, chemical, pharmaceutical, food, light industry, machinery, instruments and other industries.

Read more: Seamless boiler tube or Carbon steel ERW boiler tube & air heater tube