Introduction
Material selection for piping systems is a critical optimization process that balances capital cost, operational costs, and overall life cycle costs while ensuring safety and reliability. Effective material selection involves evaluating several key factors to ensure that the chosen materials meet the required performance and durability standards.
Key Factors in Material Selection
1. Availability: Ensure the material is readily available.
2. Design Life: Material should be suitable for the design life, including considerations for corrosion allowance.
3. Process Compatibility: The material must be compatible with the process fluid.
4. Design Conditions: Suitability for design temperature, pressure, and cyclic loading is crucial.
5. Environmental Conditions: Consider the impact of environmental conditions (e.g., saline environments) on material effectiveness.
6. Ultraviolet Degradation: Assess potential UV degradation of materials.
7. Support Arrangements: Feasibility of providing economical supporting arrangements.
8. Past Experience: Leverage past experience with materials used in similar applications.
9. Corrosion Protection: Include additional requirements for corrosion protection, such as cathodic protection, chemical injection, and monitoring.
10. Weight Reduction: Aim for weight reduction where feasible.
11. Costs: Consider fabrication, inspection, and installation costs.
12. Failure Evaluation: Evaluate failure probabilities, failure modes, and consequences.
Approach to Material Selection
The material selection process typically follows these progressive steps, particularly in the oil and gas industry:
1. Bare Carbon Steel: Use without internal coating, with a corrosion allowance.
2. Corrosion Inhibition: Apply corrosion inhibition to bare carbon steel.
3. Internal Coating or Lining: Use carbon steel pipes with internal coating or lining.
4. Cathodic Protection: Implement cathodic protection for carbon steel.
5. Corrosion Resistant Alloy (CRA): Opt for more advanced materials like CRA when necessary.
Types of Piping Materials
Piping materials are generally classified into metallic and non-metallic categories:
Metallic Materials
Ferrous Piping
Carbon Steel
Stainless Steel
Duplex Steel
Cast Iron
Ductile Iron
Non-Ferrous Piping
Copper
Copper Nickel
Inconel 625
Titanium
Aluminium
Material Characteristics
Carbon Steel: Suitable for many applications with corrosion allowances. Performs well between -29°C and 427°C. For higher durability, consider a corrosion allowance of 3 mm, with 6 mm as an upper limit.
Low-Temperature Carbon Steel: Used for subzero temperatures.
Low-Alloy Carbon Steel: Suitable for high-temperature applications.
Stainless Steel: Used for many corrosive service applications.
Duplex Steels and Corrosion Resistant Alloys: Consider for more aggressive environments.
Role of Metallurgists and Corrosion Engineers
Metallurgists or Corrosion Engineers are typically responsible for developing material selection philosophies, preparing material selection reports, and creating material selection diagrams. These reports and diagrams are crucial for developing appropriate piping material classes.
ASTM Grades and Standards
ASME B31.3 provides a list of commonly used metallic piping materials. The following table includes ASTM codes for both ferrous and non-ferrous materials used in plant facilities:
List of ASTM Codes for Piping Materials - Ferrous Materials
ASTM Grade | Material Description |
A48 | Standard Specification for Gray Iron Castings |
A53 | Standard Specification for Pipe, Steel, Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc Coated, Welded and Seamless |
A105 | Standard Specification for Forgings, Carbon Steel, For Piping Components |
A106 | Standard Specification for Seamless Carbon Steel Pipe For High-Temperature Service |
A126 | Standard Specification for Gray Cast Iron Castings For Valves, Flanges, and Pipe Fittings |
A134 | Standard Specification for Pipe, Steel, Electric-Fusion (Arc)-Welded (Sizes Nps 16 and Over) |
A135 | Standard Specification for Electric-Resistance-Welded Steel Pipe |
A139 | Standard Specification for Electric-Fusion (Arc)-Welded Steel Pipe (Nps 4 and Over) |
A167 | Standard Specification for Stainless and Heat-Resisting Chromium-Nickel Steel Plate, Sheet and Strip |
A179 | Standard Specification for Seamless Cold-Drawn Low-Carbon Steel Heat- Exchanger and Condenser Tubes |
A181 | Standard Specification for Forgings, Carbon Steel For General Purpose Piping |
A182 | Standard Specification for Forged Or Rolled Alloy-Steel Pipe Flanges, Forged Fittings, and Valves and Parts For High-Temperature Service |
A197 | Standard Specification for Cupola Malleable Iron |
A200
| Standard Specification for Seamless Intermediate Alloy-Steel Still Tubes for Refinery Service |
A202 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Alloy Steel, Chromiummanganese-Silicon |
A203 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Alloy Steel, Nickel |
A204 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Alloy Steel, Molybdenum |
A213 | Standard Specification for Seamless Ferritic and Austenitic Alloy-Steel Boiler, Superheater, and Heat- Exchanger Tubes |
A214 | Standard Specification for Electric-Resistance-Welded Carbon Steel Heat-Exchanger and Condenser Tubes |
A216 | Standard Specification for Steel Castings, Carbon, Suitable For Fusion Welding For High-Temperature Service |
A217 | Standard Specification for Steel Castings, Martensitic Stainless and Alloy, For Pressure-Containing Parts Suitable For High-Temperature Service |
A234 | Standard Specification for Piping Fittings Of Wrought Carbon Steel and Alloy Steel For Moderate and Elevated Temperatures |
A240 | Standard Specification for Heat-Resisting Chromium and Chromium-Nickel Stainless Steel Plate, Sheet and Strip For Pressure Vessels |
A249 | Standard Specification for Welded Austenitic Steel Boiler, Superheater, Heat-Exchanger, and Condenser Tubes |
A268 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Ferritic Stainless Steel Tubing For General Service |
A269 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Tubing For General Service |
A270 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Sanitary Tubing |
A271 | Standard Specification for Seamless austenitic Chromium-Nickel Steel Still Tubes for Refinery Service |
A278 | Standard Specification for Gray Iron Castings For Pressure-Containing Parts For Temperatures Up To 650°F |
A283 | Standard Specification for Low and Intermediate Tensile Strength Carbon Steel Plates, Shapes and Bars |
A285 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Carbon Steel, Low- and Intermediate-Tensile Strength |
A299 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Carbon Steel, Manganese-Silicon |
A302 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Alloy Steel, Manganese Molybdenum and Manganese-Molybdenum-Nickel |
A312 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipe |
A333 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Steel Pipe For Low-Temperature Service |
A334 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Carbon and Alloy-Steel Tubes For Low-Temperature Service |
A335 | Standard Specification for Seamless Ferritic Alloy Steel Pipe For High-Temperature Service |
A350 | Standard Specification for Forgings, Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Requiring Notch Toughness Testing For Piping Components |
A351 | Standard Specification for Steel Castings, Austenitic, Austenitic-Ferritic (Duplex) For Pressure-Containing Parts |
A352 | Standard Specification for Steel Castings, Ferritic and Martensitic, For Pressure Containing Parts Suitable For Low-Temperature Service |
A353 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Alloy Steel, 9% Nickel, Double Normalized and Tempered |
A358 | Standard Specification for Electric-Fusion-Welded Austenitic Chromium-Nickel Alloy Steel Pipe For High-Temperature Service |
A369 | Standard Specification for Carbon Steel and Ferritic Alloy Steel Forged and Bored Pipe For High-Temperature Service |
A376 | Standard Specification for Seamless Austenitic Steel Pipe For High-Temperature Central-Station Service |
A381 | Standard Specification for Metal-Arc-Welded Steel Pipe For Use With High-Pressure Transmission Systems |
A387 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Alloy Steel, Chromium molybdenum |
A395 | Standard Specification for Ferritic Ductile Iron Pressure-Retaining Castings For Use At Elevated Temperatures |
A403 | Standard Specification for Wrought Austenitic Stainless Steel Piping Fittings |
A409 | Standard Specification for Welded Large Diameter Austenitic Steel Pipe For Corrosive Or High-Temperature Service |
A420 | Standard Specification for Piping Fittings Of Wrought Carbon Steel and Alloy Steel For Low-Temperature Service |
A426 | Standard Specification for Centrifugally Cast Ferritic Alloy Steel Pipe For High Temperature Service |
A451 | Standard Specification for Centrifugally Cast Austenitic Steel Pipe For High Temperature Service |
A479 | Standard Specification for Stainless and Heat-Resisting Steel Bars and Shapes For Use In Boilers and Other Pressure Vessels |
A487 | Standard Specification for Steel Castings Suitable For High-Pressure Service |
A494 | Standard Specification for Castings, Nickel and Nickel Alloy |
A498 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Carbon, Ferritic, and Austenitic Alloy Steel Heat-Exchanger Tubes with Integral Fins |
A511 | Standard Specification for Seamless Stainless Steel Mechanical Tubing |
A515 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Carbon Steel, For Intermediate and Higher-Temperature Service |
A516 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Carbon Steel, For Moderate- and Lower-Temperature Service |
A524 | Standard Specification for Seamless Carbon Steel Pipe For Atmospheric and Lower Temperatures |
A537 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Heat-Treated, Carbon Manganese-Silicon Steel |
A553 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, Alloy Steel, Quenched and Tempered 8 and 9% Nickel |
A554 | Standard Specification for Welded Stainless Steel Mechanical Tubing |
A570 | Standard Specification for Hot-Rolled Carbon Steel Sheet and Strip, Structural Quality |
A571 | Standard Specification for Austenitic Ductile Iron Castings For Pressure-Containing Parts Suitable For Low-Temperature Service |
A587 | Standard Specification for Electric-Welded Low-Carbon Steel Pipe For The Chemical Industry |
A632 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Tubing (Small-Diameter) for General Service |
A645 | Standard Specification for Pressure Vessel Plates, 5% Nickel Alloy Steel, Specially Heat Treated |
A671 | Standard Specification for Electric-Fusion-Welded Steel Pipe For Atmospheric and Lower Temperatures |
A672 | Standard Specification for Electric-Fusion-Welded Steel Pipe For High-Pressure Service At Moderate Temperatures |
A688 | Standard Specification for Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Feedwater Heater Tubes |
A691 | Standard Specification for Carbon and Alloy Steel Pipe, Electric Fusion-Welded For High-Pressure Service At High Temperatures |
A778 | Standard Specification for Welded, Unannealed Austenitic Stainless Steel Tubular Products |
A789 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Ferritic Austenitic Stainless Steel Tubing For General Service |
A790 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Ferritic Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipe |
A803 | Standard Specification for Welded Ferritic Stainless Steel Feedwater Heater Tubes |
A813 | Standard Specification for Single- or Double-Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipe |
A814 | Standard Specification for Cold-Worked Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Pipe |
A815 | Standard Specification for Wrought Ferritic, Ferritic Austenitic and Martensitic Stainless Steel Fittings |
A851 | Standard Specification for High-Frequency Induction Welded, Unannealed, Austenitic Steel Condenser Tubes |
A928 | Standard Specification for Ferritic/Austenitic (Duplex) Stainless Steel Pipe Electric Fusion Welded with Addition of Filler Metal |
List of ASTM Codes for Piping Materials - Non-Ferrous Materials
B21
| Standard Specification for Naval Brass Rod, Bar, and Shapes |
B26 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Sand Castings |
B42 | Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Pipe, Standard Sizes |
B43 | Standard Specification for Seamless Red Brass Pipe, Standard Sizes |
B61 | Standard Specification for Steam or Valve Bronze Castings |
B62
| Standard Specification for Composition Bronze or Ounce Metal Castings |
B68 | Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Tube, Bright Annealed |
B75 | Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Tube |
B88 | Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Water Tube |
B96 | Standard Specification for Copper-Silicon Alloy Plate, Sheet, Strip, and Rolled Bar For General Purposes and Pressure Vessels |
B98 | Standard Specification for Copper-Silicon Alloy Rod, Bar, and Shapes |
B127 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Copper Alloy (UNS N04400) Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B133 | Standard Specification for Copper Rod, Bar, and Shapes |
B148 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Bronze Castings |
B150 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Bronze Rod, Bar, and Shapes |
B152 | Standard Specification for Copper Sheet, Strip, Plate, and Rolled Bar |
B160 | Standard Specification for Nickel Rod and Bar |
B161 | Standard Specification for Nickel Seamless Pipe and Tube |
B162 | Standard Specification for Nickel Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B164 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Copper Alloy Rod, Bar, and Wire |
B165
| Standard Specification for Nickel-Copper Alloy (UNS N04400) Seamless Pipe and Tube |
B166 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Iron Alloy (UNS N06600) Rod, Bar, and Wire |
B167 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Iron Alloy (UNS N06600-N06690) Seamless Pipe and Tube |
B168 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Iron Alloy (UNS N06600-N06690) Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B169 | Standard Specification for Aluminum Bronze Plate, Sheet, Strip, and Rolled Bar |
B171 | Standard Specification for Copper-Alloy Condenser Tube Plates |
B187 | Standard Specification for Copper Bar, Bus Bar, Rod, and Shapes |
B209
| Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Sheet and Plate |
B210 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Drawn Seamless Tubes |
B211 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Bars, Rods, and Wire |
B221 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire, Shapes, and Tubes |
B241 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Seamless Pipe and Seamless Extruded Tube |
B247 | Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Die, Hand, and Rolled Ring Forgings |
B280 | Standard Specification for Seamless Copper Tube For Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Fluid Service |
B283 | Standard Specification for Copper and Copper-Alloy Die Forgings (Hot-Pressed) |
B265 | Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate |
B333 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Molybdenum Alloy Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B335 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Molybdenum Alloy Rod |
B337 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Titanium and Titanium Alloy Pipe |
B345
| Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Seamless Extruded Tube and Seamless Pipe For Gas and Oil Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems |
B361 | Standard Specification for Factory-Made Wrought Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Welding Fittings |
B366 | Standard Specification for Factory-Made Wrought Nickel and Nickel-Alloy Welding Fittings |
B381 | Standard Specification for Titanium and Titanium Alloy Forgings |
B407 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Iron-Chromium Alloy Seamless Pipe and Tube |
B409 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Iron-Chromium Alloy Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B423
| Standard Specification for Nickel-Iron-Chromium-Molybdenum-Copper Alloy (UNS No8825 and N08221) Seamless Pipe and Tube |
B424 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Iron-Chromium-Molybdenum-Copper Alloy (UNS No8825 and N08221) Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B425 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Iron-Chromium-Molybdenum-Copper Alloy (UNS No8825 and N08221) Rod and Bar |
B435 | Standard Specification for UNS N06002, UNS N06230, UNS N12160, and UNS R30556 Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B443 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum-Columbium Alloy (UNS N06625) Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B444 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum-Columbium Alloy (UNS N06625) Seamless Pipe and Tube |
B446 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum-Columbium Alloy (UNS N06625) Rod and Bar |
B462 | Standard Specification for Forged or Rolled UNS N06030, UNS N06022, UNS N06035, UNS N06200, UNS N06059, UNS N10362, UNS N06686, UNS N08020, UNS N08367, UNS N10276, UNS N10665, UNS N10675, UNS N10629, UNS N08031, UNS N06045, UNS N06025, UNS R20033 Alloy Pipe Flanges, Forged Fittings, and Valves and Parts for Corrosive High-Temperature Service |
B463 | Standard Specification for UNS N08020 Alloy Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B464 | Standard Specification for Welded Chromium-Nickel-Iron-Molybdenum-Copper columbium Stabilized Alloy (UNS N08020) Pipe |
B466 | Standard Specification for Seamless Copper-Nickel Pipe and Tube |
B467 | Standard Specification for Welded Copper-Nickel Pipe |
B491 | Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy Extruded Round Tubes For General-Purpose Applications |
B493 | Standard Specification for Zirconium and Zirconium Alloy Forgings |
B514
| Standard Specification for Welded Nickel-Iron-Chromium Alloy Pipe |
B517 | Standard Specification for Welded Nickel-Chromium-Iron-Alloy (UNS N06600, UNS N06603, UNS N06025, and UNS N06045) Pipe |
B523 | Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Zirconium and Zirconium Alloy Tubes |
B547 | Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Formed and Arc-Welded Round Tube |
B550 | Standard Specification for Zirconium and Zirconium Alloy Bar and Wire |
B551 | Standard Specification for Zirconium and Zirconium Alloy Strip, Sheet, and Plate |
B564 | Standard Specification for Nickel Alloy Forgings |
B575 | Standard Specification for Low-Carbon Nickel-Molybdenum-Chromium Alloy Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B581 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Iron-Molybdenum-Copper Alloy Rod |
B582 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Chromium-Iron-Molybdenum-Copper Alloy Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B584 | Standard Specification for Copper Alloy Sand Castings For General Applications |
B619 | Standard Specification for Welded Nickel and Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Pipe |
B620 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Iron-Chromium-Molybdenum Alloy (UNS N08320) Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B621 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Iron-Chromium-Molybdenum Alloy (UNS N08320) Rod |
B622 | Standard Specification for Seamless Nickel and Nickel-Cobalt Alloy Pipe and Tube |
B625 | Standard Specification for Nickel Alloy Plate and Sheet |
B649 | Standard Specification for Ni-Fe-Cr-Mo-Cu-N Low-Carbon Alloys (UNS N08925, UNS N08031, UNS N08034, UNS N08354, and UNS N08926), and Cr-Ni-Fe-N Low-Carbon Alloy (UNS R20033) Bar and Wire, and Ni-Cr-Fe-Mo-N Alloy (UNS N08936) Wire |
B658 | Standard Specification for Zirconium and Zirconium Alloy Seamless and Welded Pipe |
B675 | Standard Specification for UNS No8366 and UNS No8367 Welded Pipe |
B688 | Standard Specification for Chromium-Nickel-Molybdenum-Iron (UNS No8366 and UNS N08367) Plate, Sheet, and Strip |
B690 | Standard Specification for Iron-Nickel-Chromium-Molybdenum Alloys (UNS No8366 and UNS N08367) Seamless Pipe and Tube |
B705 | Standard Specification for Nickel-Alloy (UNS No6625 and N08825) Welded Pipe |
B725 | Standard Specification for Welded Nickel (UNS N02200Kjns N02201) and Nickel Copper Alloy (UNS N04400) Pipe |
B729 | Standard Specification for Seamless UNS N08020, UNS N08026, and UNS N08024 Nickel-Alloy Pipe and Tube |
B804 | Standard Specification for UNS No8367 Welded Pipe |
“The content of this article is taken from web open source. The blogs are intended only to give technical knowledge to young engineers. Any engineering calculators, technical equations and write ups are only for reference and educational purpose.
Comments