SPECIFICATION FOR SEAMLESS COLD DRAWN LOW CARBON

STEEL TUBES INCLUDING U - TUBES

1.0 SCOPE

This specification covers the manufacturing, fabrication, heat treatment and testing
requirements of seamless cold drawn low carbon steel straight tubes and U – tubes
manufactured by bending of straight tubes.

Applicable standards

ASTM A - 179 : Specification for seamless cold drawn low carbon

steel heat exchanger and condenser tubes.
ASTM A - 450 : Specification for general requirements for carbon,
ferritic alloy and austenitic alloy steel tubes.

2.0 MATERIAL SPECIFICATION

Item : Seamless cold drawn low carbon steel straight and

U - tubes. ➁

Size : Upto 25.4 mm ( 1” ) OD and 3.0 mm thickness.

Above 25.4 mm up to 38.1mm (1-1/2") incl. OD and
3.4 mm thickness . ➁

Condition : All tubes shall be heat treated as per clause 6.0 of A-

179. Additionally U-tubes shall be stress–relieved
after bending in the bent portion and a minimum
300 mm from tangent lines. 

2 TKSG PJMR 04.05.2010 Revision as marked. ➁

1 VMP PBP 25.01.99 Revision as marked , Change in format.
0 DPP GMS 30.06.93 Original
REV PREPARED BY APPROVED DATE REMARKS
BY

BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION COMPANY STANDARD PAGE

LIMITED, MAHUL REFINERY. SPECIFICATION NO.
(ADVISORY ENGINEERING) AE-S-3527 Rev. 2 1 OF 6
35601
 Service : Reboiler , heat exchanger, sulphur condenser etc.
(excluding sea water service). ➁

Manufacture : Tubes shall be made seamless by cold drawn process

followed by stress relieving. U bending of tubes
shall be carried out as per BPCL approved drawing
followed by stress relieving. ➁

3.0 CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Carbon : 0.06 – 0.18 %

Manganese : 0.27 – 0.63
Phosphorous : 0.035 (max)
Sulphur : 0.035 (max)

4.0 DIMENSIONAL TOLERANCES 

4.1 Dimensional Tolerance for straight tubes and straight portion of U-tubes

Outside Diameter : Each length of tube shall have following tolerance on outside
diameter throughout the length.

Upto 25.4 mm (incl) : +/- 0.1 mm.

Above 25.4 mm up to 38.1 (incl) : +/- 0.15 mm. ➁

Wall Thickness : The allowable percentage variation shall be + 10 % and -0 %

Length : Tolerance on length at either ends of tube shall be + 3.0 mm and - 0 mm

4.2 Dimensional Tolerance for bent portion of U-tubes. 

4.2.1 Minimum tube wall thickness at the U-bend shall be calculated as follows;

Tf = To / { 1 + ( D / 4R) } ➁

Where Tf = min. tube wall thickness after bending , To = tube wall thickness before
bending , R = mean radius of U-bend and D = Tube O.D.

BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION COMPANY STANDARD PAGE

LIMITED, MAHUL REFINERY. SPECIFICATION NO.
(ADVISORY ENGINEERING) AE-S-3527 Rev. 2 2 OF 6
35601
 The calculated thickness Tf shall not be less than the required minimum tube wall
thickness as specified in ASTM A-450.

U-bends formed from tube materials that are relatively non-work-hardening and are of
suitable temper, tube wall thinning shall not exceed 17% of the original tube wall
thickness. ➁

4.2.2 Flattening after bending shall not exceed 10% of the nominal tube OD. ➁

4.2.3 The bent portion of U-tubes shall be substantially uniform in curvature and shall not
exceed +/- 1.5 mm of the nominal centre line radius.

4.2.4 The centre to centre distance between legs at the tangent line of U-bend portion shall
have tolerance of +/- 1.0 mm .

4.2.5 The length of tube leg as measured from the point of tangency of the bend to the
end of the tube leg shall be within +3 / -0 mm. The difference in the lengths of the
tube leg on either side shall not exceed 3 mm.

5.0 FABRICATION OF U-BENDS

i. Each length of straight tube shall be U-bend to required radius as per BPCL
drawing.
ii. Vendor shall manufacture templates or use jigs & fixtures of required radius to
check individual tubes after U-bending.
iii. Vendor shall fabricate mock-up tube sheet or use jigs & fixtures of required
radius and check the assembly of U-tubes at least on one plane containing all
radii. This check shall be carried out by vendor for each tube after completion of
stress relieving.
iv. Presence of kinks, wrinkles, flattening at bends and such other defects arising
during fabrication shall be a cause for rejection.

6.0 HEAT TREATMENT

i. After completion of each draw / final cold draw, pass bending, each tube shall be
stress relieved as follows :
Uniform heating rate : 100 to 125 deg. C./.hour.
Soaking temperature : 600 deg. C. to 650 deg. C.

Soaking time : Minimum 15 minutes.

BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION COMPANY STANDARD PAGE
LIMITED, MAHUL REFINERY. SPECIFICATION NO.
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 Controlled cooling : Upto 300 deg. C. in furnace
followed by cooling in still air.

ii. Vendor shall offer the relevant heat treatment chart for third party / BPCL
inspection scrutiny.

iii. After completion of heat treatment, all tubes shall be descaled and pickled
externally and internally.

7.0 TESTS ON FINISHED TUBES

i. Dye Penetrant Test :

DP Test shall be carried out on bend portion of each U-tube to detect presence
of cracks etc. and shall be certified by the vendor.

ii. Hydrotest :

Hydrotest of each finished tube shall be carried out as per Clause 22 (Table 7)
of ASTM A-450. Hydrotest report for all tubes shall be submitted by vendor.
Any failure during hydrostatic testing shall require witnessing of hydrotest of all
tubes.

iii. Hardness Survey :

The hardness of finished tubes shall not exceed 130 BHN (72 HRB) at any
location.

iv. Other Tests :

Vendor shall arrange to carry out flattening test and flaring test as per A-450 on
one straight tube or straight leg of U-tube randomly selected by third party /
BPCL inspection and offer the results for verification. The tested tube shall be
replaced with a new tube.

8.0 SCOPE OF BPCL / THIRD PARTY INSPECTION

The manufacturer shall offer inspection of tubes to BPCL / third party inspection.

During final inspection, the following shall be witnessed and certified by BPCL / third
party inspection on finished tubes (including U-tubes) : ②

BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION COMPANY STANDARD PAGE

LIMITED, MAHUL REFINERY. SPECIFICATION NO.
(ADVISORY ENGINEERING) AE-S-3527 Rev. 2 4 OF 6
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 i. Spectro analysis test of minimum two tubes of the heat / lot no. being delivered.
ii. Physical witnessing of tensile test, yield test and elongation test.
iii. Witnessing flattening and flaring test of one no. randomly selected finished tube.
iv. Visual inspection of all tubes.
v. Dimensional OD / thickness / length measurement & recording of 10% randomly
selected tubes.
vi. Hardness checking within six inches length on both tube ends and recording of
10% randomly selected finished tubes including U-tubes .
vii. Randomly selected five tubes of each bend radii shall be checked against
template and mock-up tube sheet assembly.
viii. Carrying out DP test at bend portion of 10 % randomly selected finished U-
tubes.
ix. Witnessing hydrotest of 10 % randomly selected finished tubes which have
been tested by the manufacturer.
x. Randomly checking for all tube ends having been stamped with the relevant
ASTM no., dimension, heat / lot no., PO no. and manufacturers name.
xi. Review / stamping of the manufacturers test certificates.
xii. Furnishing of third party inspection report and release note.

Besides the above, inspection findings leading to presence of surface imperfection

marks 0.3 mm and more in depth, scratch marks, kinks, wrinkles etc., ovality on
OD, non-uniform bore, flattening at bends, adjacent tubes touching at bend portions
for U-tubes, waviness occurred during improper stress relieving etc. shall be a cause
for rejection of the lot.

9.0 MANUFACTURER’S TEST CERTIFICATE

Manufacturer with each lot of tubes shall submit Test Certificate with certification of
all tubes having been manufactured in accordance with the stipulated standard /
specification and duly stamped by the third party inspection. ②

The test certificate shall clearly furnish the following information : ➁

i. Certificate number and date.

ii. Product description / dimensions / relevant standard.
iii. Heat / lot no.
BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION COMPANY STANDARD PAGE
LIMITED, MAHUL REFINERY. SPECIFICATION NO.
(ADVISORY ENGINEERING) AE-S-3527 Rev. 2 5 OF 6
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 iv. Chemical / physical test result.
v. Hardness test result.
vi. Flattening test result.
vii. Flaring test result.
viii. DP test result on bend portion of each tube.
ix. Checking of each U-tube against template.
x. Checking of each U-tube against mock-up tube sheet assembly.
xi. Heat treatment charts.
xii. Descaling / pickling details.
xiii. Hydro test report.

10.0 PACKING ②

i. Each finished tube end shall be stamped with PO no., relevant ASTM no., heat /
lot no., dimension and manufacturers name. Each bundle shall contain only tubes
of one radii and the bend radius mentioned on the packing legibly.
ii. PVC end caps shall be provided at both ends of each tube.

11.0 MATERIAL ACCEPTANCE

Non of the tests mentioned in this specification or third party inspection shall be
waived off at any point of time. No material shall be inspected by warehouse inspection
without receipt of the original copy of manufacturers test certificate duly stamped by
BPCL / third party inspection, original BPCL / third party inspection report along
with inspection release note. On receipt of the material at BPCL warehouse, the
relevant certificates shall be reviewed and the material be inspected / tested if required
for confirming the acceptability of the material. ➁

BHARAT PETROLEUM CORPORATION COMPANY STANDARD PAGE

LIMITED, MAHUL REFINERY. SPECIFICATION NO.
(ADVISORY ENGINEERING) AE-S-3527 Rev. 2 6 OF 6
35601