As far as the mechanical and chemical makeup of both A320 Grades L7 and L43, there isn’t much of a difference at all. The main difference is that the raw material used to make A320 L7 fasteners is typically 4140, whereas the raw material used to make A320 L43 is 4340. Below is information found in the ASTM A320 specification showing the mechanical and chemical differences between the two grades. As you can see the two grades are very similar in all aspects, including the recommended nuts and washers.
A320 Grades
| L7 Alloy steel |
AISI 4140/4142 Quenched and tempered |
| L43 Alloy steel |
AISI 4340 Quenched and tempered |
A320 Mechanical Properties
| Grade |
Size |
Tensile, ksi, min |
Yield, ksi, min |
Charpy Impact 20-ft-lbf @ temp |
Elong, %, min |
RA, %, min |
| L7 |
Up to 21⁄2 |
125 |
105 |
-150° F |
16 |
50 |
| L43 |
Up to 4 |
125 |
105 |
-150° F |
16 |
50 |
A320 Chemical Properties
| Element |
L7 (AISI 4140) |
L43 (AISI 4340) |
| Carbon |
0.37 – 0.49% |
0.38 – 0.43% |
| Manganese |
0.65 – 1.10% |
0.75 – 1.00% |
| Phosphorus, max |
0.035% |
0.035% |
| Sulfur, max |
0.040% |
0.040% |
| Silicon |
0.15 – 0.35% |
0.15 – 0.35% |
| Chromium |
0.75 – 1.20% |
0.70 – 0.90% |
| Nickel |
|
1.65 – 2.00% |
| Molybdenum |
0.15 – 0.25% |
0.20 – 0.30% |
A320 Recommended Hardware
So why would engineers recommend or specify one grade over the other? A320 L7 fasteners are common or can be manufactured in diameters 2-1/2” and below with relative ease. However, once you get into diameters above 2-1/2”, you will often times see A320 L43 specified. The reason for this is mainly due to material availability, but it is also due to the raw material 4340 being more successful in the heat treating process. It is important to note that even though A320 L7 is not limited to 2-1/2” diameter and below, the raw material will likely need to be rolled and will result in extended lead times and higher costs. Also, the A320 L7 and L43 specifications requires a Charpy Impact test, which becomes more difficult to pass for A320 L7, but is not as difficult with A320 L43 material. This is another reason why engineers will often times specify A320 L43 over A320 L7.
Hello Anthony
i got a question , shall we use steel No.:1.6582 ( German standard) instead of astm a 320 l 43 ?
if yes do you recommend any special heat treatment ?
thank you for your kindness.
Regards
Mehdi
@Mehdi- We are sorry, but we do not have any familiarity with that German standard, so we can’t make any recommendations one way or the other. Apologies.
Colleagues,
We have one joint 36inch #900 Class SPW gasket, on isometric drawing pointed that A320 L7 installed , but actually must be A320 L43, Can we do tensioning of these bolts
@Aydin- A320 L7 and L43 only differ in chemistry, so they can both be tensioned to the same levels.
Can L43 be used for sizes 1/2 “half” Inch and all the way to 4″??
@Mohammed – Yes, A320L43 is theoretically available in all diameters from 1/2″ to 4″. However, what we’ve found in reality is that L43 is limited to only larger sizes, i.e. 1-1/2″ and larger, and even then it is hit and miss. A320 L7 is many times more available, even up to 2-2-1/2″ diameters.
Can ASTM A 320 L43 bolt Can be used for temperature range between 0 to 50 Deg C.
@Prasad- A320 L43 bolts are charpy tested to -150F/-100C, so they should be suitable for any temperature above that.
Can L43 be hot dipped galvanized like L7and yet not affecting the mechanical properties of the bolt for cold temperature condition?
@Govind- Yes, in our experience the mechanicals and charpy results are not adversely effected by the low temperature hot dip galvanizing process. There is a high temperature process that takes place at about 950F, I am uncertain if that will effect the bolts differently.