DAMAGE MECHANISMS PRACTICAL GUIDE API571 Presented by Engineer/Abobakr Alsufyani Senior integrity inspection engineerDamage Mechanisms -v- Corrosion Mechanisms —A Simple View — DAMAGE MECHANISMS CORROSION MECHANISMS NON-CORROSION MECHANISMS All types of corrosion | Mechanteal fathaue \— Creep — Reheat cracking These do not involve a corrosion mechanismRefinery-Specific LOWT Corrosion DMs } Acidic Akaline sour water Ammonium chloride Hi-temp Hy/H2S Naphthenic acid | (O) Acidic Phenol carbolic acid Phosphoric acid Sour water; acidic H,SO, acid Aqueous organic acid (O) = Organic acid - g Q ii |g 2 |. 13 : 3 SIGE NOTE SOME KEY POINTS ABOUT THIS 12-DM SET They are mainly the result of process chemicals used in refinery equipment They are generally more complex than the general LOWT DMs in API 571 A lot of them involve various types of acidic salts as a cause of corrosion The actual DM: loss of wall thickness (LOWT) is much the same in all of themEach DM section is subdivided like this Description of damage DMDamage Mechanisms -v- Corrosion Mechanisms -— A Simple View — DAMAGE MECHANISMS CORROSION MECHANISMS NON-CORROSION |— Erosion — Bi fi All types of corrosion ittle fracture |— Reheat cracking These do not involve a corrosion mechanismRQPOO wn : @ @ pdfcoffeecom_dam.. > K See cm | FIG AZ : Factors that Encourage Corrosion ‘Molecular movement Increasing stresses in the leas temperature ! + Tene actors invariably at together, producing a cumulative elect | | | % SECTION A: ttoducton Ki150 DUCTILE TO BRITTLE TRANSITION TEMPERATURE (DBTT) IMPACT STRENGTH IN FT -LBS. 100 50 0 -50 -100 -150 -200 TEMPERTURE Figure 1.2 Charpy impact test curve of DBTT behavior of steel alloys.HYDROGEN-INDUCED CRACKING (HIC) Description Appearance Hydrogen permeation into interconnecting or ‘stepwise’ grain boundaries/ cracking discontinuities/ inclusions assists stress cracking Inspection: Surface cracks detection PT/MT/UT. Critical factors: Can occur between ambient and 150°C (300°F) or higher. Starts from local grain boundaries/ discontinuities/inclusions. FFP/Severity: HIC cracks propagate easily and unpredictably, particularly in a cyclic (fatigue) stress situation. FFP assessment is difficult — always a risk of crack propagation and catastrophic failure.Alkaline Carbonate Stress Corrosion Cracking (ACSCC) Alkaline (sour) water phase (pH 8-10) Carbonate ions > 100 ppm Cracks have spider's webSTRESS ORIENTED HYDROGEN-INDUCED CRACKING (SOHIC) Description Appearance Asimilar cracking mechanism — Perpendicular, through- to HIC but driven by local thickness stacked cracks in base stresses rather than hydrogen metal adjacent to weld HAZs permeation Inspection: Surface crack detection PTAWFMT. UT for through-thickness SOHIC cracking. Critical factors: Driven by local stresses (residual or applied). Generally associated with welds, but can also happen in combination with other wet H2S DMs. FFP/Severity: | SOHIC is amore damaging form of HIC. Severity can be reduced by PWHT. Cracking can be rapid so FFP assessment is unreliable - there will always be a risk of crack propagation leading to catastrophic failure, References: API 571 ([Link])Wet HS DMs — The Set of Four - SSC: —_Sulllate stress cracking —and they are all influenced by — *pH ©H,Sconcentration * Temperature * Hardness * Steelmaking ‘quality’ © PWHT SOHIC at weld = Stepwise stacked cracks SOHIC and SSC crack in weld i sat a and HAZ. SOHIC is generally in rough the parent metalThe Hydrogen-Based DMs of API 571 - A Summary - Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) SSS SSS el An embrittlement DM ALOWT DM > A result of methane (CH) pressure/permeation coupled with decarburisation sy Wet H,S damage set * Blistering * HIC * SOHIC _——— —_— —_ ___ A result of the Hy molecule AH; diffusion and embrittlement presence and permeation DMDealloying and Graphitic Corrosion Parts of the alloy structure suffer Dealloying noes il corrosion Brass Bronze a Cu/Ni ae i Weak — PHL 1 Water Temperature Sie flow can have an ‘The remaining structure is weak effect and porous, In brass it is the zine that ist re eck Graphitic Corrosion - Specifically for CI tron (Fe) i Graphite remains corrodes aw: jie (low pH) conditionsDEALLOYING Description Appearance Corrosion in which selective Visual change. May or may not elements are ‘leached out’ of — suffer crumbling or LOWT a metals structure leaving weakening or porous dealloyed structure. Inspection: VT may show dealloying but is not 100% reliable. Macro/micro metallographic examination is more definitive. Hardness tests. Dealloyed material generally becomes softer. Critical factors: Typical DMs are dezincification, denickelisation, graphitic corrosion; named after the element that has been removed. Affects mainly copper alloys (brass, bronze, tin) and cast iron (Cl), e.g. in cast valves and pipe fittings. Contact with soils, water steam or acids can produce a dealloying environment, depending on the material. FFP/Severity: | Produces serious weakening. Catastrophic failure likely in advanced cases.CuI - Some Key Points — low-alloy steels 10°F-350°F (12°C-175"°C) LCS, low-alloy or stainless steel lagged pipework is vulnerable CUI causes general/local wall loss When temperatures are cyclic/intermittent, all temperature ranges are at risk v The most severe corrosion occurs between 212°F and 350°F (100°C and 121°C)Galvanic Corrosion ~ Some Keystone Points — WH the galvanic series - see API 571 for full list More anodic (80 will corrode) a Note that LCS is anodic to 300 SS Look how graphite greases can cause corrosion of LCS and SS More cathodic (noble) six will ie eiborata corres lonead ~ Corrosion eats into HAZ (Changed microstructure in HAZ (larger unrefined grains) makes it more anodic >, so it corrodes preferentially to the cathodic parent metal unaffected by the heat and the weld filler metal * PWHT helps minimise (not prevent) this by refining the microstructuresDISSIMILAR WELD METAL (DWM) CRACKING Description Appearance Cracking of ferriti/austenitic | Cracks at weld toes in the HAZ steel dissimilar weld joint due to differential thermal expansion Inspection: Requires 100% VT to check weld bonding on ‘buttering’ weld overlay 100% PT after weld completion Critical factors: * Common in low-carbon or low-alloy to austenitic stainless steel welds. Worse above 260°C (510°F) Thermal cycling increases the problem * Carbon diffusion from the weld makes things worse at above 427°C (800°F) for LCS and 510°C (950°F) for low-alloy steels. FFP/Severity: Cracking is unpredictable and difficult to assessHigh-Temperature DMs by Temperature Carbon leaches out of the metalTHERMAL FATIGUE Description Appearance Cracking under repeated Uneven ‘dagger-shaped" cracks thermal cycles Inspection: Critical factors: FFP/Severity: Oxide residue on crack faces VT or surface NDE (PT, MT, ECT). Cracks start on the micro scale and can be difficult to detect in the early stages. «® Temperature swings > 93°C (200°F) are sufficient to start cracks. * Made worse by combination with mechanical/vibration fatigue conditions. * Can propagate manufacturing weld defects. Can cause unexpected catastrophic failure.ATMOSPHERIC CORROSION Description Appearance Corrosion due to moisturein General or localised wall the air Inspection: Critical factors: FFP/Severity: thinning accompanied by scaling (rust) VT or UT thickness checking from uncorroded side. UT can be difficult owing to poor probe contact and/or back-wall echoes. See our Corrosion Severity Cards* for severity grades. Worse in marine, chloride-rich environments. Attacks most carbon and low-alloy steels. Corrosion rates increase with temperature up to 121°C (250°F). Above this, surfaces are too dry for moisture-based corrosion except where moisture is trapped under insulation. Usually results in leak-before-break as LOWT can be monitored. Can be protected by suitable coatings.BRITTLE FRACTURE Description Appearance Cracking with little plastic Single or multiple cracking with deformation flat fracture faces Inspection: VT or surface NDE (PT, MT, ECT). Difficult to detect in early stages. Critical factors: Caused by operating below the ductile-to- brittle transition temperatures for a material. Encouraged by: * Carbon and chromium content « Hardness (inadequate PWHT) * Thick sections and 3-D stresses. FFP/Severity: Can cause unexpected catastrophic failure. Cracking is a dangerous, unpredictable DM. References: API 571 (4.2.7): See also process-based embrittlement DMs.Factors that Encourage Corrosion —— a Metal oxides are weak, Molecuh increasing stresses in the i ular og erga good metal that remains increases wit temperature Corrosion (of many different types) * How much * How fast Chemical attack (pH) Encourages the production of oxides © These factors invariably act together, producing a cumulative effectEROSION/CORROSION Description Appearance Wearing away of metals by Localised grooving — often deep high-velocity process fluids and sharp-edged Inspection: VT from the eroded side UT from reverse side or RT in profile view Critical factors: * Increase with high velocities and suspended solids content. * Common on pump impellers, heat exchangers and agitated vessels. FFP/Severity: — Localised wall thinning/grooving often causes leak-before-breakCORROSION UNDER INSULATION (CUD Description Appearance Corrosion resulting from water Localised wall thinning or trapped under insulation pitting in carbon steels Crevice corrosion/SCC in stainless steels in a chloride environment Inspection: VT (external) after insulation is removed. UT thickness checking from inside insulated vessels. Critical Factors: Can occur in any temperature-range components that are in intermittent service. Risk range is (—12°C) to (+175°C) for low- carbon/low-alloy steels. Risk range is (60°C) to (+205°C) for austenitic and duplex stainless steels. FFP/Severity: CUlis a very unpredictable DM. Removing 100% insulation is the only reliable way to find it.all ll 36 & O ROao@ wir : @ @ pdfcoffeecom_dam.. > Ki iornaranamdiindateaines i FIG A6 Damage Mechanisms -v- Corrosion Mechanisms ~A Simple View — °S THAT ENCOURAGE CORROSION ny types and sub-types of corrosion that affect metals, Twos ane driven by one of more of the following corrosionall atl 36 & © SOeod rv : @ @ pdfcoffeecom_dam.. > ' ( | | Stc00W atin K FIG AS. What Influences a Metal’s Properties? Chemical composition Oa RC WeWhat Influences a Metal’s Properties? i ee Chemical composition Strength oo“ Ductility Sone’ Hardiness 7 nese 0.2% *C 1% t The manufacture ‘form’ * Cast Gkaba stracture Heat treatment * Forged of the alloy during/after * Rolled manufacture * ExtrudedCritical Factors Affecting Acidic Corrosion Velocity Temperature Acidic corrosion is generally fairly uniform in nature causing loss of wall thickness (LOWT). It can be worse when located under scale deposits.Arc welding of high strength steel Types and features of weld cracks Type of crack Crack initiation | Crack appearance ! Cause of crack occurrence | | Neate ld ta L228 —— CO wee] | ww | im ar owe td | wom] | oa | | & oan) | we —] | ! r apna" a | Hot crack roc sete CC & rons wom | | ORThe Basic Structure of API 571 4.3 Uniform or local metal loss DMs DMs are subdivided {a little artificially) into 5 blocks 5.1 Specific refinery DMs 5.1.1 Uniform or local metal loss 5.1.2 Environment- assisted 5.1.3 Other DMs