Designation: A696 − 90a (Reapproved 2012)

Standard Specification for

Steel Bars, Carbon, Hot-Wrought or Cold-Finished, Special
Quality, for Pressure Piping Components1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation A696; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the Department of Defense.

1. Scope 4.1.1 Quantity (weight or number of bars),

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1.1 This specification covers hot-wrought and cold- 4.1.2 Name of material (carbon steel bars),
finished special quality carbon steel bars, in straight lengths 4.1.3 Condition: hot wrought or cold finished (5.4.1),
only, subject to mechanical property requirements and intended 4.1.4 Finish (if descaled required, so state) (9.1),
for use in manufacturing components for pressure piping and 4.1.5 Dimensions (diameter, thickness, width, and length),
other pressure-containing applications. 4.1.6 Cross section (round, square, hexagon),
4.1.7 ASTM designation and date of issue,
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded 4.1.8 Grade (Table 1 and Table 2),
as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical 4.1.9 End use, and
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only 4.1.10 Additions to the specification and supplementary
and are not considered standard. requirements, if required.
2. Referenced Documents NOTE 1—A typical ordering description is as follows: 10 000 lb, Carbon
Steel Bars, Hot Wrought, Descaled, 1.000-in. diameter by 10 ft, Round,
2.1 ASTM Standards:3
ASTM A696 dated ______, Grade B; Supplementary Requirement S1
A29/A29M Specification for Steel Bars, Carbon and Alloy, Straightness 0.125 in. in any 5 ft.
Hot-Wrought, General Requirements for
A370 Test Methods and Definitions for Mechanical Testing 5. Materials and Manufacture
of Steel Products
5.1 Melting Practice—The steel shall be made by one or
3. Classification more of the following primary processes: open-hearth, basic-
3.1 The bars are furnished in two grades as follows: oxygen, or electric-furnace. The primary melting may incor-
3.1.1 Grade B—Tensile strength 60 000 psi (415 MPa), porate separate degassing or refining, and may be followed by
minimum; yield strength 35 000 psi (240 MPa), minimum. secondary melting using electroslag remelting or vacuum arc
3.1.2 Grade C—Tensile strength 70 000 psi (485 MPa), remelting. Where secondary melting is employed, the heat
minimum; yield strength 40 000 psi (275 MPa), minimum. shall be defined as all of the ingots remelted from a single
primary heat.
3.2 The bars are intended for machining, welding, hot
forming, and threading by machining or cold rolling. 5.2 Deoxidation—The steel shall be fully killed.
5.3 Quality—The bars shall be special quality.
4. Ordering Information
5.4 Hot or Cold Working:
4.1 Orders for material under this specification should 5.4.1 The bars shall be hot wrought or cold finished as
include the following information: specified by the purchaser.
5.4.2 Cold-finished bars reduced in cross-sectional area
1
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee A01 on Steel, more than 10 % by cold drawing or rolling shall be heat treated
Stainless Steel and Related Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee
A01.15 on Bars.
as specified in 5.5.2.
Current edition approved March 1, 2012. Published April 2012. Originally 5.5 Heat Treatment:
approved in 1974. Last previous edition approved in 2006 as A696 – 90a (2006).
DOI: 10.1520/A0696-90AR12.
5.5.1 Except as provided in 5.5.2, the bars shall be furnished
2
For ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Applications, see related Specifi- as-hot wrought or as-cold finished.
cation SA-696 in Section II of that Code.
3
5.5.2 Cold-finished bars cold worked in excess of 10 % (see
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
5.4.2) shall be stress relief annealed at not less than 1200°F
contact ASTM Customer Service at [email protected]. For Annual Book of ASTM
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on (649°C), normalized, or fully annealed. The specific heat
the ASTM website. treatment shall be at the option of the manufacturer.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States

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 A696 − 90a (2012)
TABLE 1 Chemical Requirements (Heat Analysis), % 7.3 Number of Tests—One tension test shall be made from
Grades B and C each lot. A lot shall consist of all bars of one size from one heat
Carbon, maxA 0.32 processed at one time and subjected to the same heat treatment
Manganese, max 1.04 when heat treated.
Phosphorus, max 0.035B
Sulfur, max 0.045B 7.4 Test Methods—Tension tests shall be made in accor-
Silicon 0.15 to 0.35
Lead B dance with Test Methods and Definitions A370. The yield
A
strength shall be determined by the 0.2 % offset or 0.5 %
For each reduction of 0.01 % below the specified carbon maximum, an
increase of 0.06 % manganese above the specified maximum will be permitted up extension under load methods.
to a maximum of 1.35 %.
B
Phosphorus, sulfur, or lead, or a combination thereof, shall not be added. 8. Workmanship, Finish, and Appearance
8.1 Descaling—When descaled bars are required, Supple-
mentary Requirement S7 must be specified.
TABLE 2 Tensile Requirements
Grade B Grade C 8.2 The bars shall be free of visible pipe and conditioned as
Tensile strength, min, ksi (MPa) 60 (415) 70 (485) necessary to remove injurious surface imperfections.
Yield strength, min, ksi (MPa) 35 (240) 40 (275)
Elongation in 2.0 in. or 50 mm, min, % 20.0 18.0 9. General Requirements
Elongation in 8.0 in. or 200 mm, 17.0 15.0
min, %A 9.1 Material furnished under this specification shall con-
A
Applicable to bars 11⁄2 in. (38 mm) in diameter tested full size.
form to the applicable requirements of the current edition of
Specification A29/A29M unless otherwise provided herein.
10. Certification and Test Reports
6. Chemical Composition
10.1 A manufacturer’s certification that the material was
6.1 The heat analysis shall conform to the requirements for manufactured and tested in accordance with this specification
chemical composition specified in Table 1. together with a report of the heat analysis and tension test
6.2 A product analysis of the steel may be made by the results shall be furnished at the time of shipment. The report
purchaser and shall conform to the requirements of Table 1 shall include the name of the manufacturer, ASTM designation
subject to the product analysis tolerances specified in Specifi- number and grade, shape, size, and finish.
cation A29/A29M. 11. Packaging and Package Marking
7. Tensile Requirements 11.1 Bars less than 2.0 in. (51 mm) in diameter or thickness
7.1 Requirements: shall be tightly banded with a sufficient number of bands of
7.1.1 The material, as represented by the test specimens, adequate strength to minimize bundle breakage during han-
shall conform to the tensile requirements specified in Table 2. dling and shipping. Larger sizes shall be packaged in accor-
7.1.2 A deduction from the percentage of elongation speci- dance with Specification A29/A29M.
fied in Table 2 of 1.0 % shall be made for each 1.0 in. 11.2 For bars less than 2.0 in. (51 mm) in diameter or
(25.4 mm) of specified diameter over 2.0 in. (51 mm) or thickness, each bundle shall bear a weather-resistant tag
fraction thereof to a maximum of 3 %. showing the purchase order number, ASTM designation num-
7.2 Specimens: ber and grade, heat number, size, and name of manufacturer.
7.2.1 Tension test specimens shall be taken longitudinally 11.3 Bars 2.0 in. (51 mm) and larger in diameter or
from a position midway between the center and the surface of thickness shall have the heat number steel stamped on one end.
the bar or as close as practical to this location for small sizes.
7.2.2 When it is impractical to remove specimens in accor- 12. Keywords
dance with 7.2.1, they shall be taken in accordance with Test 12.1 pressure piping components; special quality steel bars;
Methods and Definitions A370. steel bars

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 A696 − 90a (2012)
SUPPLEMENTARY REQUIREMENTS

One or more of the following supplementary requirements shall be applied only when specified by
the purchaser in the inquiry, contract, or order. Details of these supplementary requirements shall be
agreed upon in writing by the manufacturer and purchaser. Supplementary requirements shall in no
way negate any requirement of the specification itself.

S1. Special Straightness S5. Fine Grain Practice

S1.1 Bars shall be within the tolerances for special straight- S5.1 The steel shall conform to the fine austenitic grain size
ness. requirement of Specification A29/A29M.
S2. Stress Relief Anneal
S2.1 Bars shall be stress relief annealed (may be specified S6. Restricted Size Tolerances for Hot-Wrought Bars
for bars that have been ordered to special straightness toler- S6.1 Bars shall be furnished with tolerances on dimensions
ance). more restrictive than specified in Specification A29/A29M.
S3. Surface Quality Tolerance requirements to apply shall be negotiated between
the purchaser and the manufacturer.
S3.1 Bars shall be produced to special surface quality
requirements which shall be negotiated between the purchaser
and the supplier. S7. Descaling

S4. Special Internal Soundness S7.1 Bars shall be furnished descaled and oiled.
S4.1 Bars shall be produced with special internal soundness
to be verified by one or more macro-etch samples. Acceptance
limits shall be negotiated between the purchaser and the seller.

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