CASE

CASES OF ASME BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL CODE Approval Date: August 11, 1997 See Numeric Index for expiration and any reafrmation dates.

2249

Case 2249 Use of Furnace Brazing for Lethal Service Section VIII, Division 1 Inquiry: May vessels intended for lethal service made of nickel (UNS N02200 and/or N02201) be fabricated by vacuum furnace brazing using nickel alloy brazing ller metal? Reply: Vessels intended for lethal service may be fabricated by brazing under the following conditions: (a) The design temperature shall not exceed 200F and the design pressure shall not exceed 2000 psi. The diameter of the vessel shall not exceed NPS 8, and the volume of the vessel shall not exceed 5 cu. ft. The size limits of brazed joint members shall be as provided below. (b) The components to be brazed shall be nickel alloy UNS N02200 or N02201 manufactured in accordance with Specication SB-160, SB-161, SB-162, SB163, or SB-366. (c) The brazing process shall be vacuum furnace brazing. (d) The brazing ller metal shall be SFA5.8, BNi-5. (e) Use of brazing shall be limited to Category D joints and heat exchanger tube joints. The joint shall consist of a pipe or tube not greater than 2.0 in. outside diameter inserted into a socket in another member or into or through a hole in another member. The lap length [as shown in Fig. UB-16(a)] shall be not less than four times the nominal thickness of the inserted pipe or tube, except that U-tube type heat exchanger tubes shall have a lap length that is not less than 1.5 times the thickness of the inserted tube. (f) The brazing procedure specication (BPS) shall be qualied in accordance with UB-31. In addition, a workmanship sample shall be prepared for each joint conguration and combination of material thicknesses in accordance with QB-182, except that the unbrazed length may not exceed 5% of the joint overlap. The workmanship sample shall consist of not less than six tubes inserted into the joint to the maximum depth proposed for construction. The clearance between the

tube and socket in two of these joints shall be the minimum clearance proposed for construction and the clearance in two additional joints shall be the maximum proposed for construction. The minimum and maximum clearances permitted by the BPS shall not be greater than the minimum and maximum clearances used in the workmanship samples. (g) Prior to assembly, each joint shall be veried as having the clearance specied in the BPS. Brazing paste or preform shall be applied only to one side of any joint. Each joint shall be visually examined prior to brazing for proper application of brazing paste or external braze metal preform. These inspections shall be conducted following a written procedure which shall provide for a written record of these inspections. (h) In order to demonstrate full penetration of the braze metal, each joint shall be visually examined after brazing on both sides of each joint. The use of inspection mirrors, boroscopes, or ber-optic devices, as necessary, is required to accomplish this inspection where both sides of the joint are not readily viewed without optical aid. All surfaces of all joints shall be free from cracks and voids. Any assembly that exhibits cracking of either the base metal or the braze metal shall be discarded. All joints shall show braze metal around the entire circumference of the interface between the tube and the socket on the side opposite from that on which the brazing paste or preform was applied. It is not required that the braze metal be ush with the surface or that it form a llet. Assemblies that do not show braze metal around the entire circumference of the interface shall be discarded. Where preforms are used, llets at joint intersections shall not be convex on the side that the preform was placed. These inspections shall be conducted following a written procedure that is in accordance with Section V, Article 9, and a written report of these inspections shall be prepared. (i) Additional work may be done on brazed joints to achieve the desired surface geometry (e.g., ll concavity, increase llet size, etc.) after they have been accepted in accordance with (h) above. This may be

The Committees function is to establish rules of safety, relating only to pressure integrity, governing the construction of boilers, pressure vessels, transport tanks and nuclear components, and inservice inspection for pressure integrity of nuclear components and transport tanks, and to interpret these rules when questions arise regarding their intent. This Code does not address other safety issues relating to the construction of boilers, pressure vessels, transport tanks and nuclear components, and the inservice inspection of nuclear components and transport tanks. The user of the Code should refer to other pertinent codes, standards, laws, regulations or other relevant documents.

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CASE (continued)

2249

CASES OF ASME BOILER AND PRESSURE VESSEL CODE

done by mechanical methods (e.g., grinding, machining, etc.) or by additional furnace brazing with the addition of more ller metal to either side of the joint as necessary to achieve the desired surface geometry. Rebrazing to correct surface geometry conditions shall be limited to three cycles. Modication of surface geometry by torch brazing is not permitted. All joints that have been reheated to brazing temperature and those that are mechanically modied shall be visually examined in accordance with (h) above. (j) After brazing and any surface geometry modications are completed, the component shall be subjected
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to pressure testing in accordance with the requirements of Section VIII. After completion of pressure testing, the joints shall be subjected to a helium mass spectrometry leak test. The testing shall be conducted in accordance with a written procedure and in accordance with the requirements and acceptance criteria of Section V, Article 10. A written record of the testing shall be prepared. Any assembly that fails the leak test shall be discarded. (k) All other applicable rules of Section VIII shall apply. (l) This Case number shall be shown on the Data Report Form.

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Not for Resale