What is a Material Test Report (MTR)?
Material test reports (MTR) are often also referred to as certified mill test reports, certified material test reports, mill test certificates, inspection certificates, certificate of tests. An MTR is a quality assurance document used in the metals industry that certifies a material’s chemical and physical properties and states a product made of metal (steel, aluminum, brass or other alloys) abides by an international standards organization (such as ANSI, ASME, etc.) specific standards.
Here is an example MTR from Texas Flange:
While each mill typically has a different layout for their reports, the information on them is generally the same. A mill test report should include the following:
Product Description and Specification
A material’s size and dimensions will be included on an MTR and displayed as material dimensions. This will change depending on the raw material. For example, metal plates are measured in thickness, while pipes are measured in diameter.
The product specifications refer to the ASTM and ASME standards applied to a particular material. For example, metals used in pressure and vacuum applications are required to meet specific product specifications. ASTM standards have a prefix including the letter “A”. Standards from the ASME have an “SA” prefix.
Heat Code ( Commonly referred to as “Heat Number”)
MTRs should include heat codes, or heat number, for traceability. Each code references a “heat”; a single grouping of forgings created from the same piece of billet in one forging session. Essentially, the heat code is the “DNA” or “fingerprint” of sorts for our products. Heat codes identify the physical and chemical composition of our flanges or custom components.
Along with the “heat”, mills forge an extra piece, often referred to as the “test piece” or “coupon”. Subsequently, this piece then undergoes “crashing” or destructive testing per ASME code to obtain physical traits. Chemistry values include the percentage of alloying elements such as Carbon, Chromium, Nickel, Sulfur, Phosphorus, Aluminum, and other alloys.
Physical Properties
Material Test Reports include physical values with respect to the requirements of the material. For example, some flanges undergo heat treatment processes like normalization or quenching and tempering, and as ASME flanges in pressure classes 400# and above require ASTM A105 carbon steel flanges to be heat treated automatically per code, this information would be included in the report.
Chemical Properties
MTRs include a breakdown of the material’s chemical properties. Depending on what alloy you’re purchasing, the chemical makeup of the metal will need to fall within required ranges.
Here at Texas Flange we provide all flanges or other components with MTRs per EN10204 3.1* at no additional charge. We ship Material Test Reports with your order or email copies directly to you at your request. Additionally, if you need a Certificate of Conformance for your order, we will provide this free of charge as well. Quality is critical in our service of providing materials for pressure vessels, refineries, offshore and onshore rigs, pipelines, and a seemingly endless number of alternate industrial applications. Therefore, our number one focus is making sure you get the flanges you need per your requirements. We take that responsibility very seriously.
Give us a call at 281-484-8325 or shoot us an email at [email protected] with any questions or concerns on your order.
Don’t forget to check out our other free online resources!