Would previous overfilling have damaged an Aluminium tank that passes tests?

[whaylonsmithers]

Thanks all for your comments. I appreciate your interest and advice and I guess that everyone is pretty much on the money. Can anyone point me in the general direction of some scientific data. Maybe a paper on the properties of AL as a material for high pressure applications or stress testing data from a manufacturer or safety agency? I'm now interested for curiosity as much as the individual tank.

 

[Doc Harry]

...Can anyone point me in the general direction of some scientific data. Maybe a paper on the properties of AL as a material for high pressure applications or stress testing data from a manufacturer or safety agency? ...

You might be able to get some information from the cylinder manufacturers themselves. All of the rated pressures, hydro pressures, REE, etc., all come from the manufacturer. They do a lot stress and rupture studies on the materials with which they construct cylinders.

Also search the DOT website, they have done a lot of after-the-fact studies on ruptured scuba cylinders.

Another source is the Compressed Gas Association - CGA. Most of the standards of industry are derived from CGA pubs. Though the pubs will cost you a fortune, you might look into CGA Pub C-1 "Methods for Pressure Testing Compressed Gas Cylinders" ($158 online, $186 hardcopy).

COMPRESSED GAS ASSOCIATION

You might also see if this article has the information for which you are searching. They did strength and rupture testing of new and corroded aluminum scuba cylinders.

INVESTIGATION OF SCUBA CYLINDER CORROSION, Phase 1 - Storming Media