What is ASTM A240 & Its Specifications

by AMC

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Posted on july 05, 2023 at 03:29 AM

ASTM, the American Society for Testing and Materials, has established the A240 standard. This specification outlines the requirements for chromium and chromium-nickel stainless steel plate, sheet, and strip used in various applications, including pressure vessels and general use. It covers a wide range of stainless steel grades and defines their composition and mechanical properties when supplied in the form of plate, sheet, or strip. Common applications for these stainless steels include architecture, construction, building, aesthetics, and general use. Additionally, the standard provides important guidelines for sampling methods and certification requirements.

ASTM A240 Specification for Stainless Steel Plates, Sheets and Strips used as parent material for manufacturing Flat Washers

The ASTM A240 specification encompasses stainless steel plates, sheets, and strips intended for pressure vessels and general applications. It outlines the chemical composition and mechanical properties of various grades of stainless steel alloys, including ferritic, austenitic, martensitic, duplex, super duplex, and high molybdenum alloys. At Amardeep Steel, we frequently utilize sheets and plates made from stainless steel grades such as 304, 304L, 316, 316L, 321, 347, 309, 310, 316Ti, 317L, Xm-19, 904L, 409, 410, 430, Duplex S31803, S32205, Super Duplex S32750, S32760, S32550, high molybdenum UNS S31254, Alloy 20, and more. These stainless steel materials conform to the ASTM A240 specification and are employed in the manufacturing of sheet metal washers for bolting assemblies.

ASTM A240 Grades

Type	Raw Material
304	18-8 Chromium Nickel Austenitic Stainless Steel
316L	Low Carbon, Chromium Nickel Molybdenum Austenitic Stainless Steel
321	Titanium Stabalized 18-8 Chromium Nickel Austenitic Stainless Steel
410	12% Straight Chromium Martensitic Stainless Steel
904L	High Nickel Molybdenum Super Austenitic Stainless Steel
UNS S31803	Ferritic / Austenitic Duplex Stainless Steel
UNS S32750	Ferritic / Austenitic Super Duplex Stainless Steel
UNS S31254	High Moly Austenitic Stainless Steel

ASTM A240 Chemical Composition

Element	304	316	321	410	904L	S31803	S32750	S31254
Carbon	0.07	0.08	0.08	0.08 - 0.15	0.02	0.03	0.03	0.02
Manganese, max	2.00	2.00	2.00	1.00	2.00	2.00	1.20	1.00
Phosphorus, max	0.045	0.045	0.045	0.040	0.045	0.030	0.035	0.030
Sulfur, max	0.030	0.030	0.030	0.030	0.035	0.020	0.020	0.010
Silicon	0.75	0.75	0.75	1.00	1.00	1.00	0.80	0.80
Chromium	17.50 - 19.50	16.00 - 18.00	17.00 - 19.00	11.50 - 13.50	19.00 - 23.00	21.00 - 23.00	24.00 - 26.00	19.50 - 20.50
Nickel	8.00 - 10.50	10.00 - 14.00	9.00 - 12.00	0.75	23.00 - 28.00	4.50 - 6.50	6.00 - 8.00	17.50 - 18.50
Molybdenum	...	2.00 - 3.00	...	...	4.00 - 5.00	2.50 - 3.50	3.00 - 5.00	6.00 - 6.50
Nitrogen	0.10 max	0.10 max	0.10 max	...	0.10 max	0.08 - 0.20	0.24 - 0.32	0.18 - 0.25
Copper, max	...	...	...	...	1.00 - 2.00	...	0.50	0.50 - 1.00
Titanium	...	...	5 x (C+N) - 0.70	...	...	...	...	...

ASTM A240 Mechanical Properties

Type	Tensile Strength, ksi, min	Yield Strength, ksi, min	Elongation, % min	Hardness, maxA
304	75	30	40	201 HBW or 92 HRB
316	75	30	40	217 HBW or 95 HRB
321	75	30	40	217 HBW or 95 HRB
410	65	30	20	217 HBW or 96 HRB
904L	71	31	35	95 HRB
UNS S31803	90	65	25	293 HBW or 31 HRC
UNS S32750	116	80	15	310 HBW or 32 HRC
UNS S31254	100	45	35	223 HBW or 96 HRB

ASTM A240 Equivalent Indian Standard

sa 240 gr	JIS G4304	ASTM	UNS	KS	EN 10095	AS	CNS
sa 240 gr 201	SUS201	201	S20100	STS201	1.4372	201-2	201
sa 240 gr 202	SUS202	202	S20200	STS202	1.4373	-	202
sa 240 gr 301	SUS301	301	S30100	STS301	1.4319	301	301
sa 240 gr 304	SUS304	304	S30400	STS304	1.4301	304	304
sa 240 gr 304L	SUS304L	304L	S30403	STS304L	1.4306	304L	304L
sa 240 gr 304N	SUS304N1	304N	S30451	STS304N1	1.4315	304N1	304N1
sa 240 gr XM21	SUS304N2	XM21	S30452	STS304N2	-	304N2	304N2
sa 240 gr 304LN	SUS304LN	304LN	S30453	STS304LN	-	304LN	304LN
sa 240 gr 305	SUS305	305	S30500	STS305	1.4303	305	305
sa 240 gr 309S	SUS309S	309S	S30908	STS309S	1.4833	309S	309S
sa 240 gr 310S	SUS310S	310S	S31008	STS310S	1.4845	310S	310S
sa 240 gr 316	SUS316	316	S31600	STS316	1.4401	316	316
sa 240 gr 316Ti	SUS316Ti	316Ti	S31635	-	1.4571	316Ti	316Ti
sa 240 gr 316L	SUS316L	316L	S31603	STS316L	1.4404	316L	316L
sa 240 gr 316N	SUS316N	316N	S31651	STS316N	-	316N	316N
sa 240 gr 316LN	SUS316LN	316LN	S31653	STS316LN	1.4429	316LN	316LN
-	SUS316J1	-	-	STS316J1	-	316J1	316J1
-	SUS316J1L	-	-	STS316J1L	-	-	316J1L
sa 240 gr 317	SUS317	317	S31700	STS317	-	317	317
sa 240 gr 317L	SUS317L	317L	S31703	STS317L	1.4438	317L	317L
sa 240 gr 321	SUS321	321	S32100	STS321	1.4541	321	321
sa 240 gr 347	SUS347	347	S34700	STS347	1.455	347	347
sa 240 gr 329	SUS329J1	329	S32900	STS329J1	1.4477	329J1	329J1
-	SUS329J3L	-	S31803	STS329J3L	1.4462	329J3L	329J3L
sa 240 gr 405	SUS405	405	S40500	STS405	1.4002	405	405
sa 240 gr 409	SUH409	409	S40900	STS409	1.4512	409L	409L
-	SUS410L	-	-	STS410L	-	410L	410L
sa 240 gr 430	SUS430	430	S43000	STS430	1.4016	430	430
sa 240 gr 434	SUS434	434	S43400	STS434	1.4113	434	434
-	-	-	S43940	-	1.4509	439	439
sa 240 gr 444	SUS444	444	S44400	STS444	1.4521	444	444
sa 240 gr 403	SUS403	403	S40300	STS403	-	403	403
sa 240 gr 410	SUS410	410	S41000	STS410	1.4006	410	410
sa 240 gr 420	SUS420J1	420	S42000	STS420J1	1.4021	420	420J1
-	SUS420J2	-	-	STS420J2	1.4028	420J2	420J2
sa 240 gr 440A	SUS440A	440A	S44002	STS440A	-	440A	440A

ASTM A240 Equivalent AISI

ASTM	BS 970 1991	AISI / SAE	Werkstoff
A240 SS 304L	304S11	304L	1.4306
A240 SS 304	304S15	304	1.4301
A240 SS 316L	316S11	316L	1.4404
A240 SS 316L	316S13	316L	1.4435
A240 SS 316	316S31	316	1.4401
A240 SS 316	316S33	316	1.4436

ASTM A240 Applications

The ASTM A240 specification for stainless steel plates, sheets, and strips has a wide range of applications in various industries. Some common applications include:

1. Pressure Vessels: ASTM A240 stainless steel sheets and plates are often used in the fabrication of pressure vessels due to their corrosion resistance and mechanical strength.
2. Chemical Processing: Stainless steel sheets and plates meeting ASTM A240 specifications are suitable for use in chemical processing industries where resistance to corrosive chemicals and high temperatures is required.
3. Food Processing: The hygienic properties and corrosion resistance of stainless steel make it suitable for use in food processing equipment, such as countertops, storage tanks, and food handling surfaces.
4. Architectural and Construction: ASTM A240 stainless steel sheets and plates find application in architectural and construction projects, including building facades, interior design elements, handrails, and decorative features.
5. Automotive Industry: Stainless steel sheets and plates meeting ASTM A240 standards are utilized in the automotive industry for components such as exhaust systems, trim, and decorative features due to their durability and corrosion resistance.
6. Medical Equipment: Stainless steel sheets and plates conforming to ASTM A240 specifications are used in the manufacturing of medical equipment and surgical instruments due to their biocompatibility and sterilization capabilities.
7. Petrochemical Industry: ASTM A240 stainless steel is widely used in the petrochemical industry for storage tanks, pipelines, and equipment due to its resistance to corrosion and high temperatures.
8. Energy and Power Generation: Stainless steel sheets and plates meeting ASTM A240 standards are employed in energy and power generation applications, including nuclear power plants, steam turbines, and heat exchangers.

These are just a few examples of the numerous applications of ASTM A240 stainless steel sheets and plates. The versatility and corrosion resistance of these materials make them suitable for a wide range of industries and purposes.

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