A/SA333 Low Temp Pipe Overview

ASTM A333 and ASME SA333 are standard specifications for seamless steel pipe intended for use at low temperatures (cryogenic and sub-zero service). These specs cover several grades of carbon and alloy steel pipe designed to maintain toughness and ductility when exposed to cold environments.

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APP stocks a full range of A/SA333 pipe in:

Key Characteristics

The defining feature of A/SA333 pipe is its ability to resist brittle fracture at low temperatures. Regular carbon steel becomes brittle and can crack suddenly when cold, so A333 pipe is manufactured with controlled chemistry and heat treatment to pass Charpy impact testing at specified low temperatures, confirming the material won’t fail catastrophically in cold service.
Most grades are only available in seamless, and they conform to standard ASME/ANSI pipe dimensions.

Common Grades

Grade Minimum Impact Test Temp Notes
Grade 1 −50°F (−45°C) Once common, increasingly difficult to find
Grade 3 −150°F (−100°C) Nickel steel, available but rare
Grade 6 −50°F (−45°C) Most common grade available in USA

Common Applications

  • LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) plants — transport and storage of gas chilled to −260°F
  • Cryogenic gas processing facilities — air separation units producing liquid oxygen, nitrogen, and argon
  • Refrigeration pipelines — ammonia and CO₂ refrigerant systems in industrial cold storage
  • Petrochemical plants — cold fractionation and ethylene/propylene processing
  • Cold storage facilities — industrial freezer and refrigerated warehouse piping
  • Offshore and arctic pipelines — environments subject to extreme ambient cold
  • Pharmaceutical and food processing — cryogenic freezing systems
  • Research and laboratory facilities — cryogenic fluid distribution

Unless noted, A/SA333 pipe will typically be heat treated by one of the following methods:

  • Normalized by heating to a uniform temperature of not less than 1500°F and cool in air or in the cooling chamber of an atmosphere controlled furnace.
  • Quenched and Tempered to a uniform temperature of 1475°F (+/- 25°F); hold at this temperature for a minimum time in the ratio of 1 h/in. of thickness, but in no case less than 15 min; quench by immersion in circulating water. Reheat until the pipe attains a uniform temperature within the range from 1050-1125 °F; hold at this temperature for a minimum time in the ratio of 1 h/in. of thickness, but in no case less than 15 min; cool in air or water quench at a rate no less than 300°F/h.

Chemical Requirements

Composition, %  
Element Grade 1 Grade 3 Grade 6
Carbon, max 0.30 0.19 0.30
Manganese 0.40 – 1.06 0.31 – 0.64 0.29 – 1.06
Phosphorous, max 0.025 0.025 0.025
Sulfur, max 0.025 0.025 0.025
Silicon 0.18 -0.37 0.10 min
Nickel 3.18 – 3.82

For each reduction of 0.01% carbon below 0.30%, an increase of 0.05% manganese above 1.06% would be permitted to a maximum of 1.35% manganese. When Grade 6 is ordered under this specification, supplying an alloy grade that specifically requires the addition of any element other than those listed for the ordered grade is not permitted. However, the addition of elements required for the deoxidation of the steel is permitted.

Tensile Requirements

Grade 1 Grade 3 Grade 6
psi MPa psi MPa psi MPa
Tensile Strength, min 55,000 380 65,000 450 60,000 415
Yield Strength, min 30,000 205 35,000 240 35,000 240
Longitudinal Transverse Longitudinal Transverse Longitudinal Transverse
Elongation in 2 in. or 50 mm, (or 4D), min, %:
Basic minimum elongation for walls 5/16 in. [8 mm] and over in thickness, strip tests, and for all small sizes tested in full section 35 25 30 20 30 16.5
When the standard round 2-in. or 50-mm gage length or proportionally smaller size test specimen with the gage length equal to 4D (4 times the diameter) is used 28 20 22 14 22 12
For strip tests, a deduction for each 1/32in. [0.8 mm] decrease in wall thickness below 5/16 in. [8 mm] from the basic minimum elongation of the following percentage 1.75 1.25 1.50 1.00 1.50 1.00
Elongation in 2 in. or 50 mm, min, %:

Impact Requirements

For Grades 1, 3 and 6, the notched-bar impact properties of each set of three impact specimens, including specimens for the welded joint in welded pipe with wall thicknesses of 0.120 in. [3 mm] and larger, shall not be less than the values prescribed:

Size of Specimen, min Minimum Average Notched Bar Impact Value of Each Set of Three Specimens Minimum Notched Bar Impact Value of One Specimen Only of a Set   Impact Temperature
  ft-lbf J ft-lbf J   Grade Min Impact
Test Temp
10 by 10 13 18 10 14 F C
10 by 7.5 10 14 8 11 1 -50 -45
10 by 6.67 9 12 7 9 3 -150 -100
10 by 5 7 9 5 7 6 -50 -45
10 by 3.33 5 7 3 4
10 by 2.5 4 5 3 4

 

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