ASTM A556/A556M Standard Specification for Seamless Cold-Drawn Carbon Steel Feedwater Heater Tubes 

ASTM A556/A556M Scope

- This specification covers minimum-wall-thickness, seamless cold-drawn carbon steel tubes including bending into the form of U-tubes, if specified, for use in tubular feedwater heaters.

- The tubing sizes covered shall be 5/8 to 1 1/4 -in. [15.9 to 31.8-mm] outside diameter, inclusive, with minimum wall thicknesses equal to or greater than 0.045 in. [1.1 mm].

- Optional supplementary requirements are provided, and when desired, shall be stated in the order.

- The values stated in either inch-pound units or SI units are to be regarded separately as the standard. Within the text, the SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system are not exact equivalents; therefore, each system must be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in nonconformance with the specification. The inch-pound units shall apply unless the “M” designation of this specification is specified in the order.

ASTM A556/A556M Reference Documents

ASTM Standards:

- A 450/A 450M Specification for General Requirements for Carbon, Ferritic Alloy, and Austenitic Alloy Steel Tubes

- E 30 Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Steel, Cast Iron, Open-Hearth Iron, and Wrought Iron

ASTM A556/A556M Product Analysis

- When requested in the purchase order, a product analysis shall be made by the manufacturer or supplier from one tube or billet per heat.

- If the original test for product analysis fails, retests of two additional tubes or billets shall be made. Both retests for the elements in question shall meet the requirements of this specification; otherwise, all remaining material in the heat or lot (Note 1) shall be rejected, or, at the option of the producer, each tube may be individually tested for acceptance. Tubes that do not meet the requirements of this specification shall be rejected.

- NOTE 1—For tension and hardness test requirements, the term lot applies to all tubes before cutting, of the same nominal diameter and wall thickness which are produced from the same heat of steel. When the final heat treatment is in a batch-type furnace, a lot shall include only those tubes of the same size and the same heat which are heat treated in the same furnace charge. When the final heat treatment is in a continuous furnace, a lot shall include all tubes of the same size and heat, heat treated in the same furnace at the same temperature, time at heat, and furnace speed.

- For referee purposes, Test Methods E 30 shall be used.

ASTM A556/A556M Workmanship, Finish, and Appearance

- Finished tubes shall be free from scale but may have a superficial oxide film on the surfaces. Alight oxide scale on the outside and inside surfaces of the U-bend shall be allowed for tubes that have been heating treated.

- Finished tubes shall be reasonably straight and have smooth ends free from burrs. Tubes shall have a workmanlike finish and shall be free of surface imperfections that cannot be removed within the allowable wall tolerances. Removal of surface imperfections such as handling marks, straightening marks, light mandrel and die marks, shallow pits, and scale patterns will not be required provided they are within the allowable wall tolerances.

- Finished tubes shall be coated both on the outside and the inside diameter to prevent corrosion in transit. The type of coating applied should be mutually agreed upon and specified in the order.

ASTM A556/A556M Packaging and Package Marking

- The tubing shall be packaged or bundled in such a manner as to prevent damage in ordinary handling and transportation and identified by a tag with the name of the manufacturer, purchase order number, specification number and grade, and size.

-In the case of U-tubes, each box shall be palletized and legibly marked showing the manufacturer’s name, purchase order number, specification number, grade, size, and identification of items contained.

- Bar Coding—In addition to the requirements in 13.1 and 13.2, barcoding is acceptable as a supplemental identification method. The purchaser may specify in the order a specific barcoding system to be used.

Tags: ASTM A556 Feedwater Heater Tubes, Carbon Steel Feedwater Heater Tubes, U Bend ASTM A556 Feedwater Heater Tubes