not exactly sure but is this what you are
refering to
http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/articles/AlTanks200008.shtml
witch says the fallowing : and this is a quote :
Aluminum Tank Controversy Continues
safely separating truth from fiction
from the August, 2000 issue of Undercurrent
Since our March article on the dangers of Sustained Load Cracking
(SLC) in a small number of older aluminum tanks, we've been hearing
lots of misinformation within the industry regarding this problem and
what's being done about it. Let us set the record straight.
There's no question that SLC has led to catastrophic ruptures of
aluminum scuba tanks manufactured before 1990 from alloy 6351-T6.
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has files on three such
aluminum tank explosions, including the 1998 maiming of a Riviera
Beach, Florida dive shop worker that we reported.
While a San Diego newspaper reported that on June 4 an instructor
was injured "when a scuba tank exploded at La Jolla Shores Beach,"
that wasn't correct. Bill High, whose firm Professional Scuba
Inspectors, Inc. (PSI) monitors such incidents, tells us that the
instructor actually was burned when he turned on the valve of a
cylinder containing a high percentage of oxygen and the mixture
spontaneously combusted (a risk of gas with high oxygen mixes).
There was no explosion or internal damage to the cylinder. A few days
later a fatal explosion did occur at a popular dive site in Ontario,
Canada. But the tank that ruptured was a steel military surplus ballast
cylinder being used for diver air storage. The mass media don't
always make such fine distinctions, so be wary of accepting news
reports at face value.
Additional confusion has arisen from DOT's listing of scuba tank
brands and models most likely to be made from 6351-T6, which we
published in March. Some shop owners and divers have mistakenly
assumed that the manufacturers are recalling the listed tanks. In fact,
no recalls have been announced. The tanks are still in service,
providing they pass a visual inspection (VIP) annually and a
hydrostatic test every five years. That's for U.S. tanks - other nations
have their own testing requirements. The leading manufacturer,
Luxfer, has just issued a new policy statement requiring that every
Luxfer 6351-T6 aluminum scuba cylinder be visually inspected at
least every 2.5 years and that the cylinder neck be tested with an
eddy-current device such as Visual Plus or Visual Eddy (using
electromagnetic waves to detect cracks in tank threads that might not
be visible to the naked eye) or equivalent non-destructive testing
equipment. These requirements are in addition to DOT-mandated
VIP and hydro tests. For cylinders in heavy use (for example, those
filled five or more times a week), Luxfer recommends visual inspection
every four months.
Luxfer also recommends that eddy-current devices be used only on
6351-T6 cylinders, because the procedure has produced "false
positive" readings in its newer 6061-alloy tanks, which it began
producing in mid-1988 in the United States. There have been no
reports of SLC in tanks made from the harder 6061 alloy. PSI further
recommends that VIPs be performed just before and after each
hydro-test, since the hydrostatic procedure (in which the tank is
pressurized with water to 5/3 of its working pressure) can make cracks
more visible.
Not all testing facilities follow these procedures. High points out that
some dive shops require and charge for eddy-current testing
not only on all aluminum cylinders, regardless of their alloy, but
also on steel tanks, though there is no history of SLC in 3AA steel
cylinders. So don't pay for unnecessary tests. Ask a few questions
about testing procedures, and be sure you're comfortable with the
answers.
If you're unsure whether a tank you may own or rent was made from
6351-T6, check the earliest hydro test date (date of manufacture)
stamped on the tank's shoulder. If it's earlier than 1990, assume it's
made from 6351-T6 and follow the above procedures just to be on
the safe side.
If a U.S.-made original-owner Luxfer tank is more than 10 years old
and fails either a VIP, hydro or eddy-current test, you can return to
Luxfer with $50 for a replacement. All returned tanks are subject to
Luxfer's own examination of the tank. (Call Luxfer at 1-909-684-5110
for specific details.) These policies apply only to condemned Luxfer
tanks. No other manufacturers offer a return policy.
If your tank is made of 6351-T6 and passes all the tests, it's probably
safe - especially since Sustained Load Cracking takes years to
develop to the detectable (or dangerous) point. Only you can
determine your own comfort level in continuing to use it.
-D.L.
