ASME BPVC.X-2025 with the natural color of the resin shall be used except as
permitted by the Manufacturing Specification. If required
in the User’s Design Specification, the Class III vessel may
be painted.
8-300.4.1 Resin Material Requirements
(a) The resin materials used in the manufacture of the
Class III vessel shall be the same as those specified in the
Manufacturing Specification. Each resin shall be traceable
by the name of its supplier and the trade name or number
of that supplier. The resin supplier shall supply to the
Fabricator a Certificate of Analysis for each resin used.
It shall include the following information:
(1) resin identification
(2) batch number(s)
(3) date of manufacture
(4) shelf life
(b) The resin supplier shall certify, for each batch
shipped, the value and the limits required by the specification
of the properties identified in Table 8-300.4.1-1.
Resin material outside the shelf life shall be either retested
by the resin manufacturer and certified to the original
properties or rejected. The values obtained for viscosity
and specific gravity for the resin alone shall be within the
limits of the supplier’s specification for that resin and as
listed in the Manufacturing Specification. The values
obtained for gel time and peak exotherm temperature
shall be for a particular resin/curing system test formulation
and temperature, and shall be within the limits listed
in the Manufacturing Specification. The test formulation
and temperature shall be representative of the formulations
used during Class III vessel manufacture. These test
results shall be certified by the Fabricator and shall be
included in the Fabricator’s Construction Records.
(c) The tolerance limits for the test formulation, as
listed in the Manufacturing Specification, may be established
by either the resin supplier or the Fabricator.
The tolerance limits shall be established using formulation
components having Fabricator-specified material characteristics.
The tolerance limits established shall be within a
sufficiently narrow range such that test results outside
this range would reflect deviations in component material
characteristics and alert the Fabricator of possible material
irregularities.
(d) The Fabricator shall establish a maximum use
temperature for the resin/cure system used. This may
be in conjunction with the resin supplier or independent
laboratory, and may be based on heat distortion temperature
or glass transition temperature. The Fabricator shall
reestablish and redocument the maximum use temperature
at least every twelve months using current batches of
resin and curing agent. The maximum use temperature
shall be recorded on the Manufacturing Specification. A
record of these determinations shall become part of
the Fabricator’s Construction Records.
8-300.5 Curing Agents. The curing agents used, the
resin-to-curing-agent ratio and the curing procedure
followed in the Class III vessel manufacture shall be as
specified in the Manufacturing Specification. Each
curing agent shall be traceable by the supplier’s name,
the supplier’s designation, and the generic name.
8-300.5.1 Laminate Cure. The Fabricator shall ensure
that the resin applied to the Class III vessel is properly
cured using a test specimen. Proper cure shall be demonstrated
by using the Barcol test in accordance with ASTM
D2583 or other appropriate method. Barcol readings shall
be within the tolerance specified by the resin supplier. If
the resin supplier does not provide Barcol specifications
for the resin/curing system used, the Fabricator shall
establish Barcol specifications. Barcol specifications
established by the Fabricator shall be documented.
Barcol specifications shall become part of the Fabricator’s
Construction Records.
8-300.6 Interlaminar Shear Strength. The laminates
used in manufacturing Class III vessel shall have
minimum interlaminar shear strengths of 2,000 psi
(13.8 MPa) for all resins, determined in accordance
with ASTM D2344. The test shall be performed following
the boiling of the test sample in water for 24 hr. The test
results shall be included in the Fabricator’s Construction
Records. The measured interlaminar shear strength shall
be recorded on Form CPV-2.
8-300.6.1 Nonmetallic Liner Materials. All nonmetallic
liners shall be considered nonload sharing. The
liner shall be manufactured from a material suitable
for service with the contained fluid(s). The liner material
supplier shall verify that each batch of liners have the
specified material chemistry and mechanical properties
and provide a certificate of conformance to the Class
III vessel Fabricator documenting the verification.
8-400 DESIGN
8-400.1 Allowable Stress Rules. Stress analysis shall ð25Þ
methods that address the nonlinear behavior. The thickness
and material properties used in stress calculations
shall be chosen to give accurate results, and analysis
results shall be confirmed with strain gages or similar
methods during testing.
The circumferential and longitudinal stresses generated
in the laminate layer shall be used to resist loads
due to internal pressure, thermal expansion, and all
other circumferential and longitudinal loads, including
bending loads caused by the contained fluid.
The maximum fiber stress at any location in the laminate
shall not exceed 67% of the tensile strength of glass
fibers or 80% of the tensile strength of carbon fibers
during the autofrettage pressure load for vessels with
load-sharing liners.
The maximum fiber stress at any location in the laminate
layer shall not exceed 28.5% for glass fibers and
44.4% for carbon fibers of the tensile strength of the
fiber at design conditions.
The calculation of stresses shall consider the least favorable
effects of geometric irregularities (e.g., out-of-roundness),
weld peaking, reinforcement, and offsets as well as
mismatches of Categories A and B welded liners.
8-400.2 Design Pressure. The design pressure of the
Class III vessel shall be specified in the User’s Design Specification.
The maximum design pressure for Class III vessel
shall not be less than 3,000 psi (21 MPa) or greater than
15,000 psi (103 MPa).
8-400.3 Maximum Design Temperature. The
Maximum Design Temperature of the laminate shall be
the same as the Maximum Design Temperature of the
Class III vessel and shall be specified in the User’s
Design Specification. The Maximum Design Temperature
shall be at least 35°F (19°C) below the maximum use
temperature of the resin as documented in the Manufacturing
Specification, but in no case shall it exceed 185°F
(85°C).
8-400.4 Minimum Design Temperature. The
Minimum Design Temperature to which a Class III
vessel may be constructed under this Appendix shall
not be colder than −65°F (−54°C).
8-400.5 Vessel Supports. Vessel supports shall be
designed to function without damaging the vessel considering
all loads resulting from transportation and operation.
8-400.6 Protective Layer. An optional external layer of
laminate may be provided for protection of the structural
laminate layer from damage due to impact, ultraviolet
radiation, or other environmental exposure, fire or abrasive
conditions, and in-service degradation of the laminate
for the life of the Class III vessel under the service conditions
as specified in the User’s Design Specification. This
layer shall not be considered in the calculation on the
stress levels in the vessel and shall not be applied to
the vessel used for the qualification testing.
8-400.7 Hybrid Designs. Hybrid construction (using
more than one type of reinforcing fiber) is permitted.
The strength of the individual types of fibers used in
hybrid construction may be verified by testing of
vessels reinforced with a single type of fiber. The test
can be performed on subscale vessels. In a hybrid
construction, the applicable Stress Ratio requirements
must be met in one of the two following ways:
(a) If load sharing between the various fiber reinforcing
materials is considered a fundamental part of the
design, each fiber must meet the stated Stress Ratio requirements.
(b) If load sharing between fibers is not considered as a
fundamental part of the design, then one of the reinforcing
fibers must be capable of meeting the Stress Ratio requirements
even if all other fiber reinforcing materials are
removed.
8-500 FABRICATION
8-500.1 Manufacturing Specification.
(a) The Manufacturing Specification shall specify, as a
minimum, all pertinent material properties data, the
means by which the laminate is applied to the liner,
and all other significant process data associated with
the laminate and the Class III vessel design. The Manufacturing
Specification shall include tolerance limits for all
appropriate material properties, process conditions
such as time and temperature, acceptable test result
values, compositions of resins, fibers, and curing
agents, etc., as further defined by the rules of this Appendix.
The Manufacturing Specification shall form part of the
Fabricator’s Construction Records.
(b) As a minimum, the essential variables provided
below shall be held within tolerances as specified in
the Manufacturing Specification.
(1) Essential variables for liner and nozzles
(-a) material(s) including limits of chemical
analysis
(-b) dimensions, minimum thickness, straightness,
and out-of-roundness with tolerances
(-c) process and specification of manufacture
(-d) heat-treatment, temperatures, duration, and
tolerances
(-e) inspection procedures (minimum requirements)
(-f) material properties
(-g) dimensional details of nozzle threads and any
other permanent features
(-h) method of sealing nozzle to nonload-sharing
liner for bonded bosses
(-i) autofrettage procedure for metallic lined
vessels
(2) Essential variables for laminate materials
ASME BPVC.X-2025