ASME SA178 Grade A Carbon Steel Welded Boiler Tube Heat Exchanger Tube

ASME SA178 Grade A Carbon Steel Welded Boiler Tube Heat Exchanger Tube

This specification ASME SA178 covers minimum-wall-thickness, electric-resistance-welded tubes made of carbon steel and carbon-manganese steel intended for use as boiler tubes, boiler flues, superheater flues, and safe ends. The welding process of the tube is mainly manufactured using resistance welding (ERW) technology, which is suitable for high temperature and high pressure environments.

ASME SA178 GR. A carbon steel welded boiler tubes and heat exhcanger tubes are usually delivered in a cold worked state and require stress relief annealing (if required by the application scenario). Welding seams require 100% eddy current or ultrasonic testing to ensure no defects, and require individual water pressure testing. The pressure is calculated based on the wall thickness and diameter to ensure sealing.

ASME SA178 Carbon Steel Welded Tubes Chemical Composition

ASME SA178 Gr.A Carbon Steel Welded Boiler and Heat Exchanger Tube Mechanical Properties

The low carbon content of ASTM A178/ASME SA178 Gr. A carbon steel welded boiler tube and heat exchanger tube can improve welding performance and reduce the risk of embrittlement in the heat affected zone. At the same time, it has moderate strength and excellent plasticity, suitable for cold bending and expansion processing.

ASME SA178 GR.A Carbon Steel Welded Tube Key Features and Benefits

1. Excellent Heat Transfer: ASME SA178 GR.A carbon steel welded pipe offers excellent thermal conductivity and can typically be manufactured with thinner walls, making it ideal for heat exchange applications.
2. Economical and Efficient: Both the material cost of carbon steel and the resistance welding process are significantly lower than stainless steel, resulting in cost savings and high economic benefits.
3. Excellent Weldability and Workability: The low carbon content makes ASME SA178 GR.A carbon steel welded pipe easy to weld, bend, and install on-site.
4. Smooth Internal and External Surfaces: The weld scar removal process of ASME SA178 GR.A carbon steel welded pipe ensures low flow resistance, facilitating fluid flow and reducing scale accumulation.

During the use of ASME SA178 GR.A, it should be noted that despite strict heat treatment and NDT requirements, the weld is still different from the seamless parent material in structure, which is a potential weak link. When it is used in harsh conditions such as high temperature, high pressure, corrosion, fatigue, and stress concentration, it needs to be carefully considered. At the same time, the maximum operating temperature of ASTM A178 GR.A is usually limited to below 400°C (750°F), and the performance degradation of the weld area under long-term high temperature may be faster than that of the parent material. When used in situations where expansion tubes are required, special attention should be paid to the expansion process control to avoid overstress or cracking in the weld area.

ASME SA178 Gr.A Carbon Steel Welded Boiler Tube and Heat Exchanger Tube Core Application Areas

• Boiler Tubes: ASME SA178 GR.A carbon steel welded tube is most commonly used as the combustion chamber tube bundle in fire-tube boilers, where flue gas flows inside the tubes and water is heated outside to produce steam.

• Superheater Tubes: ASME SA178 GR.A carbon steel welded tube can be used in the lower-temperature superheater area.

• Heat Exchangers and Condensers: ASME SA178 GR.A carbon steel welded tube can be used in various heat exchange equipment in industries such as petrochemicals and HVAC.