Qualification of large diameter duplex stainless steel girth welds intended for low temperature service
British Gas recently had a requirement to fabricate some UNS31803 duplex stainless steel pipework for an offshore topsides process plant. The pipework had a maximum diameter of 600mm, with a corresponding wall thickness of 18mm, and it was designed to operate at a minimum temperature of {minus}40 C. There is a lack of published toughness data for girth welds in duplex stainless steel at this thickness and minimum design temperature. Additionally, toughness requirements for girth welds in current pipework and pressure vessel codes are based on experience with carbon steels. As a result, a program of work has been carried out to study the Charpy, CTOD and wide plate toughness of girth welds in 22%Cr duplex stainless steel pipework. The welds were produced using a typical gas tungsten arc/gas metal arc pipework fabrication procedure. In addition, non-destructive evaluation trials have been carried out on a deliberately defective weld using radiography and ultrasonics. It was demonstrated that double wall single image {gamma}-radiography, single wall single image and panoramic X-radiography, and conventional shear wave ultrasonics were all able to detect planar root defects varying from 3 to 7mm in depth. There was good agreement between the sizes recorded by ultrasonics and those measured from macrosections. Small scale mechanical tests demonstrated that welds with overmatching tensile properties, and low temperature toughness properties which were acceptable to specification, could be produced. Wide plate tests demonstrated that defect size calculations from BS PD7493 were conservative.
- OSTI ID:
- 423167
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960525-; TRN: IM9707%%474
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 28. offshore technology conference, Houston, TX (United States), 6-9 May 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of 28. annual offshore technology conference: Proceedings. Volume 3: Construction and installation; PB: 373 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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