ASTM B466

Covers — seamless copper-nickel pipe and tube, principally 90/10 (C70600) and 70/30 (C71500), for seawater, brackish-water, and marine service.

Does NOT cover (exclusions) — the following are governed elsewhere:

• Copper-nickel condenser/heat-exchanger tube → ASTM B111 / B543.
• Copper-nickel plate/sheet and forgings → other ASTM B-series specs.
• Steel/stainless pipe → ASTM A106 / A312.

B466 is the seawater-piping material; velocity limits and film formation drive its practical design.

B466 sets minimum requirements for CuNi pipe/tube:

• Chemistry — copper-nickel composition (10% or 30% Ni) with iron and manganese additions for erosion resistance.
• Mechanical Properties — tensile/yield and elongation by alloy and temper.
• Dimensions & Temper — pipe/tube sizes and annealed/drawn tempers.
• Testing — tension, flattening/flaring, and pressure or eddy-current tests as specified.

ASTM B466 covers seamless copper-nickel pipe and tube for seawater and marine service, where its outstanding resistance to seawater corrosion and biofouling makes it the default material. The 90/10 (C70600) alloy is the workhorse; 70/30 (C71500) handles higher velocities and temperatures.

Copper-nickel relies on a protective surface film, so design velocity limits are central — excessive velocity erodes the film and accelerates attack. It serves marine cooling, offshore firewater, and seawater intake systems.

Engineering Note: Respect the maximum design velocity for the chosen alloy (typically higher for 70/30 than 90/10) — impingement/erosion-corrosion from over-velocity is the classic CuNi failure mode.