Alloy 400 tube failures by stress corrosion cracking
- Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., NY (United States)
A feedwater heater with SB163 Alloy 400 (cold drawn - stress relieved) tubing experienced numerous tube failures and was replaced after of 4.5 years. Failures were attributed to Inter Granular Stress Corrosion Cracking (IGSCC) in the roll transition area. An eddy current test method was developed with EPRI NDE Center technical support to detect the cracks in the tubesheet region. Three tubes were pulled for metallurgical examination. Short axial cracks were found on tube inner surface. Measured crack depths were correlated with the eddy current indications. A large number of tubes were plugged. However, the heater continued to deteriorate rapidly. Potential contributors to IGSCC are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 227013
- Report Number(s):
- EPRI-TR--105876; CONF-9509192--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Analysis of failure modes resulting in stress corrosion cracking of 304N tubing in a high pressure heater desuperheater
Analysis of failure modes resulting in stress corrosion cracking of 304N tubing in a high pressure heater desuperheater