Field test methods for aluminum gas cylinders

摘要

ISO standards for gas cylinders made from aluminum alloys generally require heat treatment after the forming process. Such heat treatment is a costly part of the manufacturing process. Particularly due to increasing international trade, market-surveillance authorities need simple and reliable methods to field-test cylinders for proper heat treating. By the present contribution the difference in strength of heat-treated and non-heat-treated gas cylinders is exemplarily shown and several material analysis methods are investigated for their suitability as field tests.