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Pipe Color Code Standard and Piping Color

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Codes Chart
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Color coding of pipeline and piping materials are standard industry practices.  Color
marking will make identification easier for raw material and fluid that being transport
by the pipe. There are various national and international Pipe Color Code Standards are
available. (I have used both English and American version to spell color/colour)

1. ASME/ANSI A13.1 – Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems

2. BS 1710 – Specification for Identification of Pipelines and Services
3. IS 2379 – Pipelines Identification Colour Code
4. PFI ES-22 – Recommended Practice for Color Coding of Piping Materials

Color Coding of Piping Material – PFI ES-22

Why color coding of piping material?

During construction and fabrication, various grades of carbon steel, alloy steel, and
stainless steel are used. To avoid mixing of this material and easy storing and retrieving
in the warehouse, piping components such as pipe, fittings, flanges, and valves are
color coded.

All most all company has their own color coding system. Pipe Fabrication Institute (PFI)
Standard ES-22 provides Piping Materials color coding requirements for most commonly
used piping material grades. It also provides guidance on marking location on piping
components.

Refer below images for the color band location on piping components.
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 COLOR CODE FOR PIPE MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION – PFI Standard ES-22 -1999

Carbon Steel

Material
Material Band / Strip Color
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A53 Gr.
27 Carbon Steel, Electric Resistance Welded Pipe 1 solid white
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77 Carbon Steel, Smls, specified tensile strength
Tweets A53 Gr. B No Marking
under 70,000 psi (483 MPA)
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95 Carbon Steel, killed steel A106 Gr. B 1 solid green
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k Carbon Steel, specified tensile strength 70,000 psi

A106 Gr. C 2 solid green
89 (483 MPA) and over
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J Carbon Steel, low temperature (impact tested) A333 Gr. 6 1 solid red
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High Yield Carbon Steel

1 solid yellow, 1 solid

52,000 min. yield API 5L X-52
green

1 solid yellow, 1 solid

60,000 min. yield API 5L X-60
pink

65,000 min. yield API 5L X-65 2 solid yellow

1 solid yellow, 1 solid

70,000 min. yield API 5L X-70
orange

Low Alloy Materials

C-Mo steel A335 Gr. P1 1   solid orange

1   solid orange, 1

1 Cr-1/2 Mo Steel A335 Gr. P12
solid blue

1 1 /4 Cr-1/2 Mo Steel A335 Gr. P11 1   solid yellow

2 1/4 Cr-1 Mo Steel A335 Gr. P22 1 solid blue

1 solid blue, 1 solid

5 Cr-1/2 Mo Steel A335 Gr. P5
yellow

9 Cr-1/2 Mo Steel A335 Gr. P9 2 solid orange

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 Ferritic and Martensitic Stainless Steels

1 solid green, 1 solid

Type 405 A268 TP405
black

1 solid green, 1 solid

Type 410 A268 TP410
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Austenitic Stainless Steels

Type 304 A312 TP304 1 solid black

Type 304L A312 TP304L 2 solid black

592 Type 304H A312 TP304H 1 intermittent black

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HDPE Pipe Butt Welding Machine
a 1 solid black, 1 solid
27 Type 309 A358 Gr309
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d 1 solid green, 1 solid

77 Type 310 A358Gr310
Tweets orange

f
Type 316 A312 TP316 1 solid gray
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Type 316L A312 TP316L 2 solid gray
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Type 316H A312 TP316H 1 intermittent gray (Codes and Standards)
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J 1 solid brown, 1 solid
302 Type 317 A312 TP317
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1 solid brown, 1 solid

 Type317L A312 TP317L
red

Type 321 A312 TP321 1 solid pink

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Type 347 A312 TP347 1 solid brown

Type 347H A312 TP347H 2 solid brown

Nickel Based Alloys

1 solid black, 1 solid

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1 solid black, 1 solid
Incoloy 800
orange

1   solid gray, 1 solid

Incoloy 800H
red

1   solid gray, 1 solid

Incoloy 825
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1 solid blue, 1 solid
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pink

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1 solid red, 1 solid
Hastelloy Alloy 8-2
orange color coding of pipeline

1 solid red, 1 solid asme piping

Hastelloy Alloy C-276
blue
plumbing pipe

Hastelloy Alloy C-22 2 solid red

1 solid red, 1 solid

Hastelloy Alloy G
yellow

1 solid black, 1 solid

Carpenter Alloy 20 C 8-3
592 blue
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a 1   solid black, 1 solid

27 Monel 400
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d Note:  Any product manufactured by welding shall have an additional white stripe.
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Color Coding of Pipeline and Piping Identification

Oil and Gas Industries, Process industries are complex installation. Piping systems are
used in these plants to transport various fluids. These pipelines transport various
industrial materials such as gases such as Air, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Hydrogen etc., liquids
such as water, acids, hydrocarbon, toxic materials etc.

Without proper pipe color code, it is extremely difficult to identify the material
pipeline transporting. To reduces the safety hazard, reduce the possibility of mistakes
in identification and accidents associated with wrong identification of pipeline during
the emergency situation, systematic color coding of pipeline and piping system is
essential. Uniformity of color marking promotes greater safety, lessens the chances of
error and reduces hazards involved in the handling of material inside the pipelines.

There are national and international standard that provides the guidelines for uniform
color coding in industries that are used to color code of pipe to identify.

◾ ASME A13.1 – Scheme for the Identification of Piping Systems

◾ BS 1710 – Specification for Identification of Pipelines and Services
◾ IS 2379 – Pipelines Identification Colour Code

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 These standard uses different color code methodology to identify the pipe material.
They use a base color, band color, letters and direction arrow to identify fluid inside
the pipeline.

ANSI/ASME A13.1 – Scheme for the Identification of

Piping Systems
The purpose of ASME/ANSI A13.1 Standard is to establish a common system that assists
in the identification of hazardous materials conveyed in piping systems and their
hazards when released into the environment.

592 ASME A13.1 – 2015 edition has six fixed colors and 4 users define colors that can be
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used to identify the hazardous material. In this standard, following category are used;
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to burn in air.
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3. Oxidizing – Oxidizing fluid is any gas or liquid that may, generally by providing
f oxygen, cause or contribute to the combustion of other material more than air
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4. Toxic and Corrosive – Fluids that are corrosive or toxic, or will produce corrosive
k or toxic substances when released.
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and firefighting piping systems.
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Size of Label and Letters as per ASME B13.1-2015

Outside Length of Length of Size of Size of

Outside Diameter
Diameter of Color Field, A, Color Field, Letters, B, Letters, B,
of Pipe in Inches
Pipe in mm in Inches A, in mm in Inches in mm

3⁄4 to 11⁄4 19 to 32 8 200 1⁄2 13

11⁄2 to 2 38 to 51 8 200 3⁄4 19

21⁄2 to 6 64 to 150 12 300 11⁄4 32

8 to 10 200 to 250 24 600 21⁄2 64

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 Over 10 over 250 32 800 31⁄2 89

BS 1710 – Specification for Identification of Pipelines

and Services
BS1710 use two types of colour coding to identify the content of pipe and hazard.

1. Base colour – Base colours are used to indicate the content inside the pipe.
2. Safety colours – These colours are used as band colours that applied in
conjunction with the base pipe color code to create various service identifier.

Other than colour code, additional information regarding the nature of the contents of
the pipe by using the following systems either individually or in combination:

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a 2. Abbreviation of name
27 3. Chemical symbol and
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4. Appropriate code indications or code colour bands
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Size of Label as per BS 1710 -2014

1. When Only Basic Identification Color Used

Pipe Diameter Minimum Band Width

Up to 50 mm 130 mm

50 mm to 100 mm 275 mm

above 100 mm 450 mm

2. Basic identification colour with code and/or safety colours

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 Pipe Diameter Minimum Band Width – Basic Minimum Band Width – Safety

Colour (1) Colour (2)

Up to 50 mm 50 mm 30 mm

50 mm to 100 mm 100 mm 75 mm

above 100 mm 150 mm 150 mm

IS 2379 – Pipelines Identification Colour Code

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a and little complex as compared to BS and ASME standard. IS 2379 is more in line with
27 BS 1710. It used the ground colour, band colour and letter labeling to identify fluid
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content and associated hazards.
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This standard cover piping systems that include pipes of any kind and in addition
fittings, valves, and pipe coverings. Supports, brackets or other accessories are
f excluded from this standard. This standard is not applicable to pipelines buried
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Refer table for the ground colour that used in pipeline marking.
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Substance Colour

Water Sea green

Steam Aluminium to IS 2339

Mineral, vegetable, and animal oils, combustible liquids Light brown

Acids Dark violet

Air Sky blue

Gases Canary yellow

Alkalies Smoke grey

Other liquids/gases which do not need identification Black

Hydrocarbons/organic compounds Dark admirality grey

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 Size of Label and Letters as per IS 2379 – 1990
(Reaffirmed 2006)
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Length of the Colour Band

Nominal Pipe Size First Colour Band 

Ground Colour Second Colour Band
(mm) (mm)

Throughout the
entire length or 4:1 Proportion to the
80 NB and below 25
Band  no case less First Colour Band
than 300 mm
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 Letter Size

Outside Diameter of Pipe (mm) Size of Legend (mm)

20 to 30 10

Above 30 to 50 20

Above 50 to 80 30

Above 80 to 150 40

Above 150 to 250 90

Over 250 90
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Commonly used Pipe Color Code As per Is 2379
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Pipe Colour Code Use in Refinery As per IS 2379
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Cooling Water Sea green French blue –
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WhatsAppBoiler feed water Sea green Gulf red –

Drinking water Sea green French blue Signal red

Plant air Sky blue Silver grey –

Very high pressure steam Aluminium to IS 2339 Signal red –

High pressure steam Aluminium to IS 2339 French blue –

Medium pressure steam Aluminium to IS 2339 Gulf red –

Low pressure steam Aluminium to IS 2339 Canary yellow –

Light diesel fuel Light brown Brilliant green –

Lubricating oil Light brown Light grey –

Flare gases Canary yellow – –

Nitrogen Canary yellow Black –

Oxygen Canary yellow White –

Hydrogen Canary yellow Signal red French blue

Naptha Dark Admirality grey Light brown Black

LPG (Liquid) Dark Admirality grey Brilliant green Dark violet

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 Location of the color band and Labels
Coloring and identification labels on the pipe should apply in such a way that is clearly
visible from the all the approach especially when pipes are overhead. ASME B13.1 and
IS 2379 provides guidance on the positions of the labeling.  Refer the table below for
the general guideline provided in the standards.

Location of the Colour Band

As Per IS -2379 AS Per BS 1710 & ASME B13.1

At battery limit points Close to valves or flanges

Intersection points and change of direction points in Adjacent to changes in

piping ways direction, branches

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where pipes pass through walls
a valves, junction joints of service appliances, walls, on
27 or floors
Shares either side of pipe culverts

d at intervals on straight pipe runs

77 For long stretch yard piping at 50 m interval
Tweets sufficient for identification
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At start and terminating points
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