2. French pressure vessel regulations. European context

2.1 Current situation

Generally speaking, the manufacturer of a pressure vessel must define the materials he uses and provide assurance that these materials meet the requirements of the regulations (article 2 of the decree of April 2, 1926 for steam and January 18, 1943 for gas). Details of these general conditions are given in the various decrees and texts issued in application of these two decrees.

The decree of July 23, 1943, regulating equipment for the production, storage or use of compressed, liquefied or dissolved gases, lays down requirements for materials: article 3 on resistance to chemical action, article 4 on the absence of brittleness, the RA product (rupture x elongation) and the basic working rate, articles 5.1 and 5.2 on reduced rates,......