ASTM B687-99(2023)

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.
Designation: B687 − 99 (Reapproved 2023)
Standard Specification for
Brass, Copper, and Chromium-Plated Pipe Nipples
This standard is issued under the fixed designation B687; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
This standard has been approved for use by agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.
1. Scope B846 Terminology for Copper and Copper Alloys
E29 Practice for Using Significant Digits in Test Data to
1.1 This specification establishes the requirements for brass
Determine Conformance with Specifications
and copper pipe nipples in standard pipe sizes from ⁄8 to 8 in.,
inclusive, in standard lengths, and chromium-plated pipe 2.2 ANSI/ASME Standard:
nipples in standard pipe sizes from ⁄8 to 2 in., inclusive, in B1.20.1 Pipe Threads, General Purpose (Inch)
standard lengths.
2.3 Military Standard:
1.1.1 Chromium-plated pipe nipples ordered under this
MIL-STD-105 Sampling Procedures and Tables for Inspec-
specification are intended for interior use in decorative appli- 4
tion by Attributes
cations.
1.2 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded
3. Terminology
as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical
3.1 Definitions:
conversions to SI units that are provided for information only
3.1.1 For definitions of terms relating to copper and copper
and are not considered standard.
alloys, refer to Terminology B846.
1.3 This standard does not purport to address all of the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
4. Ordering Information
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
4.1 Contracts and purchase orders for product under this
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter-
specification are to contain the following information:
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
4.1.1 ASTM specification designation and year of issue,
1.4 This international standard was developed in accor-
4.1.2 Type of material (Section 5),
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
4.1.3 Weight of material; regular or extra strong,
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the
4.1.4 Diameter; nominal or actual outside diameter,
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom-
4.1.5 Length; standard or special (8.2 and Table 2), and
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical
4.1.6 Quantity; number of pieces or total weight of each
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
material and size.
2. Referenced Documents
4.2 The following options are available under this specifi-
cation and are to be specified in the contract or purchase order
2.1 ASTM Standards:
when required:
B42 Specification for Seamless Copper Pipe, Standard Sizes
4.2.1 Chromium plated finish,
B43 Specification for Seamless Red Brass Pipe, Standard
4.2.2 Short Plumbing (hospital) threads,
Sizes
4.2.3 Certification (Section 16), and
B456 Specification for Electrodeposited Coatings of Copper
4.2.4 Test and Inspection Reports, if required (Section 17).
Plus Nickel Plus Chromium and Nickel Plus Chromium
4.3 In addition, when material is purchased for agencies of
the U.S. government, it shall conform to the supplementary
This specification is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee B05 on Copper
requirements as defined herein when specified in the contract
and Copper Alloys and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee B05.04 on Pipe
or purchase order.
and Tube.
Current edition approved April 15, 2023. Published April 2023. Originally
approved in 1981. Last previous edition approved in 2016 as B687 – 99 (2016).
DOI: 10.1520/B0687-99R23.
2 3
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or Available from American National Standards Institute (ANSI), 25 W. 43rd St.,
contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036, http://www.ansi.org.
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on Available from DLA Document Services, Building 4/D, 700 Robbins Ave.,
the ASTM website. Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, http://quicksearch.dla.mil.
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B687 − 99 (2023)
A, B
TABLE 1 Short Plumbing (Hospital) Threads
threads. All other dimensions, tolerances, and gaging practices
remain the same as ANSI B1.20.1, and the Annex.
NOTE 1—Short plumbing (hospital) threads are normally used only on
chromium-plated nipples. The purpose of such threads is that a minimum 8.2.1.1 Threads shall be right hand on both ends, except
of thread shall remain exposed after the nipple is screwed into a fitting.
when otherwise specified.
Overall External
Nominal Outside Threads 8.2.2 Threads, Chromium-Plated Nipples—Threads on
Thread Length, L
Pipe Size, Diameter per in., 4
chromium-plated nipples shall be gaged after plating. Threads
NPS of Pipe, D N
Inches Threads
on ⁄8 in. to 1 in. standard pipe size nipples shall be NPT Taper
⁄8 0.405 27 0.26 7
Pipe Threads, in accordance with 8.2.1. Threads on 1 ⁄4 in. to
⁄4 0.540 18 0.33 6
3 2 in. standard pipe size nipples shall be short plumbing
⁄8 0.675 18 0.33 6
⁄2 0.840 14 0.43 6
(hospital) threads, in accordance with Table 1. On ⁄8 in. to 1 in.
⁄4 1.050 14 0.43 6
standard pipe size nipples, short plumbing (hospital) threads, if
1 1.315 11 ⁄2 0.52 6
1 1
specified, shall be in accordance with Table 1.
1 ⁄4 1.660 11 ⁄2 0.52 6
1 1
1 ⁄2 1.900 11 ⁄2 0.52 6
2 2.375 11 ⁄2 0.52 6
9. Workmanship, Finish, and Appearance
A
All dimensions, except threads per inch, in inches.
B
9.1 End Finish—The ends of the pipe nipples shall be
This table represents a modification of Table 2 of ANSI B1.20.1; L is modified as
shown. E , L , and V are modified accordingly. The threads shall meet the gaging
2 2 chamfered on the outside at an angle of 35° 6 10° to the
requirements of Sections 6 and 11 of this specification.
central axis. (It is standard practice that the ⁄8 in. nominal size
nipples need not be chamfered.) Ends shall be cut reasonably
square to the central axis. All burrs on the outside shall be
5. Materials and Manufacture
removed.
5.1 Copper pipe nipples shall be produced from regular or
9.2 Chromium Plating—Chromium plate on brass nipples
extra strong pipe conforming to the requirements of Specifi-
shall meet the requirements of service condition SC I of
cation B42.
Specification B456, except the equivalent nickel thickness
shall be 0.003 mm.
5.2 Brass pipe nipples shall be produced from regular or
extra strong pipe conforming to the requirements of Specifi-
10. Sampling
cation B43.
10.1 A random sample of pipe nipples shall be selected from
5.3 Chromium-plated pipe nipples shall be produced from
one production lot in accordance with MIL-STD-105 at In-
regular weight brass pipe conforming to the requirements of
spection Level II. In terms of defects per 100 units, the
Specification B43.
Acceptable Quality Level (AQL) shall be 1.5.
10.1.1 Production Lot—A production lot shall be as deter-
6. Chemical Composition
mined by the manufacturer, provided that all of the pipe used
6.1 The chemical composition shall conform to the require-
in a single production lot shall comply with the provisions of
ments of the specification under which the pipe was ordered.
Section 5 and all of the nipples shall be of the same size,
length, type, weight, finish, and thread form.
7. Temper
7.1 The product temper and its properties and characteristics
11. Number of Tests and Retests
shall conform to the requirements of the specification under
11.1 Allowances for resampling and retesting shall be in
which the pipe was ordered.
accordance with the Inspection Level and Acceptable Quality
8. Dimensions, Mass and Permissible Variations
Levels detailed in 10.1.
8.1 Lengths:
12. Significance of Numerical Limits
8.1.1 The standard lengths and sizes of nipples generally
available are shown in Table 2. The availability of such nipples
12.1 For the purpose of determining compliance with the
indicated by pipe size are shown in Table 3.
specified limits for the requirements listed in the following
8.1.2 Special lengths and sizes of nipples are permitted to be
table, an observed value shall be rounded as indicated in
specified when required. Standard and special lengths shall accordance with the rounding method of Practice E29:
conform to the tolerance requirements of 8.1.3.
Rounded Unit for
Property Observed or Calculated Value
8.1.3 Tolerances—Nipples with lengths up through 12 in.
(305 mm) long shall have a length tolerance of 6 ⁄16 in.
Linear Dimensions nearest unit in the last right-hand significant
(1.6 mm). Nipples over 12 in. long shall have a tolerance of
Tolerances digit used in expressing the limiting value
6 ⁄8 in. (3.2 mm).
13. Inspection
8.2 Threads:
8.2.1 Pipe nipples shall be threaded on both ends with NPT 13.1 Each sample nipple shall be examined visually to
Taper Pipe Threads conforming to the requirements of ANSI verify conformance with each of the following requirements:
B1.20.1, except for close nipples where L4 and V are shorter, 13.1.1 The material is the type and weight of material
due to fewer imperfect threads. It is standard manufacturing specified,
practice on all other nipple lengths to vary the L4 6 two 13.1.2 The finish is as specified, if chromium-plated,
B687 − 99 (2023)
TABLE 2 Pipe Nipples by Length and Pipe Size
Type of
1 1 3 1 3 1 1 1 1
⁄8 ⁄4 ⁄8 ⁄2 ⁄4 1 1 ⁄4 1 ⁄2 2 2 ⁄2 3 3 ⁄2 4 5 6 8
Nipple
A, B
Pipe Nipple Lengths, in.
3 7 1 3 1 5 3 1 5 3 7 1 1
Close (cl) ⁄4 ⁄8 1 1 ⁄8 1 ⁄8 1 ⁄2 1 ⁄8 1 ⁄4 2 2 ⁄2 2 ⁄8 2 ⁄4 2 ⁄8 3 3 ⁄8 3 ⁄2
1 1 1 1
1 ⁄2 1 ⁄2 1 ⁄2 1 ⁄2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
...