A53 Pipe vs A106 Pipe – Scope

ASTM A53 is Standard Specification for Pipe, Steel, Black and Hot-Dipped, Zinc-Coated, Welded and Seamless.
ASTM A106 is Standard Specification for Seamless Carbon Steel Pipe for High-Temperature Service.

A53 Pipe vs A106 Pipe – Applied Type of Pipe

If you read the ASTM and ASME standards for A106 and A53 pipe, you’d quickly observe how similar they are in terms of chemical makeup and manufacture. The most important difference is that pipe meeting the A106 standard must be seamless while pipe meeting A53 can either be seamless or welded.

Welded seam pipe is made by curling a steel plate into a cylinder and then joining the edges via a weld. Seamless pipe is made by piercing cylindrical bars of steel through the middle while it’s hot, creating the same shape but without a seam.

The reason for the difference lies in the suitable applications for each type. A53 pipe is best suited for transport of air, water, steam and oil in low- and medium pressure applications across the industrial spectrum. It’s also commonly used as structural steel.

A106 pipe is formulated specifically for high-temperature and high-pressure service, usually in power generation applications. High-pressure, high-heat service environments put added stress on pipe, so seamless pipe types are preferred in those settings since they’re at less risk of failure under stress than their welded counterparts.

A53 Pipe vs A106 Pipe – Chemical Composition

For example when we compare between A106-B and A53-B seamless from chemical composition point of view, we find that :
1. A106-B contains silicon, min. 0.10% where A53-B has zero%, and silicon is the important element for improving the heat resistance criteria.
2. A106-B contains manganese 0.29-1.06%, where A53-B 1.2%.
3. A106-B contains low sulfur and phosphorus, max. 0.035% where A53-B contains 0.05 and 0.045% respectively.