The economical baseline for non-corrosive service — see the grade table below for full datasheets and equivalents within this family.
See All Grades ↓Carbon steel is the lowest-cost tube sheet material family, selected whenever the fluid service on both sides of the plate is non-corrosive — clean water, steam, and general process fluids without meaningful chloride or acid content. It carries no corrosion-resistance premium, so material cost is driven almost entirely by thickness and diameter rather than alloy content.
The most commonly specified grade is ASTM A516, a pressure-vessel plate steel available in several strength grades (55, 60, 65, 70), with Grade 70 being the most widely used for tube sheet applications requiring higher allowable stress. Carbon steel is not recommended wherever chlorides, acids, or elevated temperature beyond roughly 425°C are present — see Materials for the full selection logic across families.
| Grade | Designation | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| A516 Grade 70 (datasheet in development) | ASTM A516-70 | General pressure vessel plate, most common carbon steel tube sheet grade |
Only clean, non-aggressive water — carbon steel corrodes in chloride-bearing or oxygenated aggressive water without protective measures. For seawater or brackish water, see Duplex Steel or Copper-Nickel.
The number indicates minimum tensile strength in ksi — higher grades allow a thinner plate for the same pressure rating, at a modest cost difference. Grade 70 is the most commonly stocked for tube sheet applications.
Yes — this is one of the most common clad tube sheet configurations, using carbon steel as the structural base with a corrosion-resistant alloy overlay on the wetted face. See Clad Tube Sheets under Products.
Every enquiry is checked against governing code, material compatibility and manufacturing feasibility before a quote is issued. Use our product, material, grade and standards guides to freeze the RFQ — then confirm with engineering.
Send your fluid composition and temperature — our engineering team will confirm the right grade.
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