Amine stress cracking: Causes and cures

Journal Article · Sun Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1986 · Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5301755

Schillmoller, C M

Alkanolamines have been used for acid gas removal from hydrocarbon streams since the early 1950s. Occasional stress cracking failures occurred. They were regarded as a nuisance. ''You have a leak, patch it, and go back onstream. Easy to repair.'' A catastrophic failure in a major refinery on July 23, 1984, changed the outlook. A rupture of an amine absorber in an FCC unit resulted in a major explosion and fire. Seventeen people were killed and damage exceeded 500 million dollars. The suspected reason for the failure was amine stress corrosion cracking (SCC) which developed a circumferential crack in the heat affected zone (HAZ) at a girth seam of the absorber tower. This unit used a 15% monoethanolamine (MEA) water solution to remove hydrogen sulfide from C/sub 3/-C/sub 4/ gas. The absorber had been in service for about 14 years before the explosion. This explosion prompted other operators to carry out non-destructive inspection of amine treating units. Numerous cracks were found in many vessels and piping systems requiring replacement. Other cracks were chipped out and repaired. Why the sudden multitude of failures, not only in the U.S.A. but also in Europe, Japan and elsewhere. This article examines some of the factors that may play a role.

• Research Organization: Schillmoller Associates Materials Consultants, Houston, TX
• OSTI ID: 5301755
• Journal Information: Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States), Journal Name: Hydrocarbon Process.; (United States) Vol. 65:6; ISSN HYPRA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020400* -- Petroleum-- Processing
ABSORPTION
ACCIDENTS
AMINES
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CATALYTIC CRACKING
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMICAL REACTORS
CONTAINERS
CORROSION
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
CRACK PROPAGATION
CRACKING
DECOMPOSITION
DRUGS
EXPLOSIONS
FAILURES
FIRES
HEAT AFFECTED ZONE
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN SULFIDES
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
INSPECTION
JOINTS
MATERIALS TESTING
MEA
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROLEUM REFINERIES
PIPES
PYROLYSIS
RADIOPROTECTIVE SUBSTANCES
REMOVAL
REPAIR
SEPARATION EQUIPMENT
STRESS CORROSION
SULFIDES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
TESTING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
THIOLS
WELDED JOINTS
ZONES