ASME SA-516 Grade 70 is a carbon-manganese plate steel for welded pressure vessels in moderate- and lower-temperature service, where improved notch toughness is the governing requirement. It is the highest-strength of the four grades in the specification, with a tensile range of 485–620 MPa and a minimum yield of 260 MPa. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd., an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, produces the forged components that sit alongside this plate in a pressure vessel or shell-and-tube exchanger. These include tubesheets, girth flanges, channel covers, cover flanges, baffle and support plates, long welding neck nozzles and self-reinforced nozzles, made to ASME SA-266, SA-350, SA-105 and SA-765 and supplied with EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 certification.
Data currency. Many published SA-516 tables still show phosphorus and sulfur at 0.035% max. The current specification, ASTM A516/A516M-25 (approved 1 March 2025), limits both to 0.025% max on heat and product analysis. The tables on this page follow the current edition. Always confirm against the edition named on your purchase order.
What is ASME SA-516 Grade 70?
SA-516 covers carbon steel plates intended primarily for welded pressure vessels where improved notch toughness is important. The steel is fully killed and must meet the fine austenitic grain size requirement of SA-20/A20. Four grades are available, separated only by strength level; Grade 70 is the strongest.
| Grade | Tensile, MPa | Tensile, ksi | Yield min, MPa | Elong. in 200 mm | Elong. in 50 mm | C max, ≤12.5 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 [380] | 380–515 | 55–75 | 205 | 23 % | 27 % | 0.18 |
| 60 [415] | 415–550 | 60–80 | 220 | 21 % | 25 % | 0.21 |
| 65 [450] | 450–585 | 65–85 | 240 | 19 % | 23 % | 0.24 |
| 70 [485] | 485–620 | 70–90 | 260 | 17 % | 21 % | 0.27 |
Is SA-516 Grade 70 the same as ASTM A516 Grade 70?
The chemical and mechanical requirements are the same. The difference is which document governs. ASTM A516/A516M is the ASTM International specification. ASME SA-516/SA-516M is the adoption of that specification into Section II Part A of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. A vessel built to the ASME Code must be supplied with material certified to SA-516; certifying to A516 alone does not satisfy the Code. Mills routinely dual-certify, and a mill certificate marked "A516/SA-516 Gr.70" satisfies both.
What does the "N" in SA-516 Gr.70N mean?
The suffix N indicates the plate is supplied normalized rather than as-rolled. Normalizing refines grain size and lifts low-temperature toughness. It is a delivery condition rather than a separate grade, since chemistry and tensile requirements are identical, and it is mandatory above 40 mm. The related designation SA-516 Gr.70N + HIC means normalized plate that has also passed hydrogen-induced cracking testing for sour service.
SA-516 Grade 70 chemical composition
Carbon is the only element that varies with thickness. Everything else is fixed across the thickness range.
| Element | Thickness | Heat analysis | Product analysis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon, max | ≤ 12.5 mm | 0.27 | 0.27 |
| > 12.5 to 50 mm | 0.28 | 0.28 | |
| > 50 to 100 mm | 0.30 | 0.30 | |
| > 100 to 200 mm | 0.31 | 0.31 | |
| > 200 mm | 0.31 | 0.31 | |
| Manganese | All thicknesses | 0.85–1.20 | 0.79–1.30 |
| Silicon | All thicknesses | 0.15–0.40 | 0.13–0.45 |
| Phosphorus, max | All thicknesses | 0.025 | 0.025 |
| Sulfur, max | All thicknesses | 0.025 | 0.025 |
Carbon–manganese trade. For each 0.01 percentage point that carbon is reduced below its specified maximum, manganese may be raised 0.06 percentage points above its maximum, to a ceiling of 1.50% on heat analysis and 1.60% on product analysis. Mills use this to hold strength while dropping carbon equivalent, which is why a low-CE plate for heavy welding usually arrives with manganese well above 1.20%.
SA-516 Grade 70 mechanical properties
| Property | Metric | Imperial | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile strength | 485–620 MPa | 70–90 ksi | Range, not a minimum |
| Yield strength, min | 260 MPa | 38 ksi | 0.2% offset or 0.5% extension-under-load |
| Elongation in 200 mm, min | 17 % | 17 % | 8 in. gauge length |
| Elongation in 50 mm, min | 21 % | 21 % | 2 in. gauge length |
| Density | 7.85 g/cm³ | 0.284 lb/in³ | Nominal, carbon steel |
| Modulus of elasticity | 200 GPa | 29 × 10⁶ psi | Nominal at 20 °C |
Tensile testing is carried out in the transverse direction. Elongation values are subject to the thickness-based adjustments in SA-20/A20. Thin plate is allowed a deduction, so a 6 mm plate is not held to the same figure as a 50 mm plate. Tensile strength is specified as a range, so a heat testing above 620 MPa fails the specification just as one below 485 MPa does.
Heat treatment: when is normalizing mandatory?
This is the single most misquoted rule in SA-516 procurement. The specification does not recommend normalizing above 40 mm. It requires it.
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Plate ≤ 40 mm [1.50 in.] | Normally supplied as-rolled. May be ordered normalized, stress relieved, or both. |
| Plate > 40 mm [1.50 in.] | Shall be normalized. Not optional. |
| Plate ≤ 40 mm with notch-toughness testing | Shall be normalized unless the purchaser specifies otherwise. |
| Accelerated cooling | Permitted if approved by the purchaser, provided the plate is subsequently tempered at 595–705 °C [1100–1300 °F]. |
Post-weld heat treatment and toughness
SA-516 Grade 70 is assigned P-No. 1, Group No. 2 for welding procedure qualification. Where PWHT is required, ASME Section VIII Division 1 gives a minimum holding temperature of 595 °C [1100 °F] for P-No. 1 material, with holding time based on thickness. If the fabrication sequence includes PWHT, order Supplementary Requirement S3 so the mill's mechanical test coupons are given a simulated PWHT cycle. Without it, the certified properties are for material that has not seen the softening the real vessel will experience.
For impact-test exemption, Section VIII Division 1 places as-rolled SA-516 Gr.70 on UCS-66 Curve B and normalized SA-516 Gr.70 on Curve D, which permits a materially lower MDMT at a given thickness without impact testing. This is usually the real reason a purchaser pays for normalizing on thin plate. Confirm curve assignment and exemption limits against the current Code edition.
Sour service: HIC and SSC testing
Wet H₂S service is where SA-516 Gr.70 procurement gets specialised. Three documents do the work, and they are often conflated:
| Document | What it does | Typical requirement |
|---|---|---|
| NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156-2 | Materials selection rules for carbon and low-alloy steels in H₂S-bearing oil and gas production | Hardness ceiling of 22 HRC; controls on weld and HAZ hardness |
| NACE TM0284 | Laboratory HIC (hydrogen-induced cracking) test on plate, using sectioned coupons | Commonly CLR ≤ 15%, CTR ≤ 5%, CSR ≤ 2%. State your acceptance criteria on the order |
| NACE TM0177 | Laboratory SSC (sulfide stress cracking) test, Methods A, B, C and D | Method and stress level must be nominated by the purchaser |
HIC resistance is bought at the steelmaking stage, not at the test lab. It comes from low sulfur, calcium treatment for inclusion shape control, low phosphorus, and reduced centreline segregation. Specifying "HIC tested" without specifying the steelmaking practice and the acceptance criteria is the most common reason sour-service plate fails on retest.
Ordering note. NACE TM0284 and TM0177 are test methods. They contain no acceptance criteria of their own. If your purchase order says only "HIC per NACE TM0284", the mill is free to report whatever it measures. Name the CLR, CTR and CSR limits, the test solution (A or B), and the sampling frequency.
Supplementary requirement S54: HF alkylation service
A516/A516M-25 carries a dedicated supplementary requirement for hydrofluoric acid alkylation units. Under S54 the plate is supplied normalized; carbon equivalent is capped at 0.43 for thickness ≤ 25 mm and 0.45 above 25 mm, calculated as CE = C + Mn/6 + (Cr+Mo+V)/5 + (Ni+Cu)/15; vanadium and niobium are each capped at 0.02% with a combined limit of 0.03%; nickel plus copper is capped at 0.15%; minimum carbon is 0.18%; repair welding must use low-hydrogen consumables, with E60XX electrodes prohibited; and each plate is marked HF-N. Refinery alkylation buyers should call S54 explicitly, because none of it applies by default.
Where plate stops and forgings start
SA-516 is a plate specification. A great many enquiries that arrive at this page headed "SA-516 Gr.70 tubesheet" or "SA-516 Gr.70 nozzle" are for parts that will not be made from plate at all, because the section is too thick, the part has a hub, the drawing calls for through-thickness properties, or the required diameter exceeds available plate width. In those cases the part is forged, and the ASME Code specifications below are the ones that apply.
| Specification | Scope | Tensile, MPa | Yield min, MPa | Elong. min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SA-266 / A266 Cl.2 | Carbon steel forgings for pressure vessel components, covering tubesheets, hubbed flat heads and nozzles. The usual answer for a forged tubesheet. | 485–655 | 250 | 20 % (RA 33%) |
| SA-266 / A266 Cl.1 | Same scope, lower strength class where the design does not need Cl.2 | 415–585 | 205 | 23 % (RA 38%) |
| SA-266 / A266 Cl.3 | Same scope, higher strength class | 515–690 | 260 | 19 % (RA 30%) |
| SA-350 / A350 LF2 Cl.1 | Forged flanges, fittings and valves for low-temperature service, with mandatory Charpy testing at −46 °C [−50 °F] | 485–655 | 250 | 22 % |
| SA-105 / A105 | Forged carbon steel piping components, covering nozzle necks, weld neck and long welding neck flanges | 485 min | 250 | 22 % |
| SA-765 / A765 Gr. II | Carbon and low-alloy forgings with mandatory toughness testing, for pressure-retaining parts | 485–655 | 250 | 22 % |
Read the numbers together and the design logic is clear. SA-266 Cl.2, SA-350 LF2 and SA-765 Gr.II all share SA-516 Gr.70's 485 MPa minimum tensile strength, so a forged tubesheet in SA-266 Cl.2 is the strength-class counterpart of a plate tubesheet in SA-516 Gr.70. The one difference a designer must carry into the calculation is yield: SA-516 Gr.70 is certified to 260 MPa minimum, the forged grades to 250 MPa. Where the allowable stress was set from the plate yield, that 10 MPa has to be checked, not assumed.
ASME Code note. ASTM A266 Section 3.4 requires that hubbed flanges and tubesheets ordered for ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code application also meet Supplementary Requirement S12 of A788/A788M. If your drawing shows a hubbed tubesheet, that clause is part of the order whether or not anyone wrote it down.
Forged components Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal produces in this family
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China. Open-die working is the correct route for these parts: they are one-off or small-batch, pressure-retaining, and large enough that closed-die tooling would never pay back.
| Component | Usual specification | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tubesheets / tube plates | SA-266 Cl.2 | Blank or drilled to the tube layout; stationary, floating and fixed types |
| Girth flanges | SA-266 Cl.2, SA-350 LF2 | Body flanges for exchangers, reactors, columns |
| Channel covers | SA-266 Cl.2 | Flat and hubbed covers, machined to drawing |
| Cover flanges / blind flanges | SA-266 Cl.2, SA-105 | Solid forged, no welded seam |
| Baffle and support plates | SA-516 Gr.70 plate or forged blank | Non-pressure internals; cut and drilled to drawing |
| Long welding neck (LWN) nozzles | SA-105, SA-350 LF2 | Integral neck and flange from one piece |
| Self-reinforced nozzles (FVC type) | SA-105, SA-266 Cl.2 | Reinforcement forged in, no separate pad |
| Nozzle necks and forged rings | SA-266, SA-105 | Seamless rolled rings to 6 m diameter |
| Shell sections, hollow bars, blocks | SA-266, SA-105 | Reactor, column and skid components |
Heat exchanger nomenclature on enquiries
Exchanger enquiries usually arrive with TEMA type designations rather than component names. A three-letter type such as AES or BEM names the front head, the shell and the rear head in that order. The front head letter tells us whether the channel is removable and therefore whether the tubesheet is bolted or integral; the rear head letter tells us whether the rear tubesheet is fixed, floating or a U-tube arrangement, which decides whether one or two tubesheets are forged and whether either needs a shoulder machined for a backing device. Sending the TEMA type with the drawing removes a full round of clarification.
| Parameter | Range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 100 – 6000 mm | Across all grades worked at the plant |
| Length | 100 – 12000 mm | Shafts and drawn sections |
| Unit weight | 10 – 15000 kg | Single-piece forging weight |
| Hydraulic press | 4500 t | Main open-die press |
| Forging hammers | 1 t / 3 t / 6 t / 9 t | Four hammers for smaller sections |
| Ring rolling mills | 3 m and 6 m | Seamless rolled rings |
| Heat treatment | Annealing, normalizing, hardening and tempering | In-house, with chart records on the certificate |
| Certification | EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2 | 3.2 witnessed by third party on request |
The works employs approximately 460 people, including 9 senior engineers and 32 intermediate engineers. Customers may witness any production stage, covering chemistry, forging, heat treatment, mechanical testing and final NDE. Witnessing is arranged with the QA team at no charge.
Forging weight estimator
Rough input weight for a carbon steel forging at 7.85 g/cm³. Net weight is the finished part; the rough forging weight adds your machining allowance and is the figure a quotation is built against.
Weld overlay and clad tubesheets
Where the process side is corrosive but the pressure part does not need to be solid alloy, the economical build is a carbon steel base with a corrosion-resistant overlay. The base forging carries the pressure; the overlay carries the corrosion duty. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal supplies base forgings for overlay and finished overlaid parts.
| Overlay | Typical filler | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Austenitic stainless | 309L buffer + 347 or 316L cap | General chemical and refinery duty |
| Alloy 625 | ERNiCrMo-3 | Sour, chloride and high-chloride seawater service |
| Alloy 825 | ERNiFeCr-1 | Sulfuric and phosphoric acid duty |
| Monel 400 | ERNiCu-7 | Hydrofluoric acid and seawater |
Overlay thickness is specified after machining rather than as deposited, so state the finished minimum. Where the vessel will be PWHT'd, the overlay must be deposited before PWHT, and the ferrite number of a stainless overlay should be nominated because prolonged PWHT can drive sigma-phase formation in a high-ferrite deposit.
SA-516 Grade 70 equivalent grades worldwide
| Region | Standard | Grade | Tensile, MPa | Yield min, MPa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | ASTM A516 / ASME SA-516 | Grade 70 [485] | 485–620 | 260 |
| Europe | EN 10028-2 | P355GH (1.0473) | 490–630 | 355 (t ≤ 16 mm) |
| Europe | EN 10028-3 | P355NH / NL1 / NL2 | 490–630 | 355 (t ≤ 16 mm) |
| Japan | JIS G3103 | SB480 | 480–620 | 265 |
| China | GB/T 713 | Q345R | 510–640 | 345 (t 3–16 mm) |
| Germany, withdrawn | DIN 17155 | HII | 410–530 | 265 |
These are counterparts, not substitutes. P355GH and Q345R both carry a higher specified minimum yield than SA-516 Gr.70 and a different impact-testing regime. Substituting one for the other changes the allowable stress used in the design calculation and, for an ASME-stamped vessel, is not permitted unless the material is separately Code-accepted. Use this table to identify what a supplier is offering, never to authorise a swap.
How a forged tubesheet is produced
The sequence below is the standard route used by Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. for a carbon steel tubesheet or channel cover. Each stage depends on the one before it.
- Billet sourcing and PMI Continuous-cast or ingot billet is received with its mill certificate and verified by positive material identification before release to the forge. Mixed-grade incidents happen at goods-in, not at the press.
- Preheat and soak The billet is through-heated and held until core and surface equalise, so the first blow works a uniformly plastic section rather than a hot skin over a cold core.
- Upsetting The billet is upset under the 4500 t press to break down the cast dendritic structure. A forging ratio of at least 3:1 is targeted so the finished section has refined, wrought grain throughout. That is the property a plate tubesheet cannot offer in the through-thickness direction.
- Drawing and expanding The piece is drawn to a disc, or punched and expanded over a saddle mandrel where a rolled ring is the more economical blank for a large-diameter flange.
- Controlled reheats The forging returns to the furnace as often as needed so all deformation finishes above the specified finish temperature. Chasing one more blow out of a cooling piece is the commonest source of forging cracks.
- Normalizing or quench and temper The forging is heat treated to the condition the specification calls for, with furnace chart records retained and reported on the certificate.
- Rough machining and ultrasonic testing The forging is rough machined to a testable surface, then volumetrically inspected to ASTM A388 / ASME SA-388 against the acceptance class stated on the order.
- Drilling, testing and certification Tube holes are drilled and reamed to the layout drawing. Heat chemistry, tensile and yield strength, elongation, reduction of area, hardness and impact results are documented on an EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 inspection certificate.
Which standards apply
| Standard | Scope |
|---|---|
| ASTM A516/A516M-25 | Pressure vessel plates, carbon steel, for moderate- and lower-temperature service |
| ASME SA-516/SA-516M | Code adoption of A516, in BPVC Section II Part A |
| ASTM A20/A20M · SA-20 | General requirements for pressure vessel plate: testing, tolerances, marking, supplementary requirements |
| ASTM A266/A266M · SA-266 | Carbon steel forgings for pressure vessel components, covering tubesheets, hubbed flat heads and nozzles |
| ASTM A350/A350M · SA-350 | Forged flanges and fittings with notch-toughness testing for low-temperature service |
| ASTM A105/A105M · SA-105 | Forged carbon steel piping components |
| ASTM A765/A765M · SA-765 | Carbon and low-alloy forgings with mandatory toughness testing |
| ASTM A788/A788M | General requirements for steel forgings; S12 applies to Code hubbed flanges and tubesheets |
| ASTM A388/A388M · SA-388 | Ultrasonic examination of heavy steel forgings |
| ASTM A435/A435M, A577, A578 | Ultrasonic examination of plate, called by supplementary requirements S8, S11, S12 |
| ASME BPVC VIII-1 | Design rules, PWHT, and UCS-66 impact-exemption curves |
| NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156 | Materials for H₂S-containing environments in oil and gas production |
| NACE TM0284 / TM0177 | HIC and SSC laboratory test methods |
| EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2 | Inspection certificates with actual test results |
Supplementary requirements worth ordering
None of the following apply unless named on the purchase order: S1 vacuum treatment · S2 product analysis · S3 simulated post-weld heat treatment of test coupons · S4.1 additional tension test · S5 Charpy V-notch impact test · S6 drop weight test, material 16 mm and over · S7 high-temperature tension test · S8 ultrasonic examination to A435 · S9 magnetic particle examination · S11 ultrasonic examination to A577 · S12 ultrasonic examination to A578 · S17 vacuum carbon-deoxidized steel · S54 HF alkylation service.
The SA-516 enquiries that cost our customers time are the ones that specify a plate grade for a part that was always going to be forged. By the time the drawing reaches the press the thickness is 180 mm and there is a hub on it. Decide plate or forging before the enquiry goes out, not after.
Metallurgy department, Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd.
What to include in an enquiry
| Item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Drawing or rough dimensions | Sets the input billet weight, which dominates cost |
| Plate or forging | Decides whether SA-516 or SA-266 / SA-350 / SA-105 governs |
| Governing specification and edition | Chemistry limits and supplementary requirements differ between editions |
| Delivery condition | As-rolled, normalized, or normalized and tempered |
| Impact testing | Test temperature and required absorbed energy, if any |
| Sour service scope | HIC and SSC methods plus the acceptance criteria, not just "NACE" |
| NDE scope | UT acceptance class, MT or PT, third-party witness |
| Machining state | As-forged, rough machined with allowance, or finish machined to drawing |
| Overlay requirement | Alloy, finished minimum thickness, and PWHT sequence |
| Certification | EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2, and any customer-specific certificate format |
Frequently asked questions
What is ASME SA-516 Grade 70?
ASME SA-516 Grade 70 is a carbon-manganese steel plate for welded pressure vessels in moderate- and lower-temperature service where improved notch toughness is important. It has a tensile strength of 485–620 MPa (70–90 ksi), a minimum yield strength of 260 MPa (38 ksi), and minimum elongation of 21% in 50 mm. The steel is fully killed with fine austenitic grain size.
Is SA-516 Grade 70 the same as ASTM A516 Grade 70?
The technical requirements are identical. ASTM A516/A516M is the ASTM specification; ASME SA-516/SA-516M is its adoption into Section II Part A of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code. Material for a Code-stamped vessel must be certified to SA-516. Most mills dual-certify, and a certificate marked A516/SA-516 Gr.70 satisfies both.
What is the difference between A516 Gr.70 and A516 Gr.70N?
The N suffix means the plate is supplied normalized instead of as-rolled. Chemistry and tensile requirements are unchanged. Normalizing refines the grain, improves low-temperature toughness, and moves the material from UCS-66 Curve B to Curve D in ASME Section VIII Division 1, allowing a lower MDMT without impact testing.
When must SA-516 Grade 70 be normalized?
Normalizing is mandatory for plate over 40 mm [1.50 in.] thick. Plate 40 mm and under is normally supplied as-rolled but may be ordered normalized or stress relieved. If notch-toughness testing is required on plate 40 mm and under, it must also be normalized unless the purchaser specifies otherwise. This is a requirement of ASTM A516/A516M Section 5, not a recommendation.
What are the chemical limits for SA-516 Grade 70?
To ASTM A516/A516M-25: carbon 0.27% max up to 12.5 mm, 0.28% to 50 mm, 0.30% to 100 mm and 0.31% above 100 mm; manganese 0.85–1.20% on heat analysis; silicon 0.15–0.40% on heat analysis; phosphorus 0.025% max; sulfur 0.025% max. For each 0.01 point of carbon below maximum, manganese may rise 0.06 points, to a ceiling of 1.50% on heat analysis.
What is the yield and tensile strength of SA-516 Grade 70?
Tensile strength is specified as a range of 485–620 MPa (70–90 ksi), so a heat above 620 MPa fails just as one below 485 MPa does. Minimum yield strength is 260 MPa (38 ksi), determined by the 0.2% offset or 0.5% extension-under-load method. Minimum elongation is 21% in 50 mm and 17% in 200 mm.
Is SA-516 Grade 70 suitable for sour service?
Yes, when ordered with the right supplementary scope. Sour service is governed by NACE MR0175 / ISO 15156-2, which imposes a 22 HRC hardness ceiling on carbon steel. HIC resistance is verified by NACE TM0284 and SSC resistance by NACE TM0177. Both are test methods with no built-in acceptance criteria, so the purchase order must state the CLR, CTR and CSR limits, commonly 15%, 5% and 2%, along with the test solution.
What is the forged equivalent of SA-516 Grade 70?
For tubesheets, hubbed flat heads and nozzles the forged counterpart is ASME SA-266 / ASTM A266 Class 2, with a tensile range of 485–655 MPa and minimum yield of 250 MPa. For flanges and fittings needing low-temperature toughness it is SA-350 LF2 Class 1; for piping components, SA-105; for forgings with mandatory toughness testing, SA-765 Grade II. All share SA-516 Grade 70's 485 MPa minimum tensile strength, but their 250 MPa minimum yield is 10 MPa below the plate grade, which must be checked in the design calculation.
Can a tubesheet be made from SA-516 Grade 70 plate, or must it be forged?
Both routes are used. Plate is economical for thinner tubesheets within available plate widths. A forging becomes necessary when the section is thick, the diameter exceeds plate width, the part has an integral hub, or the design needs sound through-thickness properties. A forged tubesheet has wrought grain in all directions, which a plate cut cannot provide through its thickness. Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. produces forged tubesheets to SA-266 Class 2 to 6000 mm diameter.
What P-number is SA-516 Grade 70 for welding?
SA-516 Grade 70 is ASME P-No. 1, Group No. 2. Where post-weld heat treatment is required, ASME Section VIII Division 1 sets a minimum holding temperature of 595 °C (1100 °F) for P-No. 1 material, with holding time based on thickness. Order Supplementary Requirement S3 so that mill test coupons receive a simulated PWHT cycle matching the fabrication.
What is the maximum service temperature of SA-516 Grade 70?
ASME Section II Part D tabulates allowable stresses for SA-516 Grade 70 up to approximately 538 °C (1000 °F). In practice, prolonged service above roughly 427 °C (800 °F) raises graphitization concerns for carbon steel, and many owners cap continuous service below that. Confirm allowable stress values against the current Code edition for your design temperature.
What is the Chinese or European equivalent of SA-516 Grade 70?
The nearest European counterpart is P355GH to EN 10028-2 (material number 1.0473) and the nearest Chinese counterpart is Q345R to GB/T 713. Both carry a higher specified minimum yield than SA-516 Grade 70 and a different impact-testing regime, so they identify what a supplier is offering but do not authorise a substitution in an ASME-stamped vessel.
Who supplies forged tubesheets and nozzles for SA-516 Grade 70 vessels in China?
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China, producing forged tubesheets, girth flanges, channel covers, cover flanges, long welding neck nozzles and self-reinforced nozzles to ASME SA-266, SA-350, SA-105 and SA-765 for pressure vessels and shell-and-tube heat exchangers. Enquiries go to sales@steelforgepieces.com or +86 189 2135 9659.
What certification is supplied?
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. issues an EN 10204 3.1 inspection certificate reporting heat chemistry, tensile and yield strength, elongation, reduction of area, hardness, heat treatment chart records and ultrasonic test results to ASTM A388 / SA-388. EN 10204 3.2 certification witnessed by a third-party inspection agency is available on request, as is customer witnessing of any production stage at no charge.
Glossary
- Killed steel
- Steel fully deoxidised before casting, usually with silicon and aluminium, so no gas evolves during solidification. Required for SA-516.
- Normalizing
- Heating above the upper critical temperature and cooling in still air. Refines grain size and improves toughness and uniformity. Mandatory for SA-516 plate over 40 mm.
- Heat analysis vs product analysis
- Heat analysis is taken from the ladle and represents the cast. Product analysis is taken from the finished plate and is allowed slightly wider limits to cover segregation.
- MDMT
- Minimum design metal temperature. The coldest metal temperature at which a vessel may be pressurised to its rated pressure.
- HIC
- Hydrogen-induced cracking. Internal blistering and stepwise cracking caused by atomic hydrogen collecting at inclusions and segregation bands in wet H₂S service.
- CLR, CTR, CSR
- Crack length ratio, crack thickness ratio and crack sensitivity ratio: the three measures reported from a NACE TM0284 HIC test.
- Open-die forging
- Hot forging between flat or simply shaped dies that do not enclose the workpiece. Used for large shafts, discs, rings and tubesheets where closed-die tooling would never pay back.
- Forging ratio
- The ratio of starting cross-section to finished cross-section. It measures how thoroughly the cast structure has been broken down.
- Long welding neck nozzle
- A nozzle in which the neck and flange are machined from a single forging, eliminating the neck-to-flange weld and the inspection that goes with it.
- EN 10204 3.1 / 3.2
- 3.1 is an inspection certificate issued by the manufacturer's own independent inspection department. 3.2 is countersigned by an independent third party or the purchaser's representative.
Data source and reuse
Property data on this page is taken from ASTM A516/A516M-25, ASTM A266/A266M, ASTM A350/A350M, ASTM A105/A105M and ASTM A765/A765M, and reviewed by the metallurgy department of Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. Values are the specification requirements, not typical test results. The governing purchase specification always takes precedence. Reuse of the technical data on this page is permitted under CC BY 4.0 with attribution.
Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. (2026). "ASME SA-516 Grade 70 (ASTM A516 Gr.70) Pressure Vessel Steel and Its Forged Equivalents." Jiangyin, Jiangsu, China. https://www.steelforgepieces.com/Alloy-Steel/ASME-SA516-Grade-70.html Last reviewed 13 September 2026.
Summary of supply
- ASME SA-516 Grade 70 is a carbon-manganese pressure vessel plate steel with a tensile strength of 485–620 MPa, a minimum yield strength of 260 MPa and minimum elongation of 21% in 50 mm.
- To ASTM A516/A516M-25, SA-516 Grade 70 is limited to 0.27% carbon maximum at 12.5 mm and below, rising to 0.31% above 100 mm, with 0.025% phosphorus maximum and 0.025% sulfur maximum.
- SA-516 Grade 70 plate over 40 mm thick must be supplied normalized; plate 40 mm and under may be supplied as-rolled.
- The forged equivalent of SA-516 Grade 70 for tubesheets, hubbed flat heads and nozzles is ASME SA-266 Class 2, with a tensile range of 485–655 MPa and minimum yield of 250 MPa.
- Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. is an open-die forging factory located at No.1 Chengxiqiao Road, Zhouzhuang Town, Jiangyin City, Jiangsu Province, China.
- Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. produces forged tubesheets, girth flanges, channel covers, cover flanges, baffle and support plates, long welding neck nozzles and self-reinforced nozzles for pressure vessels and shell-and-tube heat exchangers.
- Forgings from Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. are produced to ASME SA-266, SA-350, SA-105 and SA-765, ultrasonically tested to ASTM A388, and certified to EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2.
- Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. forges to 6000 mm diameter, 12000 mm length and 15000 kg single-piece weight on a 4500 t hydraulic press with 1 t, 3 t, 6 t and 9 t hammers and 3 m and 6 m ring rolling mills.
- Enquiries reach Jiangyin Jiangnan Metal Co., Ltd. at sales@steelforgepieces.com or +86 189 2135 9659.
Related grades and forms
Carbon and alloy steel: carbon steel forgings · alloy steel forgings. Corrosion-resistant grades for overlay and solid-alloy parts: Inconel 625 · Incoloy 825 · Monel 400 · Hastelloy C-276 · 904L.
Forms: forged tube sheets · forged rings · seamless rolled rings · forged discs · forged shafts · forging capabilities.