# Failure pressure

> Source: https://rodlesspneumatic.com/resource-center/pneumatic-glossary/burst-pressure/
> Language: en-US
> Category: Pressure & safety

## Definition

Failure pressure: Pressure at which a component may rupture or lose containment. Never use it as a working-pressure target. Read the applicable product data and technical standard before treating a catalog value as interchangeable.

## Key facts

- **Term:** Burst pressure
- **Full form:** Failure pressure
- **Selection effect:** Never use it as a working-pressure target.

## Burst pressure: definition and engineering context

Failure pressure. Pressure at which a component may rupture or lose containment.

The term belongs to the pressure & safety context. Its exact limits can depend on the cited standard, catalog convention, unit system, reference state, and component configuration.

## Why Burst pressure affects pneumatic selection

Never use it as a working-pressure target.

- MAWP: Use the lowest rating of every component in the circuit.
- Pabs: Required in gas-law and vacuum calculations.
- Pg: Do not mix gauge and absolute values in one formula.
- Cracking pressure: It affects low-pressure operation and retained pressure.

## How to evaluate Burst pressure in a catalog or replacement project

Read the value together with its unit, test basis, operating pressure, temperature, circuit state, and manufacturer definition.

For replacement work, compare the complete datasheet and drawing. A matching abbreviation or nominal size does not by itself prove functional or dimensional interchangeability.

- Maximum allowable working pressure: Highest permitted working pressure under specified conditions.
- Absolute pressure: Pressure referenced to a perfect vacuum.
- Gauge pressure: Pressure referenced to local atmospheric pressure.
- Initial opening pressure: Differential pressure at which a check or relief element begins to open.

## What to verify before selection

- Never use it as a working-pressure target.
- Use the lowest rating of every component in the circuit.
- Required in gas-law and vacuum calculations.
- Do not mix gauge and absolute values in one formula.

## Common mistakes

- Treating Burst pressure as a universal definition without checking the manufacturer or standard context
- Mixing gauge and absolute values, incompatible units, or different reference conditions in one comparison
- Selecting a component from the term or nominal value alone without checking the complete operating point and drawing

## Frequently asked questions

### What does Burst pressure mean in pneumatics?

Failure pressure. Pressure at which a component may rupture or lose containment.

### Why does Burst pressure matter when selecting a component?

Never use it as a working-pressure target.

### Can Burst pressure values be compared directly between catalogs?

Only after the unit, reference condition, test method, operating point, and manufacturer definition have been reconciled.

## Technical references

- [ISO 5598:2020](https://www.iso.org/standard/67985.html): Provides the international fluid-power vocabulary used to interpret pneumatic terminology.
- [ISO 4414:2010](https://www.iso.org/standard/44790.html): Provides general rules and safety requirements for pneumatic systems and components.