ASTM A727/A727M-14(2019)

Standard Specification for Carbon Steel Forgings for Piping Components with Inherent Notch Toughness

ABSTRACT
This specification covers forged carbon steel piping components intended primarily for service in pressure piping systems from a specific temperature range where inherent notch toughness is desired, but where notch toughness testing is not required. Included are forged or ring-rolled flanges, forged fittings, and valves made to specified dimensions. The steel shall be made by one or more of the following processes: open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric-furnace, and shall be fully killed, fine-grain practice. Following plastic working, the forgings shall be heat treated by normalizing, or normalizing and tempering, or quenching and tempering. The forgings shall be subjected to tension, hardness, and hydrostatic tests.
SCOPE
1.1 This specification2 covers forged carbon steel piping components intended primarily for service in pressure piping systems from −20 to +650 °F [−30 to +345 °C] where inherent notch toughness is desired, but where notch toughness testing is not required. Included are forged or ring-rolled flanges, forged fittings, and valves made to specified dimensions, or to dimensional standards such as the ASME and API specifications referenced in Section 2.  
1.2 This specification is limited to forgings with maximum finished section thicknesses no larger than 2 in. [51 mm].  
1.3 It shall be the responsibility of the purchaser to determine whether material meeting the requirements of this specification is satisfactory for the service application.  
1.4 Supplementary requirements are provided for use when additional testing or inspection is desired. These shall apply only when specified by the purchaser in the order.  
Note 1: There are no provisions for impact testing in this specification. When impact testing is required, refer to Specification A350/A350M.  
1.5 This specification is expressed in both inch-pound units and in SI units. However, unless the order specifies the applicable “M” specification designation (SI units), the material shall be furnished to inch-pound units.  
1.6 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard. Within the text, the SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system shall be used independently of the other. Combining values from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the standard.  
1.7 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Nov-2019
• ICS: 77.140.85 - Iron and steel forgings
• Technical Committee: A01 - Steel, Stainless Steel and Related Alloys
• Drafting Committee: A01.22 - Steel Forgings and Wrought Fittings for Piping Applications and Bolting Materials for Piping and Special Purpose Applications

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM A727/A727M-14 - Standard Specification for Carbon Steel Forgings for Piping Components with Inherent Notch Toughness
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2019
• Refers: ASTM A350/A350M-24 - Standard Specification for Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Forgings, Requiring Notch Toughness Testing for Piping Components
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2024
• Refers: ASTM A961/A961M-19a - Standard Specification for Common Requirements for Steel Flanges, Forged Fittings, Valves, and Parts for Piping Applications<?Pub _bookmark Command="[Quick Mark]"?>
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2019
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-19 - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-May-2019
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-18b - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2018
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-18a - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2018
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-18 - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2018
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-17a - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2017
• Refers: ASTM A350/A350M-17 - Standard Specification for Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Forgings, Requiring Notch Toughness Testing for Piping Components
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2017
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-17 - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-May-2017
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-16a - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-Dec-2016
• Refers: ASTM A961/A961M-16 - Standard Specification for Common Requirements for Steel Flanges, Forged Fittings, Valves, and Parts for Piping Applications<?Pub _bookmark Command="[Quick Mark]"?>
• Effective Date: 01-Jun-2016
• Refers: ASTM A961/A961M-15 - Standard Specification for Common Requirements for Steel Flanges, Forged Fittings, Valves, and Parts for Piping Applications<?Pub _bookmark Command="[Quick Mark]"?>
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2015
• Refers: ASTM A788/A788M-15 - Standard Specification for Steel Forgings, General Requirements
• Effective Date: 01-May-2015
• Refers: ASTM A961/A961M-14 - Standard Specification for Common Requirements for Steel Flanges, Forged Fittings, Valves, and Parts for Piping Applications<?Pub _bookmark Command="[Quick Mark]"?>
• Effective Date: 01-Nov-2014

Overview

ASTM A727/A727M-14(2019) is a standard specification developed by ASTM International that governs the requirements for carbon steel forgings specifically designed for use in piping components where inherent notch toughness is desired. This standard is primarily intended for pressure piping systems operating within a temperature range of −20 to +650 °F [−30 to +345 °C]. It addresses forged and ring-rolled flanges, fittings, and valves made to specified or standardized dimensions, including those referenced in ASME and API standards.

The specification applies to forgings with a maximum finished section thickness of 2 inches [51 mm], and focuses on the material, heat treatment, mechanical and chemical property requirements needed for safe, robust pressure-containing parts. Notably, this standard prescribes inherent notch toughness but does not require notch toughness (impact) testing.

Key Topics

• Scope and Applicability

  • Covers carbon steel forgings for pressure piping from −20 to +650 °F [−30 to +345 °C].
  • Applicable to flanges, forged fittings, and valves up to 2 in. [51 mm] thick.
  • Inherent notch toughness is a requirement, but impact testing is not.

• Material and Manufacturing

  • Acceptable steelmaking processes: open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric-furnace.
  • Steel must be fully killed and produced with fine-grain practice.
  • Forgings are subject to heat treatment: normalizing, normalizing and tempering, or quenching and tempering.

• Mechanical and Chemical Properties

  • Mechanical tests include tension, hardness, and hydrostatic capability.
  • Chemical composition is specified with limits for elements such as carbon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, and silicon.
  • Product and heat analysis requirements are detailed.

• Testing and Inspection

  • Requires tension tests and, where applicable, hardness tests after heat treatment.
  • Supplementary requirements for additional testing or inspection may be added per purchaser’s agreement.
  • Hydrostatic testing is only performed if requested by the purchaser.

• Marking and Certification

  • Forgings must be properly marked, with “QT” identifying quenched and tempered parts and “W” if repair welded.
  • Certification includes full documentation of heat treatment, chemical analysis, product analysis, tensile, and hardness results.

Applications

ASTM A727/A727M-14(2019) is widely used in industries where carbon steel piping components are subjected to moderate and high-pressure applications and where confidence in inherent notch toughness is essential for safety and integrity. Typical use cases include:

• Power Generation: For high-efficiency, high-temperature steam lines.
• Oil & Gas: Upstream and downstream pressure piping systems.
• Petrochemical Processing: Where reliable flanges, fittings, and valves are critical for pipeline operations.
• General Industrial: Application in chemical plant equipment, pressure vessels, and process piping where notch toughness is desired but formal impact testing is not imperative.

Compliance with this standard assures users that the forging materials meet strict ASTM requirements for structural integrity, chemical composition, and mechanical performance.

Related Standards

Users of ASTM A727/A727M may also reference or require compliance with the following standards, ensuring quality and compatibility across piping systems:

• ASTM A350/A350M - Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Forgings, Requiring Notch Toughness Testing for Piping Components
• ASTM A961/A961M - Common Requirements for Steel Flanges, Forged Fittings, Valves, and Parts for Piping Applications
• ASTM A788/A788M - General Requirements for Steel Forgings
• ASME B16.5, B16.10, B16.11, B16.30 - Flanges, valves, and fittings dimensional standards
• API 600, 602, 605 - Steel gate valves and large-diameter flanges
• MSS SP-25 - Standard marking system for valves, fittings, flanges, and unions

Referencing these related standards ensures alignment with industry best practices and regulatory frameworks for safe, high-quality pressure piping systems.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation:A727/A727M −14 (Reapproved 2019)
Standard Specification for
Carbon Steel Forgings for Piping Components with Inherent
Notch Toughness
This standard is issued under the fixed designationA727/A727M; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year
of original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision.Anumber in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval.
A superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
2 Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
1.1 This specification covers forged carbon steel piping
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
components intended primarily for service in pressure piping
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
systems from −20 to +650 °F [−30 to +345 °C] where inherent
notch toughness is desired, but where notch toughness testing
2. Referenced Documents
is not required. Included are forged or ring-rolled flanges,
2.1 In addition to those reference documents listed in
forged fittings, and valves made to specified dimensions, or to
Specification A961/A961M, the following list of standards
dimensional standards such as the ASME and API specifica-
apply to this specification.
tions referenced in Section 2.
2.2 ASTM Standards:
1.2 This specification is limited to forgings with maximum
A350/A350MSpecificationforCarbonandLow-AlloySteel
finished section thicknesses no larger than 2 in. [51 mm].
Forgings, Requiring Notch Toughness Testing for Piping
1.3 It shall be the responsibility of the purchaser to deter-
Components
mine whether material meeting the requirements of this speci-
A788/A788MSpecification for Steel Forgings, General Re-
fication is satisfactory for the service application.
quirements
1.4 Supplementary requirements are provided for use when A961/A961MSpecification for Common Requirements for
additional testing or inspection is desired. These shall apply
Steel Flanges, Forged Fittings, Valves, and Parts for
only when specified by the purchaser in the order. Piping Applications
E59Practice for Sampling Steel and Iron for Determination
NOTE 1—There are no provisions for impact testing in this specifica-
of Chemical Composition (Withdrawn 1996)
tion.Whenimpacttestingisrequired,refertoSpecificationA350/A350M.
2.3 ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Codes:
1.5 This specification is expressed in both inch-pound units
Section II, Material Specifications, Part C
and in SI units. However, unless the order specifies the
SFA5.5Low-Alloy Steel Covered Arc-Welding Electrodes
applicable “M” specification designation (SI units), the mate-
B16.5 Steel Pipe Flanges and Flanged Fittings
rial shall be furnished to inch-pound units.
B16.10Face-to-Face and End-to-End Dimensions of Fer-
1.6 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units
rous Valves
are to be regarded separately as standard. Within the text, the
B16.11ForgedSteelFittings,Socket-WeldingandThreaded
SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each
B16.30Unfired Pressure Vessel Flange Dimensions
system may not be exact equivalents; therefore, each system 6
2.4 API Standards:
shall be used independently of the other. Combining values
600Steel Gate Valves with Flanged or Butt-Welding Ends
from the two systems may result in non-conformance with the
602 CompactDesignCarbonSteelGateValvesforRefinery
standard.
Use
1.7 This international standard was developed in accor-
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
This specification is under the jurisdiction ofASTM Committee A01 on Steel, Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
Stainless Steel and RelatedAlloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee the ASTM website.
A01.22onSteelForgingsandWroughtFittingsforPipingApplicationsandBolting The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on
Materials for Piping and Special Purpose Applications. www.astm.org.
Current edition approved Dec. 1, 2019. Published December 2019. Originally Available from American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), ASME
approved in 1976. Last previous edition approved in 2014 as A727/A727M–14. International Headquarters, Two Park Ave., New York, NY 10016-5990, http://
DOI: 10.1520/A0727_A0727M-14R19. www.asme.org.
For ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code applications see related Specifi- Available from American Petroleum Institute (API), 1220 L. St., NW,
cation SA-727 in Section II of that Code. Washington, DC 20005-4070, http://api-ec.api.org.
*A Summary of Changes section appears at the end of this standard
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
A727/A727M−14 (2019)
605Large Diameter Carbon Steel Flanges min/25 mm] of maximum section thickness, with minimum
holding time at tempering temperature not less than 30 min.
2.5 MSS Standard:
MSS SP-25Standard Marking System for Valves, Fittings,
6. Chemical Composition
Flanges, and Unions
6.1 The steel shall conform to the requirements as to
3. General Requirements and Ordering Information
chemical composition prescribed in Table 1.
3.1 Product furnished to this specification shall conform to
6.2 Steels to which lead has been added shall not be used.
the requirements of Specification A961/A961M, including any
supplementary requirements that are indicated in the purchase
7. Mechanical Requirements
order.FailuretocomplywiththerequirementsofSpecification
7.1 Tension Tests:
A961/A961M constitutes nonconformance with this specifica-
7.1.1 Requirements—The material shall conform to require-
tion. In case of a conflict between the requirements of this
ments for tensile properties prescribed in Table 2.
specificationandSpecificationA961/A961M,thisspecification
7.1.1.1 The test specimen shall be obtained from a rough or
shall prevail.
finished production forging, or prolongation thereof, or it may
3.2 It is the purchaser’s responsibility to specify in the
be obtained from separately forged test blanks from the same
purchase order all ordering information necessary to purchase
heat of steel as the production forging. The test blank shall be
the needed material. Examples of such information include but
reduced by forging in a manner similar to that for the products
are not limited to the following:
represented, shall receive approximately the same hot working
3.2.1 Additional requirements (see 16.1).
and reduction, be of the same nominal thickness, and receive
the same heat treatment as the finished products represented.
4. Materials and Manufacture
The test material shall be treated in the same furnace at the
same time as the forging it represents, subject to the require-
4.1 The steel shall be made by one or more of the following
ments of 7.1.2.1.
processes: open-hearth, basic-oxygen, or electric-furnace, and
shall be fully killed, fine-grain practice.
4.2 Forgings shall be manufactured from ingots, blooms,
TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements
billets, slabs, or bars. These items shall be forged, rolled, or
strandcast. Elements Composition, %
Carbon
4.3 A sufficient discard shall be made from the ingot to
Heat Analysis 0.25 max
secure freedom from injurious piping and undue segregation.
Product Analysis 0.28 max
Manganese
4.4 Thefinishedproductshallbeaforgingasdefinedbythe
Heat Analysis 0.90 to 1.35
Terminology section of Specification A788/A788M.
Product Analysis 0.84 to 1.41
Phosphorus
Heat Analysis 0.035 max
5. Heat Treatment
Product Analysis 0.043 max
Sulfur
5.1 Following plastic working, the forging manufacturer
Heat Analysis 0.025 max
shallheattreattheforgingsbynormalizing,ornormalizingand
Product Analysis 0.033 max
tempering, or quenching and tempering. Silicon
Heat Analysis 0.15 to 0.30
5.1.1 Normalizing—The procedure for normalizing shall
Product Analysis 0.13 to 0.32
consist of uniformly heating the forgings to a temperature
Nickel
A
between 1550 and 1700 °F [845 and 925 °C], holding a
Heat Analysis 0.40
Product Analysis 0.43
sufficient time to attain uniform temperature throughout, and
Chromium
cooling in still air.The forging shall be at a temperature below A,B
Heat Analysis 0.30
1000 °F [540 °C] before heating for normalizing.
Product Analysis 0.34
Molybdenum
5.1.2 Quenching—The procedure for quenching shall con-
A,B
Heat Analysis 0.12
sist of uniformly heating the forging to a temperature between
Product Analysis 0.13
1550 and 1700 °F [845 and 925 °C], holding a sufficient time Copper
A
Heat Analysis 0.40
toattainuniformtemperaturethroughout,andquenchingintoa
Product Analysis 0.43
suitable liquid medium. The forging shall be at a temperature C
Niobium (Nb)
below 1000 °F [540 °C] before heating for quenching. Heat Analysis 0.02
Product Analysis 0.03
5.1.3 Tempering—Theprocedurefortemperingshallconsist
V
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