Technical Information

PRODUCT: STEEL API 5L PSL 1

APPLICATION: HIGH PRESSURE PENSTOCK LINE PIPES

1. General Description

The API 5L PSL 1 (Seamless) is a carbon steel fabricated to the highest standards demanded by
the API (American Petroleum Institute) 5L Specification. This steel meets the demands of special
requirements, such as resistance to cracking induced by hydrogen (HIC), or elevated ductility to
low temperatures, providing an adequate solution for every project of steel line pipes.

The API 5L product specification Level 1 (PSL 1) establishes mandatory requirements for
minimum yield and tensile strength; and carbon, phosphorous, manganese and sulfur content.

The steel for line pipe is characterized by its high tensile strength and excellent tenacity to very
low temperatures. In addition, these qualities present a good tendency to the weld, thanks to their
special chemical composition, with low values of equivalent carbon. The uniformity of the specific
mechanical properties of this steel improves its behavior in the fabrication and welding.

The chemical composition of these steel guarantees a low risk of cracking in cold during the
welding process, this is the reason why welds of optimal quality can be obtained simply by
applying regular procedures.

2. Steel Properties

The chemical requirements for heat and product analyses by percentage of weight and the
mechanical properties for steel grades API 5L PSL 1 X52 and X56 (Seamless) are listed in
Tables 1 and 2, respectively.

Table 1: Chemical properties for PSL 1

Carbon, Manganese, Phosphorous, Sulfur,

Grade Other
Maximum (%) Maximum (%) Maximum (%) Maximum (%)
X52 and X56 0.28 1.40 0.030 0.030 See notes

Notes:
Columbium (niobium), vanadium, titanium, or combination thereof may be used. The sum of the content of
these shall not exceed 0.15%

Copyright (C) 2008 Reflex Asia Ltd.

ADD: Room 1018, Renfeng Tower, NO 490,Tianhe Road Guangzhou City, Guangdong, 510620 China
 Table 2: Mechanical properties for PSL 1

Elongation in 50.8mm, Minimum, %

Grade Yield Strength, MPa Ultimate Tensile Strength, MPa
(See notes)
X52 359 455 26
X56 386 490 25

Notes:
Minimum elongation reached for the different areas of specimens test.

3. Design considerations for steel pipes

Design bases are the physical attributes, loading and service conditions, environmental factors,
and materials-related factors which must be considered in the detailed design of a piping system,
to ensure its pressure integrity over its design life, because the piping systems must be designed
to perform for an extended period.

The determination of the piping wall thickness is one of the most important calculations of the
piping system design process. In arriving at the final specification of the piping wall thickness, the
following important factors must be considered:

• Pressure integrity
• Allowances for mechanical strength, corrosion, erosion, wear, threading, grooving or
other joining processes
• Manufacturing variations (tolerances) in the wall thickness of commercial pipe
• Influence of the different external loads or soils properties such as: internal pressure,
vertical earth load, surface live loads, buoyancy, thermal expansion, relative pipe-soil
displacement, movement at pipe bends, earthquake loads, loads due to expansive soils,
liquefaction, etc.

The additional material allowance is made up of a number of individual allowances that are
provided to address different loads or conditions the piping system will see during fabrication,
installation, and operation. Each allowance is figured separately, and their sum is added to the
pressure-integrity wall thickness to arrive at the final design minimum wall thickness. The major
constituents of the additional material allowance include:

• Wall thickness added to account for progressive deterioration or thinning of the pipe wall
in service due to the effects of corrosion, erosion, and wear.
• Wall thickness added to account for material removed to facilitate joining of the various
segments of the piping system. Typical joining methods include threading, grooving, and
swaging. If a machining tolerance is required as a part of the Joint manufacture, this
tolerance must be accounted for in the most conservative manner.
• Wall thickness added to provide mechanical strength. This additional strength might be
required to resist external operating loads or loads associated with shipping and handling

Copyright (C) 2008 Reflex Asia Ltd.

ADD: Room 1018, Renfeng Tower, NO 490,Tianhe Road Guangzhou City, Guangdong, 510620 China
4. Welding Specifications

In order to secure a complete weld at the ends of the steel pipes it is recommended to use
electrodes E7010 or E7018 (AWS). Once the final chemical and mechanical composition of the
steel has been defined, as well as the precise thickness of the tubes, it is necessary to consider
the welding process broken down in the following way: preheating, welding and postheating.

The requirement of the pre- and post-heating process is related to the carbon content, weather of
the region, wall thickness of the pipe, etc.

According to ASME B31.3 it is recommended to apply a heat treatment for carbon steels to a
temperature of 79°C (minimum temperature), this temperature must be checked constantly
throughout the process. The preheat zone shall extend at least 25mm beyond each edge of the
weld.

If the post heating is needed (stress relieving process) the preheat zone shall be brought slowly
to the required temperature (593-649°C) and held at that temperature for a period of time
proportioned on the basis 2.4min/mm of pipe wall thickness, but in no case less than 1 hour, and
shall be allowed to cool slowly and uniformly.

5. References

• API Specification 5L. “Specification for Line Pipe”, 42nd edition, 2000, American
Petroleum Institute.
• API Standard 1104. “Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities”, 19th edition, 1999,
American Petroleum Institute.
• ASME B31.3. “Process Piping”, 2002, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
• ASME B31.8. “Gas Transmission and Distribution Piping Systems”, 1995, the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers.
• ASME B16.25. “Buttwelding Ends”, 1992, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
• AWS D1.1/D1.1M. “Structural Welding Code—Steel“, 2004, American Welding Society.

Copyright (C) 2008 Reflex Asia Ltd.

ADD: Room 1018, Renfeng Tower, NO 490,Tianhe Road Guangzhou City, Guangdong, 510620 China