Failure analyses of two ball valves used for coal-gasification applications

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5322411

Van Den Avyle, J A; Pope, L E

Two ball valves which had failed by developing excess leakage were supplied for analyses. The 2'' (51 mm) valve had experienced 5000 cycles during 20 hrs usage in an unknown chemical environment. Wear on the ball and seats was a multi-stage process starting with breakdown of a hard chrome plating on the stainless steel ball. This eventually led to adhesive weld transfer of the stainless steel to the seat made of Stellite 6 alloy. The 6'' (152 mm) ball valve had experienced a cycling test sequence using compressed air up to 300 psig (2.07 MPa) at 850/sup 0/F (727/sup 0/K). Damage was characterized as abrasive wear caused either by particles deposited by the compressed air or by carbide particles present in the Stellite 6 alloy ball and seat hardfacing. The decrease in this alloy's compressive yield strength at the elevated test temperature contributed to increased wear rates.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5322411
• Report Number(s): SAND-82-1208; ON: DE82019956
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
COAL GASIFICATION PLANTS
VALVES
FAILURE MODE ANALYSIS
ABRASION
COAL GASIFICATION
METALLOGRAPHY
WEAR
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FLOW REGULATORS
GASIFICATION
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
SYSTEM FAILURE ANALYSIS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
010404* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Gasification