Chrome Moly Steel Plate to ASTM A387 and EN10028-3

Chrome Moly Steel Plates with weld edge preparation ready for immediate dispatch

We stock one of the most extensive ranges of Chrome Moly steel plate in Europe both to ASTM/ASME and EN10028-2. It is all available ex-stock for immediate delivery or shipping to your production facility. Chromium molybdenum plates fill an important gap between aluminium and stainless steel.

It is a lot heavier than aluminium but has far less corrosion resistance than Stainless steel. The reason it is so popular is that chrome moly steel plate is strong and formable. So it can be easily formed into pipes and fittings and rolled into pressure vessels and boilers without either the cost or the cracking that is seen in other materials

Chome Moly steel plate, formally known as Chrome Molybdenum, is usually sold as ASTM A387 or ASME SA387. A387 is alloy steel plate that is designed for use in pressure vessels, process vessels and boilers operating at high temperatures.

There are ten grades of Chromium Molybdenum steel plate (A387) 2, 12, 11, 22, 22L, 21, 21L, 9 and 91 specified by ASTM/ASME, though A387 grades 2, 21, 21L and 22L are generally not available at steel stockholders and have to be ordered in mill quantities. Chrome moly grades 9 and 91 are also less popular and are often difficult to obtain.

We also have the EN10028-3 equivalents to A387 available – 16Mo3, 13CrMo4-5, 10CrMo 9-10 and 12CrMo 1.5.

Chrome Moly Steel Plate Grades Available ex-stock

• ASTM/ASME A387 Grade 5 Class 2
• ASTM/ASME A387 Grade 11 Class 2
• ASTM/ASME A387 Grade 12 Class 2
• ASTM/ASME A387 Grade 22 Class 2
• 13CrMo 4-5
• 10CrMo 9-10
• 12CrMo9-10

We don’t stock or offer grades 21, 9 or 91 The chemical and physical properties of A387 allow it to resist high pressures at high temperatures making it an ideal material for boilers and process and pressure vessels in the oil and gas industries.

All Chrome Moly steel plates are killed and thermally treated as required by ASTM A387 which also specifies minimum and maximum quantities of the following elements in the steel: chemical requirements for carbon, manganese, phosphorus, sulfur, silicon, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, vanadium, columbium, boron, nitrogen, aluminum, titanium, and zirconium. A387 plate has to undergo product, chemical and tensile testing (which is documented in the MTC or material test certificate) – with specific requirements that have to be met for tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation.

Uses and Applications of Chrome Moly Steel Plate

Chrome Moly steel plate is popular in the oil and gas industry for on and offshore production facilities because of the alloy’s key properties. It is also used extensively in the energy industry as a key component in power plants. It can be found in

• boilers and pressure vessels,
• Heat exchangers
• Flanges, fittings and valves
• ducting and pipe supports

Chrome Moly Steel Plate: High Tensile Strength at High Temperatures

A387 Chrome Moly steel plate has a much higher heat resistance than other carbon steels and it is thus exceptionally useful for applications where hot fluids or gases are being processed at high temperatures. The chromium and the molybdenum are the key alloying elements. They provide many of the properties of stainless steel at a reduced costs. (typically A387 alloy steel has 0.5% t0 5% Chromium content as opposed to 16% in stainless steel).

• ASTM A387 Grade 12 Class 2, 1% chromium – 1/2% Molybdenum – Effective working temperature up to 560°C
• ASTM A387 Grade 11 Class 2, 1.25% chromium – 1/2% Molybdenum – Effective working temperature up to 575°C
• ASTM A387 Grade 22 Class 2, 2.25% chromium – 1% Molybdenum – Effective working temperature up to 600°C

Excellent Corrosion and Oxidation Resistance of Chrome Moly Steel Plate

The Molybdenum component in the SA387 alloy, as well as increasing the tensile strength at high temperatures, also provides high resistance against oxidation and corrosion by increasing the lattice strain of the steel structure. This effectively stops the corrosive agents from dissolving the iron out of the steel structure. This makes it effective in applications where salt water is present such as desalination plants, purification plants, offshore applications and users of large quantities of brine. 

As in 16Mo3 the molybdenum increases the temperature resistance and reduces the impact of creep in the metal Chromium and molybdenum  both increase the hardenability of low alloy steel plate. When both Chromium and molybdenum as used in steel the result is greater than the sum of the alloys for reasons that are still not fully understood. We only offer A387 to Class 2 as these plates have improved physical properties over class 1 plates

European customers can purchase  ASTM A516,  A387 and EN10028-3 plates from AncoferWaldram or order new rolling directly from Dillinger Hutte. You can purchase a copy of ASTM A387A387M-11 and EN10028-3 from the BSI website

ASTM A387 Pressure Vessel Steel Chemical Composition