Key Standards for Foreign Trade PVC Pipes: A Clear Explanation of the Five Most Common American Standards

Today, this article will introduce the five most frequently occurring standards in actual foreign trade.

ASTM D1785 — U.S. Standard PVC Pressure Pipes

● Standard Introduction:

This is the most central PVC-U pressure pipe standard in the American standard system, using the Schedule wall thickness series (mainly Sch40 and Sch80, Sch120 is rarely used), with outer diameters following the IPS iron pipe size system, ensuring complete compatibility with American standard steel pipes, valves, and flanges.

● Main Features:

Wide Range of Specifications

1/2" to 24", covering the majority of pipe diameter needs from civil to industrial applications.

Strong stress tolerance.

At 20℃, Sch40 can reach approximately 20.7 bar, while Sch80 exceeds 30 bar, making them suitable for medium to high pressure applications.

Standardized outer diameter:

Using the IPS dimension system, it can seamlessly match with American standard steel pipes, valves, and flanges.

● Application Scenarios:

Applicable to various cold water pressurized systems, including building water supply, industrial cooling circulation, swimming pool circulation, internal piping of water treatment plants, as well as agricultural and horticultural irrigation.

II. ASTM D2665 - Drain, Waste, and Vent (DWV) Pipe for Building Drainage

● Standard Introduction:

ASTM D2665 is a core standard for building indoor drainage, wastewater, and venting systems, and it pertains to typical non-pressure gravity flow piping.

● Characteristics:

—— Thinner wall thickness:

Lighter than Sch40, more suitable for gravity drainage.

- Size range:

1-1/4″ to 6″, covering common indoor drainage needs.

Good compatibility with outer diameter.

Using the IPS sizing system, some accessories are interchangeable with ASTM D1785.

—— Strong system specificity:

Designed specifically for drainage—wastewater—ventilation (DWV) systems, used under non-pressure conditions.

● Application:

Indoor drainage systems suitable for various buildings, such as hotels, residences, office buildings, hospitals, and schools for sewage drainage and vent stacks, horizontal pipes.

3. ASTM D3034 — SDR35 Municipal Sewer Pipe

● Standard Introduction:

Widely used in municipal and outdoor gravity drainage systems, with SDR35 as the main specification, along with higher stiffness versions such as SDR26 and SDR23.5.

● Features:

SDR35 is a commonly used specification with high cost-effectiveness, meeting most municipal sewage requirements.

SDR26 and SDR23.5 have higher stiffness, making them suitable for deep burial or traffic load areas.

The caliber range is 3″ to 15″, covering the majority of municipal sewage calibers.

● Application scenarios:

Widely used in various types of outdoor gravity flow systems, including: municipal sewage mains, residential rain and sewage diversion, farmland drainage, and industrial park sewage discharge, but not to be used for any form of pressurized transportation.

ASTM F441 — CPVC Pressure-rated Hot Water Pipe

● Standard Introduction:

ASTM F441 is the core standard for CPVC pressure hot water systems in North America. CPVC, through chlorination modification, significantly enhances temperature and corrosion resistance, making it the most commonly used medium-temperature piping material in the American standard system.

- Characteristics:

Outstanding high-temperature resistance:

Can withstand temperatures of 93°C for a long period, far higher than ordinary PVC.

- Structural system:

Compatible with the American standard valves and flanges using Sch40 / Sch80 wall thickness series.

● Application:

Suitable for various pressure-bearing hot water systems requiring temperature resistance and corrosion resistance, such as domestic and commercial building hot water, large hot water projects in hotels and hospitals, and medium-temperature fluid transport in industries (such as chemical plants and food factories).

5. NSF/ANSI 61 & 372 — Drinking Water Health Safety Certification

Unlike the ASTM "structural standards" introduced earlier, the NSF/ANSI series belongs to the "drinking water safety certification," mainly focusing on whether materials will affect water quality. In actual foreign trade business, the core factor determining whether a product can enter the drinking water market is NSF-61 + NSF-372 (lead-free).

● NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 — Drinking Water System Components - Health Effects Certification

Focusing on water quality safety, the main restrictions on materials are the possible leaching of lead and heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and other substances that may affect drinking water safety. These are the baseline requirements that all materials in contact with drinking water must meet.

● NSF 372 — Lead-Free Certification (equally important as NSF-61)

Mainly used to verify whether products meet the "lead-free" requirements of the North American drinking water system, fittings, valves, copper components, etc. must comply with this requirement.

PVC/CPVC pipes for drinking water or municipal water supply, in addition to meeting the corresponding ASTM structural standards, must also comply with drinking water safety requirements and be marked with certification labels such as NSF-pw, NSF-61, and NSF-372 on the pipe body.

These labels are not only essential conditions for entering markets such as North America, Canada, the Middle East, Australia, and Singapore, but also key to ensuring water quality safety and engineering reliability.