Fireside carburization of stainless steel furnace tubes
- PDVSA-Refineria Isla, Curayao (Netherlands)
- PDVSA-Intevep, Caracas (Venezuela)
Most heavy Venezuelan crudes are recognized for having a high total acid number (TAN) that is usually associated with a high tendency to produce naphthenic acid corrosion. To resist this type of corrosion in vacuum heaters, 9Cr-1Mo steel and stainless steels containing molybdenum are usually recommended. In 1993 the original 5Cr-1/2Mo roof tubes of the furnace in a vacuum unit were replaced by stainless steel 316Ti to minimize tube replacement and increase heater reliability. Unexpectedly, some of the new tubes failed after only three years of service, and just one year after undergoing the last turnaround inspection. The damage occurred in the form of deep holes and perforations, starting from the outside tube surface on the fireside. Coke build-up occurred due to severe operating conditions, overheating the tubes on the fireside, above 675 C (1250 F). Metallographic and Scanning Electron Microscopic (SEM) examination revealed internal and external carburization of the material due to the presence of coke and combustion ashes, respectively. The increase in the skin metal temperature facilitated the diffusion of carbon from these carbon-rich deposits into the low carbon content material (0.023 O/O).Depletion of chromium at the grain boundaries due to the massive formation of chromium carbides, resulted in a severe intergranular corrosion attack by molten salts rich in vanadium and sulfur due to asphalt burning. Normal operating practice demands the use of steam for the heater tubes to control coke build-up. This practice had been first reduced and then eliminated, during the past two years prior to the failure, because of economic incentives. This paper describes the root cause analysis conducted to account for these premature tube failures.
- OSTI ID:
- 697106
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-990401-; TRN: IM9946%%492
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Corrosion 1999 conference, San Antonio, TX (United States), 25 Apr 1999; Other Information: DN: 1 CD-ROM. Operating Systems: Windows 3.1, `95, `98 and NT; Macintosh; and UNIX; PBD: 1999; Related Information: Is Part Of Corrosion 99: Proceedings; PB: [3500] p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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