This specification deals with the standard requirements for untreated and heat-treated carbon and alloy steel forgings for general industrial use. This specification covers six classes of carbon steels (Class A to F) and seven classes of alloy steels (Class G, H, and J to N). Materials shall be forged by hot mechanical work. Except for Class A, all forgings shall be heat treated, depending on class, by the following techniques: annealed, or normalized, or normalized and tempered (Classes B, C, D, and G); normalized and tempered, or double-normalized and tempered (Class E); quenched and tempered, or normalized, quenched, and tempered (Classes F); normalized and tempered (Class H); normalized and tempered, or normalized, quenched, and tempered (Class J); and normalized, quenched, and tempered (Classes K, L, M, and N). Steel specimens shall undergo heat and product analyses, and shall conform to required chemical compositions for manganese, phosphorus, and sulfur. Steel forgings shall also be tested on their conformance to the following tensile requirements: tensile strength, yield point, yield strength, elongation, reduction of area, and Brinell hardness.

1.1 This specification covers untreated and heat-treated carbon and alloy steel forgings for general industrial use. Other ASTM specifications for forgings are available for specific applications such as pressure vessels, railroad use, turbine generators, gearing, and others involving special temperature requirements.

1.2 Hot-rolled or cold finished bars are not within the scope of this specification.

1.3 Six classes of carbon steel and seven classes of alloy steel forgings are listed (see Section 7), which indicates their required heat treatments, as well as mechanical properties.

1.4 Provision, with the suffix H for certification and marking, for the supply of forgings after hardness testing only.

1.5 Supplementary requirements, including those in Specification A788/A788M, of an optional nature are provided. These shall apply only when specified by the purchaser.

1.6 Appendix X1 lists the current classes corresponding to the various classes of Specifications A235, A237, and A243, which have been superseded by this specification.

1.7 The values stated in either SI units or inch-pound units are to be regarded separately as standard; within the text and tables, the SI units are shown in brackets. The values stated in each system are not necessarily exact equivalents; therefore, to ensure conformance with the standard, each system shall be used independently of the other, and values from the two systems shall not be combined.

1.8 Unless the order specifies the applicable “M” specification, the forgings shall be furnished to the inch-pound units.

1.9 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.