Information Notice No. 83-07: Nonconformities with Materials Supplied by Tube Line Corporation

                                                            SSINS No.: 6835 
                                                            IN 83-07       

                                UNITED STATES
                        NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                    OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
                            WASHINGTON, DC 20555
                                     
                                March 7, 1983

INFORMATION NOTICE NO. 83-07: NONCONFORMITIES WITH MATERIALS SUPPLIED BY 
                              TUBE LINE CORPORATION 

Addressees: 

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or 
construction permit (CP) and fuel facilities. 

Purpose: 

This information notice is provided as a notification of nonconformities 
with materials supplied by Tube Line Corporation. Although NRC review of 
this matter is not complete, the failure to meet the procurement 
specifications shows similarities to the Ray Miller, Inc. materials problems 
described in Information Notice 83-01, dated January 26, 1983. It is 
expected that recipients will review the information for applicability to 
their facilities. No specific action or response is required. 

Description of Circumstances: 

On December 6, 1982, Capitol Pipe and Steel Products Company (CPSP Co.) sent
a letter to the NRC identifying nonconformities with materials supplied to 
its customers; CPSP Co. had obtained these materials from Tube Line 
Corporation. In the December 6, 1982 letter, CPSP Co. identified the 
customers who had received the Tube Line Corporation materials, and had been
notified about nonconformities in the materials. In addition, a followup 
Part 21 report by Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) identified in a letter dated 
January 10, 1983 that the material shipped to B&W had been supplied by the 
Houston, Texas facility of the Tube Line Corporation, which was not an 
approved nuclear supplier per ASME Section III, NCA 3800 requirements. 

The products identified by, CPSP Co. were pipe fittings (caps, tees, and 
elbows) and flanges. The nonconformities identified were shipment from an 
unapproved nuclear source, failure to perform proper heat treatment, and 
failure to meet ASME Code requirements for nondestructive examinations. 

According to the B&W letter, Tube Line Corporation purchased the fittings 
and base flange forgings from three different suppliers and performed the 
finished machining of the flanges. B&W has conducted tests of samples of 
four heats and has identified two heats with strength lower than that 
reported in the materials certifications. 




8212060369
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                                                             IN 83-07     
                                                             March 7, 1983 
                                                             Page 2 of 2  

Information available to date indicates that material was purchased from 
foreign stock material suppliers by Tube Line Corporation with the 
specification that heat treatments not be performed. Further, Tube Line 
Corporation never performed the required heat treatments when they received 
the material. The first procurement of the material in question was 1980 and
the first shipments for nuclear application were made in 1982. 

It is suggested that holders of operating licenses or construction permits 
review this information for applicability to purchases of material at their 
facilities. 

No written response to this notice is required. If you have any questions 
regarding this matter please contact the Regional Administrator of the 
appropriate NRC Regional Office, or this office. 



                                   Edward L. Jordan Director 
                                   Division of Emergency Preparedness 
                                     and Engineering Response 
                                   Office of Inspection and Enforcement 

Technical Contact:  J. R. Fair
                    301-492-4509

Attachment:
List of Recently Issued Information Notices