The Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) developed by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is one of the most widely recognized standards systems internationally.
ASME SA-192 / ASTM A192
Application: Seamless carbon steel
boiler tube and superheater tubes designed for high-pressure service. They serve as fundamental materials for the heating surfaces of utility boilers, including water walls, economizers, and low-temperature superheaters.
Overlap with "Low- and Medium-Pressure" Applications: Although the standard’s title specifies "high-pressure," this carbon steel material is frequently used in engineering practice for heating surface components where the wall temperature remains below 450°C—a temperature threshold consistent with the Chinese standard GB 3087. Within the international standards framework, it is a primary choice for "low- and medium-pressure" heating surface applications.
ASME SA-210 / ASTM A210
Application: Seamless carbon-manganese steel tubes for low- and medium-pressure boiler systems; specifically suited for medium-temperature operating conditions in industrial boilers and waste-heat boilers.
Grades: Includes Grades A-1 and C. Grade SA-210C (equivalent to the Chinese grade 25MnG) is a commonly used specification. With higher carbon and manganese content than SA-192, it offers greater strength (yield strength ≥ 275 MPa), making it suitable for low- and medium-pressure boiler components that require higher mechanical strength, such as water walls and low-temperature superheaters.
ASME SA-179 /
ASTM A179
Application: Seamless, cold-drawn, low-carbon steel tubes intended for heat exchangers and condensers, rather than for boiler water/steam circulation circuits.
Suitability: Designed specifically for heat-transfer applications—where heat is exchanged across the tube wall—such as in boiler air preheaters, economizers, and heat exchangers used in the chemical or petroleum industries. In low- and medium-pressure boiler systems, this standard should be the preferred choice for heat-transfer surfaces (as opposed to pressure-bearing steam or water piping). ASME SA-106 / ASTM A106
Scope: Seamless carbon steel pipes for high-temperature service. These are primarily intended for use as "pipes" (conveying fluids) rather than "tubes" (heat-exchange surfaces)—for instance, steam piping or feedwater piping within a boiler system, as opposed to water-wall tubes or superheater tube bundles.
European Standards (EN) govern
seamless steel pipes for pressure applications through the EN 10216 series. Unlike the ASME approach, which categorizes pipes based on specific end-use, the EN system classifies them primarily by material type and service temperature.
EN 10216-1
Scope: Seamless steel pipes for pressure purposes, made of non-alloy quality steel and specified for room-temperature performance. The upper temperature limit is generally 350°C; this serves as the foundational standard within the European system for boiler components operating at lower pressures and temperatures.
Typical Grades: P195, P235, P265, etc.—named according to their yield strength values. Compared to the Chinese standard GB 3087, which covers carbon steel up to 450°C, EN 10216-1 has a lower upper temperature limit; for applications exceeding 350°C, one must refer to EN 10216-2.
EN 10216-2
Scope: Seamless steel pipes for pressure purposes, made of non-alloy or alloy steel and specified for high-temperature performance. This is the primary standard within the European boiler-tube framework. It encompasses a wide range of grades—from carbon steels (such as P235GH and P265GH) to low-alloy steels (such as 13CrMo4-5)—and is suitable for boiler heating surfaces and piping where wall temperatures exceed 350°C.
Relation to "Low/Medium Pressure" Applications: For low-to-medium pressure service below 450°C, grades P235GH and P265GH (where "GH" denotes suitability for boilers/pressure vessels) from the EN 10216-2 standard serve as the core carbon steel grades for boiler tubes.
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