# Catalina Cylinders — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation

- **operation:** document
- **citation:** 06-0064
- **title:** Catalina Cylinders — Hazardous Materials Safety Interpretation
- **source type:** guidance
- **agency:** Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration
- **status:** guidance
- **official:** true
- **published on:** 2006-05-23
- **effective on:** Not available
- **summary:** 06-0064 response to Catalina Cylinders concerning 173.302.
- **machine formats:** - **json:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0064.json
- **markdown:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0064.md
- **app url:** https://regulus.evalyn.ai/document/phmsa-interpretation-06-0064
- **source url:** https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/legacy/interpretations/Interpretation%20Files/2006/060064.pdf
**body:**

<<<PAGE 1>>>

U.S. Department
of Transportation
400 Seventh Street, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20590
Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration
MAY 23 2006
Mr. E.A. Ward Dekker, Jr.
Ref. No. 06-0064
QA Manager
Catalina Cylinders
12452 Monarch Street
Garden Grove, California 92841
Dear Mr. Dekker:
This responds to your inquiry (facsimile) regarding the manufacture of a DOT 3AL
cylinder for oxygen enriched air, air with oxygen content greater than 22-23%, under the
Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMR; 49 CFR Parts 171-180).
Your questions are paraphrased and answered as follows:
Q1. Do aluminum cylinders for oxygen enriched air have to conform to § 173.302(b)?
Al.
Gas mixtures with oxygen concentrations greater than 23.5% should be
considered to cause or contribute to combustion of other material to a greater
extenting, nos and must me lasted and descrid is Divisiose zas,
(nonflammable gas) primary hazard and a Division 5.1 (oxidizer) subsidiary
hazard. If the oxygen concentration is greater than 23.5%, then the conditions
specified in § 173.302(b) must be met.
Q2. Must a residual hydrocarbon test be performed?
A2.
Yes. The cylinders must conform to the cleanliness standards in Federal
Specification RR-C 901C, paragraph 4.4.2.2.
Q3.
Must the cylinder be designed to a maximum service pressure of 3000 psi?
173.302 (b)
060064

<<<PAGE 2>>>

A3.
No, the cylinder may have a higher marked service pressure. The pressure in each
cylinder may not exceed 3000 psi at a temperature of 21°C (70°F). Also, see
§ 173.301(a)(8).
I hope this satisfies your inquiry. If we can be of further assistance, please contact us.
Sincerely,
John'A. Gale
Office of Hazardous Materials Standards
Chief, Standards Development

<<<PAGE 3>>>

Page 1 of 2
Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>
From: Mitchell, Hattie <PHMSA>
Sent:
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 7:56 AM
Engrum
To:
Staniszewski, Stanley <PHMSA›; Drakeford, Carolyn <PHMSA>
$173.302(6)
Co:
Hochman, Charles <PHMSA>
Subject: FW: Oxygen Enriched Air Aluminum SCUBA Cylinders Interpretation Please
Cylinders
Stan: Yes, will do.
Carolyn: please log in as an interp.
06-0064
Thanks,
Hattie
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 7:40 AM
From: Staniszewski, Stanley <PHMSA>
To: Mitchell, Hattie < PHMSA>
<PHMSA>
Cc: Hochman, Charles <PHMSA>; Freeman, Cheryl <PHMSA>; Toughiry, Mark <PHMSA>; Staniszewski, Stanley
Subject: FW: Oxygen Enriched Air Aluminum SCUBA Cylinders Interpretation Please
Thanks,
Stan
From: Ward Dekker [mailto:wdekker@catalinacylinders.com]
To: Staniszewski, Stanley <PHMSA>
Sent: Mon 3/13/2006 1:56 PM
Cc: John Harris; Tom Newell
Subject: Oxygen Enriched Air Aluminum SCUBA Cylinders Interpretation Please
Stan,
If this inquiry for inerpretation should go to someone else, let me know.
As you know Catalina Cylinders manufactures 6061 aluminum cylinders in accordance with 49 CFR178.46.
For oxygen cylinders we manufacture the cylinders in compliance with 49 CFR173.302(b).
We manufacture SCUBA cylinders for air use. In some cases, the cylinders are being charged and used with
oxygen enriched air, air with O2 content greater than 22 - 23%.
Here's my interpretation request.
49CFR173.302(b)?
1. Do aluminum cylinder that are manufactured for oxygen enriched air have to manufactured im accordance with
3/14/2006

<<<PAGE 4>>>

Page 2 of 2
Meaning,
a. Must a residual hydrocarbon test be performed? and
b. Must the cylinders be designed to a maximum service pressure of 3000 psi?
Regards,
QA Manager
E.A. Ward Dekker, Jr.
714 890-0999
Catalina Cylinders / Garden Grove Facility
3/14/2006
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