POSITIVE MATERIALS IDENTIFICATION

OCTOBER 1991 PAGE 1 OF 8 EGE 00-B-25 1991

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Scope 8. Acceptance Criteria
2. Purpose of Positive Material Identification 9. Rejection Criteria
3. References 10. Marking
4. Definitions 11. Records of Verification Testing
5. Extent of Verification 11.1 Shop Alloy Verification
6. Alloy Verification 11.2 Construction Contractor Field
7. Verification Methods Alloy Verification
1. SCOPE
1.1 This Guide specifies the basic requirements for conducting positive material identification (PMI) tests
on ferrous and nonferrous metal alloy materials in the shop or field. The Guide is intended for use on
pressure and nonpressure containing alloy components of equipment and piping.
1.2 This Guide covers the extent of parts to be checked, sampling requirements, approved testing
methods, acceptance/rejection criteria, and marking requirements for PMI.
1.3 Alloying elements covered under the method described in this Guide include chromium (Cr), cobalt
(Co), columbium or niobium (Cb or Nb), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), molybdenum (Mo), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti),
and vanadium (V).
2. PURPOSE OF POSITIVE MATERIAL IDENTIFICATION
The purpose of PMI is to ensure that the nominal composition of the material specified has been correctly
supplied.
3. REFERENCES
The following publications form a part of this Guide. Unless otherwise specified herein, use the latest
edition.
Mobil Engineering Guide
EGE 16-B-5 Piping Color Coding for Metals Identification
ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Publication
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code:
Section II, Material Specifications
Part A, Ferrous Materials
Part B, Nonferrous Materials
Part C, Welding Rods, Electrodes, and Filler Metals
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ASTM (American Society of Testing and Materials) Standard Test Methods
A751 Chemical Analysis of Steel Products
D129 Sulfur in Petroleum Products
D808 Chlorine in New and Used Petroleum Products
E353 Chemical Analysis of Stainless, Heat-Resisting, Maraging, and Other Similar Chromium, Nickel-Iron Alloys
E354 Chemical Analysis of High-Temperature, Electrical, Magnetic, and Other Similar Iron, Nickel, and Cobalt
Alloys
PFI (Pipe Fabrication Institute) Recommended Practice
ES-22 Color Coding of Piping Materials
4. DEFINITIONS
Alloy Material Any material whose specification contains measurable quantities of alloying elements other
than carbon, manganese, silicon, and niobium or vanadium. Steels are not considered alloy steels if they
contain only carbon (up to 2 percent), silicon (usually limited to 0.60 percent), and manganese (to about 1.65
percent).
Positive Material Identification (PMI) The method to determine the nominal composition of a mechanical
component.
Mill Material Manufacturer An organization that performs or supervises and directly controls one or more
of the operations that affect the chemical composition of an alloy material.
Material Supplier An organization that supplies material to an equipment manufacturer or a component
fabricator.
Mill Stockist A distributor or warehousing supplier for one or more manufacturers of a material or
component.
Critical Service Any one of the following:
Wet hydrogen sulfide above 50 ppm (wt) H .
2
Hydrofluoric acid.
Amine.
Caustic.
Hydrogen partial pressure above 100 psia.
Sulfuric acid.
Pressure Containing Components Items that form the pressure containing envelope of the equipment or
component.
Nonpressure Containing Components Items that are not part of the pressure containing envelope of the
equipment or component and, therefore, do not affect the pressure-retaining capacity of the equipment or
component.
Sample Population A grouping of material or components according to material heat or lot numbers.
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Lot A grouping of commodity components of the same type that are received in a single shipment without
a material heat number identification or stamping such as weld rods, fittings, or fitting components.
5. EXTENT OF VERIFICATION
5.1 PMI may be performed by the material manufacturer, fabricator, supplier (for example, mill stockist),
or authorized third-party representative. It is the responsibility of the contractor to ensure that the
implementation and conduct of the PMI program is performed in accordance with this Guide.
5.2 The test methods outlined in this Guide are intended to identify the nominal composition of alloy
materials. These test methods are not intended to establish the conformance of a material to a particular
alloy specification.
5.3 PMI shall be performed at the point in time that ensures that proper materials have been used in the
fabrication of an identifiable assembly (such as plate welded into a vessel, or pipe length welded into a
spool). This is typically at the supplier's shop during fabrication, or at the project site for field welds and for
field-assembled items not previously positively identified.
5.4 PMI of weld material shall be performed in the same manner as for the adjacent base metal.
5.5 PMI shall not be considered as a substitute for required mill test reports listing chemical composition.
Mill test reports shall not be considered as confirming alloy verification.
5.6 Alloy pressure containing materials and mechanical components in critical service shall undergo 100
percent PMI. The critical service designation will be indicated on all data sheets and drawings.
5.7 Alloy pressure containing components in noncritical service require random verification of 10 percent
of the sample population. Field-fabricated alloy pipe spools in noncritical service under NPS 3 (NPS =
nominal pipe size, inches) require random PMI of 25 percent of the sample population.
5.8 Examples of pressure containing components that make up fabricated equipment and pipe spools are:
(a) Plates.
(b) Special forgings.
(c) Flanges.
(d) Exchanger tubes.
(e) Pipe and fittings such as tees, elbows, reducers, and special pipe components.
(f) Valves.
(g) Instruments (all external pressure containing parts).
(h) Metal gaskets (solid, spiral wound, and metal-jacketed).
(I) Furnace tubes and fittings.
(j) Casings for pumps, compressors, turbines, and so on.
(k) Alloy welds joining pressure parts to pressure parts (for double-welded joints, both weld caps
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inside and outside). Such welds must be considered as only one joint for the 10 percent PMI for
noncritical service.
(l) Weld overlays or cladding.
5.9 All alloy nonpressure containing parts require random PMI of 10 percent of the sample population.
Examples of nonpressure parts are:
(a) Vessel internals such as trays, bubble caps, and distributors.
(b) Exchanger baffles, tube supports.
(c) Valve stems and shafts.
(d) Furnace tubesheets and tube supports.
Internal alloy components on rotating equipment such as impellers, turbine shafts, and turbine blades require
PMI only if specifically designated by MTC Facilities specialists.
5.10 All alloy studs, bolts, nuts, and washers require random PMI of 10 percent of each lot.
5.11 When welding is required, one electrode or wire sample from each lot of weld rod to be used shall
be positively identified. The remainder of the lot shall be compared to the sample to ensure that color coding
and identification of the wires/electrodes are correct. Except for tube-to-tubesheet welds, PMI verification
shall also be conducted in the shop or field on deposited weld metal for dissimilar metal welds.
5.12 PMI of undiluted weld metal (for example, "buttons") is an acceptable alternative to PMI of an
electrode or wire sample provided it is conducted immediately prior to welding.
5.13 A higher degree of PMI verification is warranted for mill stockists. Except for bolting components
(see Paragraph 5.10), the extent of PMI verification from mill stockists shall be 100 percent of all alloy
pressure containing components. Alloy nonpressure containing components from mill stockists require
random PMI of 25 percent of the sample population.
5.14 In addition to PMI verification of heater tubes, shop and field welds on alloy heater tubes require 100
percent PMI verification.
5.15 Longitudinally welded pipe and fittings require random PMI verification of 10 percent of each sample
population or one PMI verification for each 60 m (200 ft) length of total weld in the sample population,
whichever is greater.
For example, 10 longitudinally welded pipes, each 6 m (20 ft) in length, require PMI verification be conducted
on one pipe length (10 percent of the sample population). If 10 longitudinally welded pipes are each 12 m
(40 ft) in length, PMI verification should be conducted on two pipe lengths (400 ft total weld length 200 ft
= 2 pipe lengths).
Autogenous welded pipe and fittings require PMI verification of only the base metal composition.
6. ALLOY VERIFICATION
6.1 When PMI is performed by the supplier or a third-party agency, the fabricator or supplier (that is, mill
stockist) shall certify that all PMI tests have been performed by qualified personnel in accordance with the
approved procedure. The fabricator or supplier shall also certify that all PMI has been performed at the point
in time that will ensure the correct material has been used.
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6.2 The contractor or third-party agency shall ensure that all involved parties fully understand the PMI
requirements. That includes the verification method to be used, the period during fabrication when
verification will be conducted, and the method of marking verified material.
6.3 The PMI personnel and procedures shall be subject to review by the purchaser as follows:
(a) The fabricator, supplier, or a third-party agency shall submit the alloy verification procedures to
Mobil for review, including complete descriptions of the methods and equipment to be used and
personnel qualification procedures.
(b) Mobil or a Mobil designee will review the procedures and qualifications and witness sample alloy
verification tests to the extent necessary to confirm that the procedures, equipment, and personnel are
capable of providing consistent and accurate results.
(c) Mobil or a Mobil designee will check procedures to ensure that positively identified materials are
traceable to the purchase order and/or any required material documentation or mill test reports.
(d) Mobil or a Mobil designee shall have the right to witness the performance of any PMI test.
(e) If the performance of any verification activity is unacceptable to Mobil, or if any material has been
incorrectly identified, all further tests shall be subject to approval by Mobil until such time as the
problem is corrected.
6.4 Shop-fabricated equipment requiring PMI shall have the verification testing done in the vendors shop.
Alloy verification of weld overlays may be conducted on sample material that is overlaid at the same time
as the equipment or component. PMI examination should be conducted after removal of approximately 2.5
mm (0.100 in.) of material from the surface of the weld overlay.
6.5 All shop-fabricated pipe spools requiring PMI shall have the verification performed in the fabricators
shop.
6.6 Field-erected equipment requiring PMI shall have all material and shop weld verification testing
performed in the shop. Field welds shall be tested in the field.
6.7 All bulk alloy materials shall be tested as required in Section 5 upon receipt in the field and marked per
Section 10. (See also Paragraph 11.2.)
6.8 Where items are rejected after analysis, all remaining pieces of the item from the same supplier shall
be sampled and analyzed as described in Section 9.
6.9 Where Mobil or a Mobil designee has not verified the vendor PMI shop procedures at the shop or
stocking point, a random PMI shall be conducted at the site.
7. VERIFICATION METHODS
7.1 The instruments or methods used for the examination shall be suitable for identifying the material by
quantitative measurement of the major alloying elements required in the applicable material specification
or welding procedure specification. The preferred method is X-ray emission analysis with a calibrated
portable instrument such as the Texas Nuclear 9266, Texas Nuclear 9277, Princeton Gamma Tech 840,
Princeton Gamma Tech 880, Pitchford Portaspec, or Metascope. The material manufacturer, supplier, or
fabricator performing the verification shall submit procedures for Mobil approval including sample removal
(as applicable), identification, and traceability to original material.
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7.2 Portable X-ray emission instruments are not capable of determining the carbon content of an alloy.
These instruments are not suitable for identifying or confirming low- or high-carbon austenitic stainless steel
(L- and H-type) alloy grades.
7.3 Alternative analytical methods or instruments other than those listed above may be utilized only if they
have been previously reviewed and approved by Mobil.
7.4 As an alternative to the methods specified in Paragraph 7.1, a chemical analysis, as outlined in
ASTM A751, ASTM E353, and ASTM E354, may be used to establish conformance to the original material
specification.
8. ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA
8.1 Materials shall contain the amount of alloying elements specified in ASME Section IIA (or equivalent
ASTM specification) for ferrous materials, and ASME Section IIB (or equivalent ASTM specification) for
nonferrous materials. Welding electrodes and wires shall contain within 10 percent of the amount of each
alloying element specified in ASME Section IIC. Alloys, including castings, shall be acceptable if the alloying
elements are each within 10 percent of the minimum and maximum values permitted by the material
specification.
8.2 Deposited weld metal or undiluted weld metal deposits shall be within 12.5 percent of the ranges
allowed by ASME Section IIC for each element.
8.3 Acceptance criteria for dissimilar metal alloy welds shall be such that the weld meets the chemical
composition requirements. The effects of dilution during deposition should be taken into account for
deposited (diluted) weld metal.
9. REJECTION CRITERIA
9.1 If the PMI test results fall outside the acceptable range using the instruments described in Section 7,
the vendor may obtain a quantitative check analysis performed by an independent testing laboratory using
the "referee" method referenced by the material specification. If no referee method is referenced, an
appropriate method of chemical analysis specified in this standard shall be used. Results of this analysis
shall govern.
9.2 If any material component or weld is found to be unacceptable, all other represented materials,
components, or welds shall be considered suspect. The supplier has the option of the following:
(a) Scrapping all those represented materials and components and replacing with new components
or filler metals (as applicable).
(b) Performing 100 percent examination of the remainder of the represented materials, components,
or welds, and replacing each item that fails the positive material identification check.
9.3 When a shipment (i.e., lot) of components or filler metal is found to contain unacceptable items, the
next two components or lots from the same supplier shall be examined 100 percent. If both lots are
acceptable, or when two successive lots are acceptable, the sampling percentage described in Section 5
may be resumed.
9.4 The supplier shall be responsible for segregating rejected items and assuring that they are properly
identified to prevent their unauthorized reuse or removal.
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10. MARKING
10.1 Materials, items, and welds that are found to be unacceptable during verification testing shall be
marked immediately with a circled red cross (X) pending resolution in accordance with Section 9 of this
Guide.
Marking material for failed components shall meet the requirements of Paragraph 10.2, Item (g).
10.2 All verified materials with an acceptable analysis shall be marked with the letters "AV" using a certified
low-stress stamp. The marking shall be placed as follows:
(a) Pipe Two marks, 180 degrees apart, 75 mm (3 in.) from each end of each length on the outer
surface of the pipe. This marking shall be in addition to the requirements of EGE 16-B-5 and Pipe
Fabrication Institute Recommended Practice ES-22.
(b) Welds Adjacent to the welder's mark on the weld. Welds on tubes in heat transfer service
should not be stamped, but should be marked by either stenciling or vibro-etching.
(c) Fittings and Forgings Adjacent to the supplier's markings.
(d) Valves Adjacent to the supplier's markings on bodies and other pressure parts.
(e) Plates Adjacent to the heat numbers.
(f) Castings Adjacent to the supplier's markings and heat numbers.
(g) Tubes for Heat Transfer Service Stenciled, not stamped, 300 mm (12 in.) from each end. The
marking shall be done with a water-insoluble material that contains no harmful substance, such as
metallic pigments [aluminum (Al), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn)], sulfur, or chlorides, that would attack or
harmfully affect austenitic or nickel alloy steels at ambient or elevated temperatures. The sulfur and
chloride content of water-insoluble materials shall be limited to one percent or less as determined by
ASTM Methods D808 and D129, respectively. The supplier shall submit an analysis of the marking
material to the purchaser to demonstrate, by chemical analysis and history of use, that the marking
material meets the requirements.
(h) Bolting On one end.
(I) Nuts On one flat.
If the material or item is too light, too small, or cannot otherwise be stamped, vibro-etching or color coding
shall be applied in conjunction with supplier's standards and noted on the alloy verification reports.
When heat treating is performed after material verification, the identification marking must be recognizable
after the heat treatments.
10.3 When an alloy pipe or plate is cut after PMI testing and marking, the markings shall be transferred
onto the unmarked section as described in Paragraph 10.2.
11. RECORDS OF VERIFICATION TESTING
11.1 Shop Alloy Verification
11.1.1 A log shall be kept to identify each component that has been alloy verified and the results of the
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testing. Test results should include measured percentage of alloying element, accepted, rejected, rejected
but accepted based on independent chemical analysis, and so on.
11.1.2 The log shall identify each component to an individual shop-fabricated equipment item, assembly,
line number, etc. Each fabricator shall develop the detailed recording/logging procedure for Mobil review.
11.2 Construction Contractor Field Alloy Verification
11.2.1 The construction contractor shall establish and present to Mobil for review the proposed testing,
logging and identification, warehousing, and distribution control procedures for all components requiring alloy
verification testing onsite (such as weld bulk piping components, fittings, valves, gaskets, deposited weld
metal, and so on).
11.2.2 Shop-fabricated alloy equipment or assemblies that have been alloy verified in the suppliers shop
need not be reverified in the field. However, the construction contractor must have available, for Mobil
review, the suppliers report of alloy verification. Material certifications are not allowable substitutes. All field
welds and any additional materials and welds made to modify prefabricated assemblies must also be alloy
verified.