CRN Registered Steam Generator Delivered to Canada: Air Products & Safety Kleen PHG250 Project

Lmart manufactured and delivered a CRN-registered, ASME U Stamp steam generator in Inconel 825 and Duplex 2205 to Air Products for Safety Kleen’s industrial solvent recycling facility in Canada — demonstrating Lmart’s capability as a qualified CRN registered pressure vessel manufacturer from China.

OEM / Buyer	Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
End User	Safety Kleen (environmental services / solvent recycling)
Project Reference	Safety Kleen PHG250
Location	Canada
Equipment	1x Steam Generator (蒸汽发生器)
Weight	1,560 kg
Dimensions	DN762 × THK10 × L2285 mm
Design Code	ASME Section VIII Division 1 (U Stamp) + CRN Registration
Shell Material	SB424 N08825 (Inconel 825) / Duplex 2205
Tube Material	N08825 (Inconel 825)
Application	Industrial gas / hydrogen generation — solvent recycling process
Delivery Year	2025

Customer Background & Industry Context

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. is one of the world’s largest industrial gas companies, supplying hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and other process gases to refineries, chemical plants, and specialty manufacturers across more than 50 countries. As an OEM and systems integrator, Air Products designs and packages complete process systems — including steam generators and reformers — which are then installed at customer facilities worldwide.

For this project, Air Products supplied a PHG250 steam generator to Safety Kleen, a leading North American provider of industrial solvent recycling and environmental services. Safety Kleen operates a network of re-refining and recycling facilities across Canada, processing used solvents and oils to recover valuable hydrocarbons. Their processes depend on reliable, high-integrity process equipment capable of handling aggressive media under strict regulatory scrutiny.

Operating pressure equipment in Canada introduces a regulatory layer that goes beyond standard ASME certification. Each Canadian province administers its own pressure vessel safety program, and any vessel installed within a province must carry a Canadian Registration Number (CRN) — a provincial approval that confirms the design has been reviewed and accepted by the relevant authority. Without a valid CRN, a pressure vessel cannot legally be put into service, regardless of ASME U Stamp status. For a foreign manufacturer, navigating this system requires experience, preparation, and close coordination with Canadian provincial inspection bodies.

Challenges & Pain Points

CRN Registration — Provincial Design Review

The CRN process is distinct from the ASME certification process. While ASME U Stamp validates that a vessel is fabricated in accordance with ASME Section VIII standards, CRN requires a separate provincial design review — typically conducted by a registered professional engineer — before a registration number is issued. Each province (Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, etc.) has its own Pressure Equipment Safety Act or equivalent legislation, and registration in one province does not automatically apply to others.

For Air Products, sourcing a steam generator from a Chinese manufacturer meant the supplier had to demonstrate full understanding of Canadian regulatory requirements upfront — including design documentation, code calculations, material certifications, and the formal CRN application package. Any gap in documentation would delay the registration, delaying the entire project commissioning schedule.

Why Inconel 825? Material Selection Rationale

Property	316L SS	Inconel 825 (N08825)	Inconel 625 (N06625)
SCC Resistance	Poor — fails in chloride environments	Excellent	Superior
Pitting Resistance (PREN)	~25	~33	~51
Max Service Temp	~450 °C	~540 °C	~650 °C
Weldability	Excellent	Good — requires qualified WPS	Good — requires qualified WPS
Relative Material Cost	1×	3–4×	6–8×
Typical Application	General chemical service	H&sub2;/syngas, high-purity gas, sulfuric acid	Subsea, ultra-high corrosion

For this service — high-purity hydrogen generation with mixed acid condensate — Inconel 825 provides the required corrosion resistance at roughly half the cost of Inconel 625, making it the engineering-optimal choice.

Exotic Alloy Materials — Inconel 825 and Duplex 2205

The PHG250 steam generator handles corrosive process media associated with hydrogen generation and solvent recycling. The design called for Inconel 825 (UNS N08825) — a nickel-iron-chromium alloy with outstanding resistance to sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid, and chloride-induced stress corrosion cracking — for both the shell (SB424 plate form) and all heat transfer tubes. The shell also incorporated Duplex 2205 stainless steel in the construction.

Sourcing, qualifying, and tracing these exotic alloys adds significant procurement and quality control burden. Material certification (MTRs), heat number traceability, and positive material identification (PMI) testing are all mandatory. Many fabricators capable of ASME carbon steel work lack the process knowledge and certified welding procedures for nickel alloy fabrication.

Export Documentation and Cross-Border Regulatory Alignment

Exporting a pressure vessel from China to Canada requires full alignment between Chinese fabrication standards, ASME code requirements, and Canadian import documentation. This includes coordinating the Authorized Inspector (AI) involvement under ASME, preparing CRN application packages acceptable to the relevant provincial authority, and ensuring all test records, material certifications, and weld documentation are complete and traceable before shipment.

Why Air Products Chose Lmart

Air Products has maintained a long-term supply relationship with Lmart across multiple global projects. This track record was a primary factor in selecting Lmart for the Safety Kleen PHG250 scope.

ASME U Stamp certification is a baseline requirement for all Air Products pressure vessel sourcing. Lmart holds a current ASME U Stamp authorization, with an active Authorized Inspection Agency (AIA) agreement that supports full code compliance from design review through final hydrostatic testing.

CRN registration experience gave Air Products confidence that Lmart understood the Canadian regulatory process — including documentation requirements, design review procedures, and provincial authority communication — rather than treating it as an unfamiliar administrative hurdle.

Nickel alloy and exotic material expertise is a demonstrated Lmart capability. The company has fabricated Inconel 825, Duplex 2205, and titanium equipment for multiple clients across refinery, marine, and specialty chemical applications. Qualified welding procedures (WPS/PQR) for N08825 are maintained and ready for application without the lead time penalty of developing new qualifications from scratch.

Single-source accountability — Air Products required one supplier to manage fabrication, AI coordination, CRN documentation, and export packaging. Lmart’s project management structure accommodates this model without subcontracting the critical path.

Engineering & Manufacturing Solution

Equipment Design — PHG250 Steam Generator

The PHG250 shell-and-tube steam generator was designed to ASME Section VIII Division 1, with design parameters established by Air Products’ process engineering team. The DN762 shell diameter and 2285 mm overall length, combined with the 10 mm wall thickness, reflect the thermal and pressure duty requirements of the hydrogen generation application.

Shell construction used SB424 N08825 plate (the ASME-recognized form of Inconel 825 sheet/plate) with Duplex 2205 structural elements where the design called for higher mechanical strength combined with corrosion resistance. The combination optimizes both corrosion performance and structural integrity across the operating temperature range.

Tube bundle was fabricated entirely from N08825 (Inconel 825) seamless tubes, providing uniform corrosion resistance on both the shell side and tube side — critical when both process streams carry potential corrosive agents from the solvent recycling feed.

CRN Design Review Package was prepared in parallel with fabrication engineering. This package included: ASME Section VIII Division 1 code calculations, material data sheets and MTR summaries, weld procedure specifications (WPS), a fabrication and inspection plan, and a completed CRN application form organized for submission to the applicable Canadian provincial authority.

Material Traceability

All nickel alloy materials were procured from mill-certified sources with full heat and lot traceability. PMI (positive material identification) testing was performed on incoming plate and tube materials prior to cutting. Each material was tagged, recorded, and linked to the fabrication traveler, ensuring complete traceability from mill heat number through to the final data book.

Project Execution, QC & Delivery

Authorized Inspector (AI) Involvement

An ASME-authorized inspector from the designated AIA was engaged from the design stage through final inspection. The AI reviewed and accepted the design calculations, witnessed all required ASME code inspections during fabrication, and co-signed the Manufacturer’s Data Report (MDR / Form U-1) — a mandatory document for both ASME certification and the CRN registration dossier.

Welding and Non-Destructive Examination

All welds on N08825 components were performed by certified welders qualified under WPS/PQRs compliant with ASME Section IX. NDE scope included radiographic testing (RT) on all pressure-boundary welds to satisfy the joint efficiency requirements of ASME VIII-1. Weld records, NDE reports, and welder qualification certificates were compiled as part of the CRN documentation package.

Hydrostatic Testing

The completed steam generator underwent hydrostatic pressure testing at 1.3× design pressure in accordance with ASME Section VIII requirements. The AI witnessed the test. Test records, including pressure gauge calibration certificates and test duration logs, were included in the final data book submitted for CRN registration.

Export Packaging for Canada

The vessel was prepared for ocean freight with rust-preventive treatment on carbon steel surfaces, nitrogen purging and blanking of all nozzles, and a custom wooden crating structure designed to survive the handling loads of port-to-port shipping. Packing list, commercial invoice, country-of-origin documentation, and ASME manufacturer’s data report were coordinated to meet Canadian customs and regulatory import requirements.

Results & Business Impact

The steam generator was successfully registered under the Canadian provincial CRN system and delivered to Safety Kleen’s Canadian facility on schedule. The equipment passed commissioning inspection and entered service within the PHG250 hydrogen generation system.

For Air Products, the outcome validated Lmart as a qualified source for Canadian-market pressure equipment — a qualification that carries significant value given the complexity and lead time involved in CRN-compliant supply chains. The project is now part of Air Products’ documented supply base for ASME + CRN pressure vessel requirements.

For Lmart, this project demonstrates a concrete, referenceable capability: designing, fabricating, and delivering CRN-registered pressure vessels in exotic alloy materials from China to the Canadian market. It establishes a precedent for future projects where North American regulatory compliance is required alongside advanced material specifications.

Customer Voice

Air Products selected Lmart for this project based on demonstrated capability and placed the order through a competitive qualification process — the strongest form of supplier endorsement in capital equipment procurement.

“The documentation package Lmart prepared for CRN registration was thorough and well-organized — it made the provincial review process straightforward. The Inconel 825 fabrication quality met our inspection requirements without exception, and the delivery schedule was maintained throughout. This is the standard we expect from a qualified global supplier.”

— Engineering Manager, Air Products (paraphrased from project review feedback)

Note: Lmart respects client confidentiality. Specific contact references are available upon request during the qualification process.