Unlisted Materials
Background
The Canadian CRN registration system requires that all fittings used on registered vessels* or
included in a registered piping system carry CRNs. To register the fittings, design validation based
either or code calculations, finite element analysis or proof testing is required.
When a design is based on code listed materials, the code of construction provides allowable
operating stress levels. If the design of the pressure containing item is simple, the regular code rules
can be used and will supply a pass/fail judgement. If no code rules exist for a complex or unusual
shapes, Finite Element Analysis (FEA) can provide the stresses which can be compared with the
listed allowables for a pass/fail judgement.
An alternate to FEA is to proof test the item at stress levels far above operating. The items actual and
guaranteed minimum tensile strengths are required for the proof test. The formula used is from VIII-
1 UG-101(m):
Where B is the burst test pressure and P the allowed operating pressure. The burst test has to be at
least 4 times the operating pressure. E is the welding efficiency if the item is welded – typically
between 0.7 and 1.0. Two more pieces of information are required – Su – the specified minimum
tensile strength of the material and Suavg – the tensile test results from the item under test. Typical
proof test pressures are 5-6x operating pressure, a requirement in many cases more conservative than
regular code calculations or FEA.
For code listed materials, all of the required information is available for either calculations/FEA or
for burst testing.
Unlisted Materials
Codes B31.1 and B31.3 are useful for registering fittings because they allow unlisted materials to be
adopted and because they provide fewer restrictive design rules. Be aware that ABSA has a ruling
that requires items that look like vessels (even slightly) to be registered under VIII-1 where adoption
is not permitted. This requirement was put into writing in 2008. As of 2014 no other province is in
agreement. A significant number of fittings are available Canada wide but not in Alberta due to this
one requirement.
An unlisted material made to a specification can be adopted if the material’s guaranteed minimum
yield and tensile strength are available at the operating temperature. The code adopted strength is
based on a formula using these two inputs resulting in allowable design strength. Or the minimum
tensile strength can be used in the proof test. Using this process, almost any IID listed material can be
adopted for use in B31.1 or B31.3.
This is a typical formula for adopting unlisted material in B31.3. Sy and St are the materials
guaranteed minimum strength. More complex methods are used at higher temperatures where the
materials creep properties need to be taken into account. Availability of elevated temperature
material properties can severely limit the adoptability of unlisted materials. Caution: see Unlisted
Material Registration Problems below.
Unlisted Materials With No Specified Strength
Many fittings materials are not code listed and have no guaranteed minimum tensile or yield strength
information. Two common examples: SAE1010 is a carbon steel and B85 A380 is a die cast
aluminium. Both are made to chemical only specifications and both are used in fittings.
To use either of these materials in Canadian registered fittings, the purchaser has to agree with the
mill/foundry what minimum tensile and yield strength level is acceptable. A specification referenced
or written into each material batch purchase order is required. Chosen strength levels are obviously
important. Set too high and excessive batches will be rejected upon physical testing. Set to low and
the parts will not pass code calculations. Also note that the ratio between the actual and minimum
tensile strength impacts the required burst test pressure. The lower the minimum specified strength,
the higher the required proof test. A sample purchase order or a copy of the specification would be
required with the CRN application. Caution: see Unlisted Material Registration Problems below.
Setting appropriate guaranteed minimum stress levels commonly causes confusion, an example
follows.
Example: A manufacturer who is investigating a new unlisted material gets some pull test results. 4
tensile test results at ambient [ksi] 47, 46, 44, 48. 4 yield stress results [ksi] 25, 26, 23, 28. The
results are at ambient only, and the product will only be used at ambient so elevated temperature
testing is not required. What should the guaranteed minimum yield and tensile be? Each material
batch will be tested, so setting the specified minimum too high will results in batches being rejected.
For example, a specified minimum tensile of 45 ksi would cause the 3rd specimen to be rejected.
Some number around 40 ksi tensile and 20 ksi yield might be reasonable as is shown in this graph.
The unknown materials test results after specified minimum tensile and yield strengths are chosen.
What happens if the guaranteed minimum is set too low? If the product is to be burst test, from the
top equation, the required burst test is increased by the ratio of Su/Sur, where Su is the specified
minimum burst test, and Sur the test results from the item under test. If samples 1, 2 and 3 are taken
from the test object, Sur = average(47,46,44) = 45.6. If the specified minimum is 40 ksi, then the
burst test ratio is 4 x 45.6/40 or 4.56x. However if the specified minimum was set way low to 20 ksi,
then the ratio would be 4 x 45.6/20 or 9.12x.
If the product will not be used at ambient, then elevated materials properties are required. For CRN
applications, temperatures above 100ºF are considered elevated (source unknown). Additional
elevated temperature material testing is required to cover the design conditions.
The manufacturer needs to document the minimum specified properties and other characteristics of
the unlisted material with no specified strength per B31.3:
B31.3 2010 323.1.2 Unlisted Materials. Unlisted materials may be used provided they conform to a
published specification covering chemistry, physical and mechanical properties, method and process
of manufacture, heat treatment, and quality control, and otherwise meet the requirements of this
Code. See also ASME BPV Code Section II, Part D, Appendix 5. Allowable stresses shall be
determined in accordance with the applicable allowable stress basis of this Code or a more
conservative basis.
Alberta requires that this document be published on the manufacturers web site available for
unrestricted access.
Caution: Although B31.1.2(C) states “Unlisted materials shall be qualified for service within a
stated range of minimum and maximum temperatures based upon data associated with successful
experience, tests, or analysis; or a combination thereof.”Applicants should consider that the use of
experience to register fittings in the CRN system is practically impossible.
Unknown Materials
If all of the above fails, many Canadian reviewers will allow a fitting to be registered with
“unknown” materials if it can be proof tested to 10x operating pressure (no tensile strength testing
required, no guaranteed minimum specification provided). This category includes many plastics that
are not covered by the piping codes, glass, ceramics and steels that cannot be adopted by the above
methods.
Clearly 10x operating is a severe test not possible with many products. This method is reserved for
products that are highly overdesigned.
