ASTM A515 Grade 70   Carbon-silicon pressure-vessel plate for a clearly defined service, thickness and delivery requirement.

A515 Grade 70 for intermediate- and higher-temperature vessel service

ASTM A515 Grade 70 is a carbon-silicon plate grade intended primarily for intermediate- and higher-temperature service in welded boilers and other pressure vessels. The A515/A515M-17(2022) public Scope identifies this application and gives Grade 70 a tensile strength range of 70–90 ksi [485–620 MPa]. The grade number alone is not a complete purchasing specification. Order review should also identify the applicable A20/A20M general requirements.

The official abstract calls for killed steel made to a coarse austenitic grain size practice. That grain practice distinguishes the family from fine-grain A516 vessel plate; it does not, by itself, identify the delivered heat-treatment condition or demonstrate an impact-test result. Give Gangsteel the required designation, edition and service-related purchasing conditions so the quotation can address the actual material line.

Thickness-dependent chemistry with heat and product analysis separated

The table is a public reference / mill restatement, not an official ASTM Table 1 extract, a mill typical composition or a tighter supply guarantee. ArcelorMittal Europe catalogue H62, updated 3 February 2026, supports the heat-style values within its 5–80 mm offering. MetalMate’s guide citing A515/A515M-17(2022), together with Ferrobend’s compilation, supplies the analysis distinctions and the thicker carbon bands.

A515 Grade 70 chemistry: public-reference maxima and ranges, mass %
Element Thickness applicability Heat analysis, % Product analysis, %
Carbon (C) 1 in. [25 mm] and under 0.31 max 0.31 max
Carbon (C) Over 1 to 2 in. [25 to 50 mm], inclusive 0.33 max 0.33 max
Carbon (C) Over 2 to 4 in. [50 to 100 mm], inclusive 0.35 max 0.35 max
Carbon (C) Over 4 to 8 in. [100 to 200 mm], inclusive 0.35 max 0.35 max
Carbon (C) Over 8 in. [200 mm] 0.35 max 0.35 max
Manganese (Mn) Applicable chemistry basis; see allowance below 1.20 max 1.30 max
Silicon (Si) Applicable chemistry basis 0.15–0.40 0.13–0.45
Phosphorus (P) Public-source maximum 0.025 max 0.025 max
Sulfur (S) Public-source maximum 0.025 max 0.025 max

H62 stops at 80 mm; the carbon references above that mill range come from the compilations, not an enlarged H62 supply programme. The product manganese and silicon columns follow MetalMate’s explicit split. The P/S figures agree across these public sources but are not presented as confirmed official limits of a current ASTM edition. Chemistry bands are not thickness-availability commitments.

MetalMate and Ferrobend also restate a conditional carbon–manganese allowance: for each 0.01 percentage point below the specified carbon maximum, manganese may increase by 0.06 percentage point above its specified maximum, up to 1.50% by heat analysis and 1.60% by product analysis. This is a compilation footnote, not an allowance independently printed on H62’s A515 table. Assess its applicability under the ordered requirements rather than treat the ceilings as unconditional chemistry limits.

Heat analysis describes the steel heat, while product analysis concerns finished material under the applicable sampling and tolerance provisions. A report should make the analysis basis clear. The two columns are not alternatives from which to select whichever limit makes a result acceptable.

Mechanical references: strength, gauge length and unit system

A515 Grade 70 mechanical reference: official public-Scope tensile plus labelled public references
Property Published reference Source / condition
Tensile strength 70–90 ksi [485–620 MPa] Official A515/A515M-17(2022) public Scope 1.2
Yield strength, minimum 38 ksi [260 MPa] Public reference: AM H62 and the MetalMate/Ferrobend compilations
Elongation, minimum 17% in 8 in. [200 mm] Public reference; specimen applicability and A20 adjustments
Elongation, minimum 21% in 2 in. [50 mm] Public reference; specimen applicability and A20 adjustments

Yield and elongation are public-reference / mill restatements, not an official Table 2 extract. H62 reports transverse mechanical properties within its 5–80 mm offering; the compilations supply the 38 ksi [260 MPa] pairing and the stated gauge lengths. Keep the test direction, specimen basis and applicable A20/A20M adjustments with the results.

Inch-pound and SI are independent systems, not exact conversions to combine selectively. State one purchasing unit system and evaluate dimensions and results consistently under the ordered specification. A percentage with no gauge length, or a stress value detached from its source basis, is not enough for certificate acceptance.

Agree the delivered condition instead of inferring it from the grade

MetalMate’s compilation, citing A515/A515M-17(2022), restates normalizing for plates over 50 mm [2 in.] and normally as-rolled delivery at and below that thickness unless another condition is ordered. This is compilation guidance, not a heat-treatment clause reproduced from the official public Scope, which does not state the rule. The bracketed dimensions retain an independent-unit basis.

Set the required condition during contract review and require the material report to identify the actual delivered treatment. A grain-practice statement and a normalizing record answer different questions. Any later fabrication heat treatment needs its own suitable procedure and any agreed testing representation; this material description supplies no normalizing temperature or shop recipe.

Delivery and testing items to settle on an A515 Grade 70 order
Order item Purchasing decision Document to review
Delivery condition State the edition and required as-rolled or normalized condition Material report identifying actual treatment
Plate schedule Specify thickness, width, length and quantity Identified dimensions and heat/plate traceability
Analyses and tension tests State the required analysis basis and test scope Results matched to the designation and material
Additional examinations Define any agreed impact, UT or other supplementary requirements Reports against the stated criteria
Certificate arrangement Agree the required form and inspection scope Complete order-specific document package

There is no numerical thickness cap in the current public Scope

Scope 1.3 of the 17(2022) edition limits thickness by the capacity of the composition to meet the specified mechanical properties rather than a fixed numerical ceiling. A producer’s catalogue range is a separate supply matter. State the actual requested thickness and required properties, then have that combination assessed in the quotation; a chemistry table does not establish that every listed thickness can be furnished.

A515 and A516 Grade 70 are different material selections

ASTM A516 Grade 70 steel plate addresses a different vessel-plate specification, associated with moderate- and lower-temperature service and fine-grain practice. A common Grade 70 number or overlapping tensile range does not make the materials interchangeable. The SA515 vs SA516 comparison explains the related intended-service and designation distinction in the ASME families; an ASTM order still needs its own material and edition basis.

For other designations within A515, see ASTM A515 Grade 60 steel plate and ASTM A515 Grade 65 steel plate. Select the specified strength level through the design requirement rather than use a related product name as a substitution approval.

Buyer questions about ordering A515 Grade 70

What makes A515 Grade 70 a distinct vessel-plate choice?

Its specification is intended primarily for intermediate- and higher-temperature service in welded boilers and other pressure vessels and uses killed, coarse austenitic grain size practice. The required material therefore includes more than the Grade 70 strength label. State the complete designation, edition and delivery requirement when asking for a quotation.

Is A515 Grade 70 interchangeable with A516 Grade 70?

Not automatically. The specifications address different intended-service and grain-practice bases, even where tensile ranges overlap. An alternative material needs engineering and specification review, followed by any required order change. A supplier description or a matching test result does not authorize a switch from the material selected for the component.

Must every A515 Grade 70 plate be normalized?

The delivered condition must follow the ordered requirements. The cited MetalMate compilation restates normalizing over 50 mm [2 in.], with thinner plate normally as-rolled unless otherwise ordered; that is a labelled compilation reference, not a public-Scope clause. Confirm the applicable edition and require the actual treatment to be identified on the report.

Why do carbon limits change with thickness and analysis type?

The published reference uses thickness-banded carbon maxima and separately identified manganese and silicon heat/product values. The conditional carbon–manganese allowance also has its own limits and basis. Assess the applicable band and analysis provisions together, rather than widen a heat limit or combine unrelated entries to judge a product-analysis result.

What should accompany a Grade 70 material report?

The record set should support the ordered designation and edition, material identity, dimensions, actual delivery condition and required analysis and tension results. Include any agreed supplementary examination reports and their criteria. Elongation needs its gauge and applicable adjustments; impact testing and a particular certificate type are purchasing requirements, not automatic consequences of the grade name.

Request an A515 Grade 70 quotation

Send Gangsteel a material brief that connects the plate schedule to the acceptance requirements.

  • ASTM A515/A515M Grade 70, edition and unit system
  • Dimensions, quantity and required delivery condition
  • Heat/product analysis scope, tension basis and any agreed supplementary tests
  • Required certificate form and inspection documents

Availability and documentary scope are established for the specific enquiry. Contact us with your plate enquiry.

ASTM A515GR70 A515 Grade 70 steel plate supplier