The graphic below describes the permanent, stamped markings that are used on high-pressure gas cylinders commonly found in laboratories (Ref. 1). Note that individual jurisdictions and institutions have requirements for marking the cylinder contents as well. These requirements are in addition to the stamped markings, which pertain to the cylinder itself rather than to the fill contents (Ref. 2).
There are four fields of markings on cylinders that are used in the United States, labeled 1-4 on the figure.
Field 1 – Cylinder Specifications
DOT stands for the United States Department of Transportation, the agency that regulates the transport and specification of gas cylinders in the United States. The next entry, for example, 3AA, is the specification for the type and material of the cylinder. The most common cylinders are 3A, 3AA, 3AX, 3AAX, 3T, and 3AL. All but the last refer to steel cylinders, while 3AL refers to aluminum. The individual specifications differ mainly in chemical composition of the steel, and the gases that are approved for containment and transport. The 3T deals with large bundles of tube trailer cylinders.
The next entry in this field is the service pressure, in psig.
Field 2 – Serial Number
This is a unique number assigned by the manufacturer.
Field 3 – Identifying Symbol
The manufacturer identifying symbol historically can be a series of letters or a unique graphical symbol. In recent years, the DOT has standardized this identification with the “M” number, for example, M1004. This is a number issued by DOT that identifies the cylinder manufacturer.
Field 4 – Manufacturing Data
The data of manufacture is provided as a month and year. With this date is the inspector’s official mark, for example, H. In recent years, this letter has been replaced with an IA number, for example IA02, pertaining to an independent agency that is approved by DOT as an inspector.
If “+” is present, the cylinder qualifies for an overfill of 10% in service pressure.
If “★” is present, the cylinder qualifies for a 10-year rather than a 5-year retest interval.
In some cases, the original insignia of the inspector that performed the first hydrostatic test is found below Field 4. Also stamped on the cylinder will be the retest dates. A cylinder must have a current (that is, within 5 or 10 years) test stamp. On the collar of the cylinder, the owner of the cylinder may be stamped.