ASTM A380 is the broader of the two: it covers cleaning, descaling, pickling and passivation of stainless steel equipment, during fabrication and in maintenance. ASTM A967 covers one step, chemical passivation, and sets the acceptable treatments (nitric or citric acid) and the tests that verify the surface passed. On a high-purity system you’ll usually see A380 for the cleaning and A967 for the passivation that follows, with ASME BPE 2026 on top for pharmaceutical and biotech systems.
We follow all three. The current editions are ASTM A380/A380-25 and ASTM A967/A967M-25, and every BCS passivation project ends with Ferroxyl testing, a validation report and a Certificate of Compliance.
ASTM A380 vs ASTM A967 at a glance
| ASTM A380/A380-25 | ASTM A967/A967M-25 | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Cleaning, descaling, pickling and passivation of stainless steel equipment | Chemical passivation treatments for stainless steel |
| When it applies | Fabrication and maintenance, from surface prep to passivation | The passivation step itself |
| Chemistry | Cleaning procedures and pickling treatments, plus passivation | Nitric acid or citric acid treatments |
| How the result is checked | Inspection and testing methods | Testing methods that verify passivation, including corrosion resistance testing |
| Where BCS uses it | Cleaning and descaling before passivation | Passivation, verified with Ferroxyl testing |
BCS follows ASTM A380/A380-25 for cleaning and descaling, ASTM A967/A967M-25 for passivation, and ASME BPE 2026 for pharmaceutical and biotech systems. Passivation procedures are also aligned with ASME B31.3. Every project includes Ferroxyl testing, a validation report and a Certificate of Compliance.
Following recognized standards ensures stainless steel systems maintain corrosion resistance and meet regulatory expectations.
Facilities working with experienced providers offering passivation services in Canada often prioritize companies that follow ASTM and ASME standards.
If you are also deciding between treatment types, our guide on passivation vs pickling for stainless steel systems explains when each process may be used.
Understanding standards is important, but so is knowing when to apply them. This related article on when stainless steel piping should be passivated explains common scenarios where passivation is required after fabrication, commissioning, maintenance, or repairs.
ASME BPE 2026 is the primary reference for high-purity bioprocessing systems: WFI loops, pure steam and CIP/SIP circuits. It’s also what classifies rouge into Class I, II and III. If a system has rouge, it gets derouged first, and passivation per ASTM A967 comes after, because you don’t passivate over rouge.
With over 30 years of experience, BCS BioClean provides passivation services in Canada that support stainless steel systems used in pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotechnology production, and other high-purity industrial environments.
The company performs passivation procedures aligned with recognized standards such as ASTM A967, ASTM A380, ASME BPE, and ASME B31.3.
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