Section

[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 49, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 49CFR180.205]

[Page 1074-1077]

TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION

CHAPTER I--RESEARCH AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION

PART 180_CONTINUING QUALIFICATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PACKAGINGS--Table of
Contents

Subpart C_Qualification, Maintenance and Use of Cylinders

Sec. 180.205 General requirements for requalification of cylinders.

(a) General. Each cylinder used for the transportation of hazardous
materials must be an authorized packaging. To qualify as an authorized
packaging, each cylinder must conform to this subpart, the applicable
requirements specified in part 173 of this subchapter, and the
applicable requirements of subpart C of part 178 of this subchapter.
(b) Persons performing requalification functions. No person may
represent that a repair or requalification of a cylinder has been
performed in accordance with the requirements in this subchapter unless
that person holds a current approval issued under the procedural
requirements prescribed in subpart I of part 107 of this chapter. No
person may mark a cylinder with a RIN and a requalification date or
otherwise represent that a DOT specification or exemption cylinder has
been requalified unless all applicable requirements of this subpart have
been met. A person who requalifies cylinders must maintain the records
prescribed in Sec. 180.215 at each location at which it inspects,
tests, or marks cylinders.
(c) Periodic requalification of cylinders. Each cylinder bearing a
DOT specification marking must be requalified and marked as specified in
the Requalification Table in this subpart. Each cylinder bearing a DOT
exemption number must be requalified and marked in conformance with this
section and the terms of the applicable exemption. No cylinder may be
filled with a hazardous material and offered for transportation in
commerce unless that cylinder has been successfully requalified and
marked in accordance with this subpart. A cylinder may be requalified at
any time during or before the month and year that the requalification is
due. However, a cylinder filled before the requalification becomes due
may remain in service until it is emptied. A cylinder with a specified
service life may not be refilled and offered for transportation after
its authorized service life has expired.
(1) Each cylinder that is requalified in accordance with the
requirements

[[Page 1075]]

specified in this section must be marked in accordance with Sec.
180.213.
(2) Each cylinder that fails requalification must be:
(i) Rejected and may be requalified in accordance with Sec.
180.211; or
(ii) Condemned in accordance with paragraph (i) of this section.
(3) For DOT specification cylinders, the marked service pressure may
be changed upon approval of the Associate Administrator and in
accordance with written procedures specified in the approval.
(4) For a specification 3, 3A, 3AA, 3AL, 3AX, 3AXX, 3B, 3BN, or 3T
cylinder filled with gases in other than Division 2.2, from the first
requalification due on or after December 31, 2003, the burst pressure of
a CG-1, CG-4, or CG-5 pressure relief device must be at test pressure
with a tolerance of plus zero to minus 10%. An additional 5% tolerance
is allowed when a combined rupture disc is placed inside a holder. This
requirement does not apply if a CG-2, CG-3 or CG-9 thermally activated
relief device or a CG-7 reclosing pressure valve is used on the
cylinder.
(d) Conditions requiring test and inspection of cylinders. Without
regard to any other periodic requalification requirements, a cylinder
must be tested and inspected in accordance with this section prior to
further use if--
(1) The cylinder shows evidence of dents, corrosion, cracked or
abraded areas, leakage, thermal damage, or any other condition that
might render it unsafe for use in transportation;
(2) The cylinder has been in an accident and has been damaged to an
extent that may adversely affect its lading retention capability;
(3) The cylinder shows evidence of or is known to have been over-
heated; or
(4) The Associate Administrator determines that the cylinder may be
in an unsafe condition.
(e) Cylinders containing Class 8 (corrosive) liquids. A cylinder
previously containing a Class 8 (corrosive) liquid may not be used to
transport a Class 2 material in commerce unless the cylinder is--
(1) Visually inspected, internally and externally, in accordance
with paragraph (f) of this section and the inspection is recorded as
prescribed in Sec. 180.215;
(2) Requalified in accordance with this section, regardless of the
date of the previous requalification;
(3) Marked in accordance with Sec. 180.213; and
(4) Decontaminated to remove all significant residue or impregnation
of the Class 8 material.
(f) Visual inspection. Except as otherwise provided in this subpart,
each time a cylinder is pressure tested, it must be given an internal
and external visual inspection.
(1) The visual inspection must be performed in accordance with the
following CGA Pamphlets: C-6 for steel and nickel cylinders (IBR, see
Sec. 171.7 of this subchapter); C-6.1 for seamless aluminum cylinders
(IBR, see Sec. 171.7 of this subchapter); C-6.2 for fiber reinforced
composite exemption cylinders (IBR, see Sec. 171.7 of this subchapter);
C-6.3 for low pressure aluminum cylinders (IBR, see Sec. 171.7 of this
subchapter); C-8 for DOT 3HT cylinders (IBR, see Sec. 171.7 of this
subchapter); and C-13 for DOT 8 series cylinders (IBR, see Sec. 171.7
of this subchapter).
(2) For each cylinder with a coating or attachments that would
inhibit inspection of the cylinder, the coating or attachments must be
removed before performing the visual inspection.
(3) Each cylinder subject to visual inspection must be approved,
rejected, or condemned according to the criteria in the applicable CGA
pamphlet.
(4) In addition to other requirements prescribed in this paragraph
(f), a specification or exemption cylinder made of aluminum alloy 6351-
T6 must be inspected for evidence of sustained load cracking (SLC) in
the neck and shoulder area.
(g) Pressure test. (1) Unless otherwise provided, each cylinder
required to be retested under this subpart must be retested by means
suitable for measuring the expansion of the cylinder under pressure.
Bands and other removable attachments must be loosened or removed before
testing so that the cylinder is free to expand in all directions.
(2) The pressure indicating device of the testing apparatus must
permit reading of pressures to within 1% of the minimum prescribed test
pressure

[[Page 1076]]

of each cylinder tested, except that for an analog device, interpolation
to \1/2\ of the marked gauge divisions is acceptable. The expansion-
indicating device of the testing apparatus must also permit incremental
reading of the cylinder expansion to 1% of the total expansion of each
cylinder tested or 0.1 cc, whichever is larger. Midpoint visual
interpolation is permitted.
(3) Each day before retesting, the retester shall confirm, by using
a calibrated cylinder or other method authorized in writing by the
Associate Administrator, that:
(i) The pressure-indicating device, as part of the retest apparatus,
is accurate within 1.0% of the prescribed test
pressure of any cylinder tested that day. The pressure indicating
device, itself, must be certified as having an accuracy of 0.5%, or better, of its full range, and must permit
readings of pressure from 90%-110% of the minimum prescribed test
pressure of the cylinder to be tested. The accuracy of the pressure
indicating device within the test system can be demonstrated at any
point within 500 psig of the actual test pressure for test pressures at
or above 3000 psig, or 10% of the actual test pressure for test
pressures below 3000 psig.
(ii) The expansion-indicating device, as part of the retest
apparatus, gives a stable reading of expansion and is accurate to 1.0% of the total expansion of any cylinder tested or
0.1 cc, whichever is larger. The expansion-indicating device itself must
have an accuracy of 0.5%, or better, of its full
scale.
(4) The test equipment must be verified to be accurate within 1.0% of the calibrated cylinder's pressure and
corresponding expansion values. This may be accomplished by bringing the
pressure to a value shown on the calibration certificate for the
calibrated cylinder used and verifying that the resulting total
expansion is within 1.0% of the total expansion
shown on the calibration certificate. Alternatively, calibration may be
demonstrated by bringing the total expansion to a known value on the
calibration certificate for the calibrated cylinder used and verifying
that the resulting pressure is within 1.0% of the
pressure shown on the calibration certificate. The calibrated cylinder
must show no permanent expansion. The retester must demonstrate
calibration in conformance with this paragraph (g) to an authorized
inspector on any day that it retests cylinders. A retester must maintain
calibrated cylinder certificates in conformance with Sec.
180.215(b)(4).
(5) Minimum test pressure must be maintained for at least 30
seconds, and as long as necessary for complete expansion of the
cylinder. A system check may be performed at or below 90% of test
pressure prior to the retest. In the case of a malfunction of the test
equipment, the test may be repeated at a pressure increased by 10% or
100 psig, whichever is less. This paragraph (g) does not authorize
retest of a cylinder otherwise required to be condemned under paragraph
(i) of this section.
(h) Cylinder rejection. A cylinder must be rejected when, after a
visual inspection, it meets a condition for rejection under the visual
inspection requirements of paragraph (f) of this section.
(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (h)(3) and (h)(4) of this
section, a cylinder that is rejected may not be marked as meeting the
requirements of this section.
(2) The requalifier must notify the cylinder owner, in writing, that
the cylinder has been rejected.
(3) Unless the cylinder is requalified in conformance with
requirements in Sec. 180.211, it may not be filled with a hazardous
material and offered for transportation in commerce where use of a
specification packaging is required.
(4) A rejected cylinder with a service pressure of less than 900
psig may be requalified and marked if the cylinder is repaired or
rebuilt and subsequently inspected and tested in conformance with--
(i) The visual inspection requirements of paragraph (f) of this
section;
(ii) Part 178 of this subchapter and this part;
(iii) Any exemption covering the manufacture, requalification, and/
or use of that cylinder; and
(iv) Any approval required under Sec. 180.211.
(i) Cylinder condemnation. (1) A cylinder must be condemned when--

[[Page 1077]]

(i) The cylinder meets a condition for condemnation under the visual
inspection requirements of paragraph (f) of this section.
(ii) The cylinder leaks through its wall.
(iii) Evidence of cracking exists to the extent that the cylinder is
likely to be weakened appreciably.
(iv) For a DOT specification cylinder, other than a DOT 4E aluminum
cylinder or an exemption cylinder, permanent expansion exceeds 10
percent of total expansion.
(v) For a DOT 3HT cylinder--
(A) The pressure test yields an elastic expansion exceeding the
marked rejection elastic expansion (REE) value.
(B) The cylinder shows evidence of denting or bulging.
(C) The cylinder bears a manufacture or an original test date older
than twenty-four years or after 4380 pressurizations, whichever occurs
first. If a cylinder is refilled, on average, more than once every other
day, an accurate record of the number of rechargings must be maintained
by the cylinder owner or the owner's agent.
(vi) For a DOT 4E aluminum cylinder, permanent expansion exceeds 12
percent of total expansion.
(vii) For a DOT exemption cylinder, permanent expansion exceeds the
limit in the applicable exemption, or the cylinder meets another
criterion for condemnation in the applicable exemption.
(viii) For an aluminum or an aluminum-lined composite exemption
cylinder, the cylinder is known to have been or shows evidence of having
been over-heated.
(2) When a cylinder must be condemned, the requalifier must stamp a
series of X's over the DOT specification number and the marked pressure
or stamp ``CONDEMNED'' on the shoulder, top head, or neck using a steel
stamp. Alternatively, at the direction of the owner, the requalifier may
render the cylinder incapable of holding pressure. In addition, the
requalifier must notify the cylinder owner, in writing, that the
cylinder is condemned and may not be filled with hazardous material and
offered for transportation in commerce where use of a specification
packaging is required.
(3) No person may remove or obliterate the ``CONDEMNED'' marking.

[67 FR 51660, Aug. 8, 2002, as amended at 68 FR 24662, May 8, 2003; 68
FR 75764, Dec. 31, 2003]