ASTM A249 and ASTM A269 standard specifications are issued by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), the specifications indicate detailed conditions for stainless steel tubes, like material, sizes, tests, and other conditions.
ASTM standards organization develops and approvals technical standards, to improve materials, products, systems, and services requirements. The number following the designation indicates the year of revision, such as ASTM A249 / A249M – 18, which is the current version.
ASTM A249 / A249M
Standard Specification for Welded Austenitic Steel Boiler, Superheater, Heat-Exchanger, and Condenser Tubes.
ASTM A269 / A269M
Standard Specification for Seamless and Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel Tubing for General Service.
DOWNLOAD ASTM A269 PDF
ASTM A249 VS ASTM A269, What is the Difference?
| ASTM A249 | ASTM 269 | |
|---|---|---|
| Tube manufacturing | Welded | Welded and seamless |
| Application | Boiler Superheater Heat-Exchanger Condenser | General Service |
| Sizes | OD: max 304.8 mm Thickness: 0.4 – 8.1 mm | ID: Min. 3.4 mm Thickness: 0.51 mm |
| ASTM / ASME | ASTM A249 ASME SA249 | ASTM A269 |
| Test | flange test | flaring test |
ASTM A249 and ASTM A269 specifications are two ASTM standards for Austenitic stainless steel tubes, the difference between ASTM A249 and ASTM A269 is that ASTM A249 covers welded tubes while ASTM A269 covers not only welded tubes but also seamless tubes, they have differences in tolerances, tests, and applications, in practice, ASTM A249/ASTM A269 dual certificated standard is required to finish quality tubes.
Scope Of Application
ASTM A249 welded tubes are for boiler, superheater, heat exchanger, and condenser system, the pressure equipment is used to transfer heat.
ASTM A269 tubing is for general service, usually, it is applied in equipment and instruments, also under low or high-temperature environments, therefore, ASTM A269 tubing is also used for heat transfer equipment.
Material And Grades
ASTM A249 and ASTM A269 Specifications indicate tube material is Austenitic Stainless Steel grades, which is widely used in stainless steel families, TP304, TP304L, TP316, TP316L, TP347, TP347H, TP321, TP321H, 904L grade is ideal material for various applications, they have some advantages that other steels do not have.
Common stainless steel grades of ASTM A249, and equivalents
- ASTM A249 TP304
- ASTM A249 TP304L
- ASTM A249 TP 316Ti
- ASTM A249 TP316/316L
- ASME SA249 TP304
- ASME SA249 TP316L
Common stainless steel grades of ASTM A269
However, in some cases, Ferritic and Duplex steel tubes are produced to comply with A249 or A269 standard, Ferritic steel tubes can reduce cost, and duplex steel tubes increase strength and longevity.
Sizes And Dimensions
Usually, ASTM A249 tubing sizes and wall thickness separately are 1/8 in (3.2 mm) in inside diameter to 12 in (304.8 mm) in outside diameter and 0.015 in. to 0.32 in (0.4 – 8.1 mm). The tubing sizes and thicknesses furnished to ASTM A269 are 1/4 in. (6.4 mm) in inside diameter and larger and 0.020 in. (0.51 mm) in nominal wall-thickness and heavier.
Tube size is stated in inch or millimeter, sometimes, tube gauge (BWG) size is specified.
Size Tolerances
ASTM A249 welded tube dimensional tolerance is in accordance with ASTM A1016 specification, wall thickness tolerance is +/-10% of thickness, comparing with ASTM A269 tube size tolerance as follows.
| OD | WTH | L | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTM A249 | ＜25.40mm | ±0.10mm | ±10.00% | OD＜50.8mm +3.0mm -0mm OD≥50.8mm +5.0 -0mm |
| ≥25.4mm~38.1mm | ±0.15mm | |||
| ≥38.1mm~50.8mm | ±0.20mm | |||
| ≥50.8mm~63.5mm | ±0.25mm | |||
| ≥63.5mm~76.2mm | ±0.30mm | |||
| ≥76.2mm~101.6mm | ±0.38mm | |||
| ≥101.6mm~190.5mm | +0.38mm -0.64mm | |||
| ≥190.5mm~228.6mm | +0.38mm -1.14mm | |||
| ASTM A269 | ＜38.1mm | ±0.13mm | OD＜12.7mm ±15% OD≥12.7mm ±10% | OD＜38.1mm +3.20mm -0mm OD≥38.1mm +4.80 -0mm |
| ≥38.1mm~88.9mm | ±0.25mm | |||
| ≥88.9mm~139.7mm | ±0.38mm | |||
| ≥139.7mm~203.7mm | ±0.76mm | |||
| ≥203.7mm~304.8mm | ±1.01mm | |||
| ≥304.8mm~355.6mm | ±1.26mm | |||
Tube Type ( Manufacture Process）
ASTM A249 indicates welded tubes, which should be cold worked or cold drawn method, before final heat treatment. ASTM A269 tubes should be welded type or seamless type, which is made in cold finished or hot finished.
Testing And Quality Control
Tube Surface
Both ASTM A249 and ASTM A269 specifications, after heat treatment, tubes should be pickled free of scale, when bright annealing is used, pickling is not necessary.
Heat Treatment
All the tubes under ASTM A249 and ASTM A269 standards should be heat-treated condition unless, in special conditions, there are different annealing temperatures for different materials.
Mechanical Properties
ASTM A249: flattening, flange and reverse bend, tensile testing and hardness.
ASTM A269: flaring test for seamless tubing, flange test for welded tube, reverse Flattening Test and hardness test.
Nondestructive Test
Each tube should be conducted to the nondestructive test or the hydrostatic test, in many cases, the nondestructive test refers to the eddy current test or air underwater test.
Dual Certification Standard
Users should distinguish between ASTM A249 and ASTM A269 specifications, although they are typical standards for stainless steel tube technical requirements, they are different.
In some cases, users require stainless steel tubes to conform to dual certified standard A249/A269, which means the tubes should comply with both ASTM A249 and ASTM A269, and get the best value or result specified in the two specifications, the tubes will be high quality.
ASME SA249 is the same standard with ASTM A249 specification, ASME SA-249 is published by ASME, but ASME has no equivalent standard with ASTM A269.
Common Sizes of A249/A269 Tubing
| O.D. | MM | WALL THICKNESS | MM | LENGTHS | Grades | Type | SPECIFICATIONS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2” | 12.70 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 3/4” | 19.05 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 1” | 25.4 | 0.049” | 1.24 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 1” | 25.4 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 11/2” | 38.10 | 0.049” | 1.24 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 11/2” | 38.10 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 2” | 50.80 | 0.049” | 1.24 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 2” | 50.80 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 21/2” | 63.50 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 3” | 76.20 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 4” | 101.60 | 0.065” | 1.65 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 4” | 101.60 | 0.083” | 2.11 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 6” | 152.40 | 0.083” | 2.11 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 6” | 152.40 | 0.109” | 2.77 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 8” | 203.20 | 0.109” | 2.77 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 10” | 254.00 | 0.134” | 3.40 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 12” | 304.80 | 0.134” | 3.40 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |
| 14” | 355.60 | 0.134” | 3.40 | 10′ – 20′ | 304/304L/316L | Welded | A249 / A269 / A270 |