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Specificationrequirementsforsteelunder
sourservice

ElectronicsEngineer

21stFebruary2013

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Formorethan50yearsdocumentshavebeen
presentedaboutthesourservicedamageofsteel.In
spiteofthatlongperiodoftimeoil,gasand
engineeringcompaniesaswellasmany
organisationslikeNACEorEFCarestillworkingon
improvedsourserviceregulationsinordertoavoid
severeanddangerousdamageoftheequipment.
Generalrulesorrecommendedpracticestreat
mainlythepreventionofsourservicerelated
hydrogeninducedcracking(HIC).
Thisarticlesummarisessuchrequirementsinthe
fieldofpressurevesselapplicationsespecially
focussingonspecificationrequirementsforthe
selectionandtreatmentofthesteelplates.Itwillalso
beshowninwhichwayasteelproduceruseshis
knowhowandhislargeexperiencetoassurea
homogeneousHICresistanceofthepressurevessel
plates.Thisisonlypossiblebyapplyingaspecial
productionroute.Sometimessteelplate
specificationsaremadeinordertoprescribethe
manufacturingprocessandthematerialproperties
aimingtoreceiveahighqualityproductwith
excellentinservicebehaviour.Howeverthishasto
bedoneonlywiththenecessaryknowledgeabout
theinfluenceofthespecificsteelmakingparameters
onthesourservicepropertiesinordertoreachthe
aimedresistanceandtoavoidnonacceptableor
contradictoryspecificationitems.
Althoughtheproblemoffailureofpressurevesselsoperatedinsourserviceshasbeenfaced
forseveraldecades,researchisnowadaysstillgoingontoenableenduserstooperatetheir
installationssafely.Thephenomenonofhydrogeninducedcracking(HIC)seemstobe
understoodandtheexistingstandardsas,forexample,NACETM0284(1),EFC16(2),which
enabletheoperatorstospecifytheappropriatesteelplatesforsourserviceenvironmentare
widelyused.Astheseprescriptionsareadditionallymixedwithfurtherrequirementsegfrom
oilandgascompaniesthevarietyofsourservicespecificationsisverylarge.Itisa
challengeforthesteelmanufacturertocoverthesespecificationsbyanappropriate
productionandmarketingconceptforthesespecialsteels.Itisimportanttoestablishan
economicplateproductionrouteprovidingplateswithwarrantedhomogeneousHIC
resistance.

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Corrosionmechanisms

Oil&Gas

Thefirststeptohydrogeninducedcorrosiondamagesistheabsorptionofhydrogenbythe
steel.Basicconditionthereforeisacorrosionreactioninawetandsourenvironmentunder
presenceofH2Saspromoter.Thecorrosionreactioncreatesasourceofatomichydrogen
movingfreeinthesouratmosphere.Aftertheatomichydrogenisabsorbedinthesteelitwill
migratetoareassuchasimperfections

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orinclusionswhereitrecombinestoH2.Thismayleadtoenormouspressurescausing
cracks.TheprincipleofthedamagereactionisshownschematicallyinFig.1.
Amongthevarioustypesofdamagemechanismswhichcanbefoundinthepresenceof
H2SthemostlyunderstoodcaseisHIC.Cracksofthistypearemoreorlessparalleltothe
platesurfacewithsomesteps.Mostlytheyarelocatedinmidthicknesspositionoftheplate.
HydrogenBlisteringisaspecialcaseofHICduetothevicinityofthematerialsurface.

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HICtestingprocedure
TestspecimenscutfromtheplateinaccordancewiththetestmethodareexposedinaH2S
saturatedsolutionwithdefinedpHlevel.Afterexposureoftypically96hoursinthesolution
eachspecimenisequidistantlycutintothreecrosssections.Thesesectionsareinvestigated
afterpolishingfortheamountofcracksasshowninFig.2.
ThemostcommonspecificationforevaluationofHICsusceptibilityisNACETM02842003:
EvaluationofPipelineandPressureVesselSteelsforResistancetoHydrogenInduced
CrackingOrigin:1984forevaluationandcomparisonoftestresultsTestsolution:pH3
(solutionA)orpH5(solutionB)bothsaturatedwithH2STestspecimens:positiondimensions
andpreparationdefinedDuration:96hEvaluation:equidistantcuttingmetallographic
evaluationnoacceptancecriteriadefinedthesearetobeagreedbetweenpurchaserand
supplier.

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Specialproductionroute
AtDillingerHtteallHICresistantplatesbothforpressurevesselsandforlinepipeare
producedfollowingaspecialroutewhichensuresgoodmaterialpropertiesinregardtosour
serviceoperation.TheproductionrouteisappliedtoobtainahomogenousHICresistance
leveloverthewholeplateandconsistsofspecialtechnicaltreatmentsandimprovedquality
assurancemeasures(3).
ThevariousdifferentprocessesappliedinthesteelplantareshowninFig.3.Afterapre
desulphurisingthedecarburisationdenitrogenisationanddephosphorisationintheconverter
takeplace.Afterwardstheanalysisadjustmentisperformedintheladle.Inafirststep
togetherwithadjustmentoftemperatureoftheheatforlatercastingaroughadjustmentofthe
chemicalanalysisiscarriedout.
Subsequentlythefineadjustmentofthechemicalanalysisandtheremovalof
nitrogenhydrogenandsulphurarecarriedoutundervacuum.Oneofthemaintargetsin
castingbesidestoobtaintheinitialgeometryforrollingistoavoidsegregationsinthe
steel.Incontinuouscastingverticalcastertypesshowbestresultsinregardtohomogeneous
lowleveldistributionofnonmetallicinclusionsandsegregationswhichisessentialforHIC
resistantsteels.ThereasonisshowninFig.4.Inthecurvedcastertypetheinclusionsget
trapedatthesoliduslineinroughlyquarterthicknessoftheslab.Inverticalcastingthecast
strandwillonlybebentaftercompletesolidificationthisallowsnonmetallicinclusions
mostlyoxidesintheliquidsteeltofloattothesurface.Thecentrelinesegregationand
shrinkagecavitiescanbeminimisedbysoftreductionandexactalignmentoftherollsofthe
caster.IngotcastingisalsousedtoproduceHICresistantplates.
Platemakingprocess
Aftercastingtheslabswillbepreparedforthefollowingrollingprocessasegnotthewhole
lengthofthecaststrandcanbeusedforplateproduction.Reasonsthereforemaybeegso
calledcastingincidentsinfluencingthehomogeneityoftheslab.Thiscanoccurifoneofthe
largenumberofproductionparametersisoutofthespeciallyadjustedtargetvalue.Quality
assurancemeasureshavetobetakenatthebeginningandtheendoftheincidentrisk
range.
Afterbeingreheatedinthepusherfurnacestoalevelof1100to1250Ctheslabsarerolled
toplates.Theapplicationofthehighshapefactorrollingensuresacompletedeformation
eveninthecoreofthefinalplatebyusingveryhighformingforcesandcreatesa
homogenousmicrostructure.Afterhydrogeneffusionoftheplatethefinalstepintheplatemill
isthenormalising.HoweverthefullHICresistanceoftheplatecanonlybeobtainedaftera
stressrelievingtreatment.Asnormallytheplatesundergoastressrelievingafterweldingat
customer'sworkshopthisisusuallynotdoneinthemill.
TheeffectofthespecialproductionrouteontheproductpropertiesisshowninFig.5.Inthis
picturetheHICvaluesobtainedintheHICtestaccordingtoNACETM0284between
intentionallyproducedHICresistantplatesandplatesspecifiedwithsome(eglowsulphur...)
elementsofthespecialproductionroutearecompared.ThesesocalledPseudoHICplates
showaprobabilityofabout37percentforobtainingvaluesoflessthan2percentCLR
whereasplatesproducedfollowingtheentirespecialproductionroutearelikelytoobtain
CLRvaluesbelow2percentinapproximately88percentofthecases.Thismeansthatthe
specialrouteprovidesnotonlyclearlybetterresultsinregardtotheHICpropertiesbutalso
thedeliverytimesaresaferastheriskinfailingtheHICtestisverysmall.
ThemarketinHICresistantplatesiscomplexasalmosteveryoilandgascompanyaswell
asmajorengineeringcompaniesissuetheirownspecificationforHICresistantplates.Often
thesespecificationsincluderestrictionsforseveralproductionparameters.Specifying
productionparameterslikesulphurphosphoruscalciumtosulphurratioZ35propertiesandso
oninducesdifficultiesasthislimitsthepossibilityofspecialsteeldesign.

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Theresultofthispracticeisoftenenoughthatasteelwithalltherestrictionsand
homogenousHICresistancecannotbeproduced.Insteadofinterferingsteelproductionby
additionalprescriptionsitwouldbemorehelpfultogivefreedomforsteeldesigntothe
manufacturerandspecifyotheritems.IfHICresistantmaterialisneededtheresistancelevel
shallbespecifiedproperlytogetherwithamanufacturerswarrantyforhomogenousmaterial
propertiestoavoidPseudoHICmaterialtobeoffered.TheuseofPseudoHICplates
createsanadditionalriskinoperatinginstallationsasshowninFig.5.
ToofferbestservicetoendusersDillingerHtteisalwaysinterestedtobeincontactto
specificationwritersinordertogivesupportfrommanufacturer'ssideandtodiscuss
specifications.AdiscussionwithenduserssharingtheirexperiencesusingHICresistant
plateswouldalsobeveryfruitfulandnecessaryforthefurtherdevelopmentofthesesteel
types.WhoeverwantstodiscussthisshouldfeelfreetocontactDillingerHtte.
Apartfromspecificationsthemanufacturersfaceotherchallenges.Veryoftentherequested
quantitiesofHICresistantmaterialareverysmallandgodowntoasfewas20tperorder.If
youtakeintoconsiderationthateconomicsteelproductionisboundtolargecasting
sequencesitisclearthattherehavetobemeasurestoenablehighqualityproductionat
reasonablecost.Toalloweconomicalproductionacertainstandardinproductionwas
defined.Fig.6showssuchastandardisationforplatematerialforsourservice.
TheCLRCTRandCSRvaluesshowninFig.6canbeofferedasaverageofallthesections
examined.Howeverseveralspecificationsrequirethesevaluesasanaverageofthree
sectionsorevenassinglevaluesoutoftheinvestigationofonesection.Inthesecasesthe
technicalfeasibilitydecreasesasproductionriskincreases.
RecentinvestigationsshowedthatthestandardisedofferschemedisplayedinFig.6canbe
extended.Theprogressconcernsboththerollingofthickerplatesandimprovedcapabilities
inregardtoinvestigationsofsinglecrosssectionsorcrosssectionsfromonetestbar.Fig.7
showstheseextendedpossibilitiesofDillingerHtteGTS.Inadditiontothepublishedvalues
sofarDillingerHttenowoffersDICREST5materialuptoaplatethicknessof110mmandis
alsoabletoofferegCLRvaluesof10percentasanaverageofthreesectionsexaminedand
CLR15percentforsinglesectionexamination.Anyotheradditionalrequirementissubjectto
agreementbetweenDillingerHtteandthepurchaser.
AnotherchallengeamanufacturerfacesforHICresistantplatesistheurgentneedfor
materialincaseofinstallationbreakdown.Inthiscasetheuserimmediatelyneedsplates
fulfillingall(most)requirementsoftheinitialspecification.Theshortdeliveriesandsmall
orderbatchescannormallynotbemetbyamanufacturer.FortheseurgentcasesDillinger
HttetogetherwithAncoferWaldramSteelplatesintheNetherlandsandDillingerMiddleEast
intheUnitedArabEmiratesoffersHICresistantplatesfromstockwithastrongspecification
coveringalotofthemostcommonrequirements.ThismakesitpossibletogetHICresistant
platesevenwithshortdeliveriesincaseofemergency
Conclusion
H2Srelatedcrackingisrecognisedasadangerinthepetroleumindustryandthe
importanceoftheissueisgrowingasmoreandmoreequipmentoperatesundercriticalsour
serviceconditions.
ToobtainplateswithhomogenousHICresistanceoverthewholeproductaspecial
productionrouteisnecessary.Aplatemanufacturercanbefacedwithproblemsdueto
specificationsprescribingelementsoftheproductionroutebylimitingcertainparameters
suchascalciumtosulphurratioorphosphoruscontent.
Themorecustomersspecificationstakeinfluenceonthesteeldesignthemorethiscan
createdifficultiestoapplyanadaptedproductionroute.Thiscanleadalsotounnecessary
costincrease.ThebetterwaytospecifyHICresistantplatesistodefinetheacceptance
criteriaandthetestmethodandtospecifyamanufacturerscommitmenttoachievethis
minimumspecifiedtestcriterialevelhomogeneouslyoverthewholeplate.Themethodto
calculatetheHICacceptancecriteriameanshowtocalculatetheaveragevaluesstrongly
influencestheacceptancelevelforHICrequirementsastheproductionriskchanges
adequately.
DillingerHtteoffersstandardisedHICresistantDICRESTplatescoveringalargevarietyof
internationalsourservicespecifications.Itisalsopossibletoproducesuchplateswitha
tailormadedesignaccordingtoindividualcustomerneeds.
Enter57oratwww.engineerlive.com/iog
AnjaDemmerathGnterLuxenburgerMartinSteffenAndreasThiemearewithDillingerHtte
GTSDillingenSaarGermany.www.dillinger.de(http://www.dillinger.de)
"

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