I seem to recall from many years ago that half inch copper tubing was good to about 500 degrees F and 250 PSI. I've looked around the Internet at various copper tubing suppliers, and find zero temperature to pressure ratings on their tubing.
Seeing how many of you are more intune with the subject than I, is this a reasonable rating today for copper tubing for use as boiler tubing? And, any referrals to such tubing ratings would be appreciated as well.

Happy steaming; noah

Copper can be rated as high as 14 tons per square inch, but on the average it is rated around 11 tones or 25,000 PSI.
It does make a difference how you use it in boiler design. In a Stanley boiler it is used for the fire tubes as high as 600 PSI working pressure. The wall thickness is .049 and the tube ends are reinforced at the tube sheet with steel feral. The pressure is trying to collapse the tube, and the flame is not impeding directly on the surface of the tube.
I have used copper in water tube designs up to 200 PSI where wood-burning fire has heated the tube directly, and with oil burner used in a combustion chamber where the tube see only the radiant heat
I have also used it in model boiler construction operating at 110 PSI with a blue flame burner inside a tube, A Scotch marine type boiler.

Rolly

Thanks for the information Rolly, that will give me something to go on. Also would not have thought of using a steel feral. Handy piece of information after I thought about it.

noah

Hi,

I have a neighbor that needs a 14 x 4 inch copper boiler and wondered if anyone can either make him one or tell us why we can buy one.
He has made a steam engine but no boiler for it and many years have passed searching for on.

Mike