4. MATERIALS

Materials used for the manufacture of pressure equipment shall be suitable for such application during the scheduled lifetime unless replacement is foreseen. Welding consumables and other joining materials need to fulfil only the relevant requirements of points 4.1, 4.2(a) and the first paragraph of point 4.3, in an appropriate way, both individually and in a joined structure. Materials for pressurised parts shall: have appropriate properties for all operating conditions which are reasonably foreseeable and for all test conditions, and in particular they should be sufficiently ductile and tough. Where appropriate, the characteristics of the materials shall comply with the requirements of point 7.5. Moreover, due care should be exercised in particular in selecting materials in order to prevent brittle-type fracture where necessary; where for specific reasons brittle material has to be used appropriate measures shall be taken; be sufficiently chemically resistant to the fluid contained in the pressure equipment; the chemical and physical properties necessary for operational safety shall not be significantly affected within the scheduled lifetime of the equipment; not be significantly affected by ageing; be suitable for the intended processing procedures; be selected in order to avoid significant undesirable effects when the various materials are put together. The pressure equipment manufacturer shall: define in an appropriate manner the values necessary for the design calculations referred to in point 2.2.3 and the essential characteristics of the materials and their treatment referred to in point 4.1; provide in his technical documentation elements relating to compliance with the materials specifications of this Directive in one of the following forms: by using materials which comply with harmonised standards, by using materials covered by a European approval of pressure equipment materials in accordance with Article 15, by a particular material appraisal; for pressure equipment in categories III and IV, a specific assessment of the particular material appraisal shall be performed by the notified body in charge of conformity assessment procedures for the pressure equipment. The equipment manufacturer shall take appropriate measures to ensure that the material used conforms with the required specification. In particular, documentation prepared by the material manufacturer affirming compliance with a specification shall be obtained for all materials. For the main pressure-bearing parts of equipment in categories II, III and IV, this shall take the form of a certificate of specific product control. Where a material manufacturer has an appropriate quality-assurance system, certified by a competent body established within the Union and having undergone a specific assessment for materials, certificates issued by the manufacturer are presumed to certify conformity with the relevant requirements of this point.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-02 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.