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Paper 3
Authors:
Maria Hugosson, Sandvik Materials Technology
Jo Eijkenboom, Stamicarbon
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
Table of Contents
Page:
1. Abstract .......................................................................................................................2
2. Introduction..................................................................................................................3
3. Development of several Duplex grades ending in Safurexâ ........................................4
4. Quality requirements ...................................................................................................5
5. Mechanical properties .................................................................................................7
6. 475°C embrittlement....................................................................................................8
6.1 Base Materials .......................................................................................................8
6.2 Weld deposits ........................................................................................................8
7. Safurexâ welding .........................................................................................................9
8. Design consequences ...............................................................................................10
8.1 Liners ...................................................................................................................10
8.2 Heat Exchanger tubes..........................................................................................12
8.2.1. HP Stripper, HP Carbamate Condenser and HP Scrubber tubes.................12
8.2.2 Heat exchanger tubes for Pool condenser / Pool reactor ..............................14
9. Side effects when using SafurexÒ..............................................................................15
9.1.Tubesheet thickness ............................................................................................15
9.2. Bellows design ....................................................................................................15
10. HP piping .................................................................................................................16
11. Miscellaneous products ...........................................................................................19
11.1 Forgings .............................................................................................................19
11.2 Plates .................................................................................................................19
11.3 HP Piping bends ................................................................................................19
11.4. HP Pipe flanges ................................................................................................20
11.5 Valves and accessories .....................................................................................21
12. In plant test results of Safurexâ ..............................................................................23
12.1 HP Carbamate Condenser in the El Delta Urea Plant........................................23
12.2 The HP Carbamate Condenser in the Police Urea Plant, Poland. .....................23
12.3.1. HP Stripper in the UF-2 DSM Urea plant....................................................24
12.3.2. Liquid distributors in Ultrafertil, Brazil Stripper............................................24
13. Practical experience with equipment fabricated in Safurexâ...................................25
14. Safurexâ in oxygen free carbamate solution...........................................................26
15. Safurexâ in oxygen reduced carbamate solutions ..................................................27
15.1 Shiraz Urea Plant, Iran.......................................................................................27
15.2 Profertil’s urea plant, Argentina..........................................................................27
15.3 HP Stripper in the Shiraz Urea plant ..................................................................29
15.4 Exposure test of SafurexÒ in a Snamprogetti designed plant.............................30
16. Future developments...............................................................................................31
17. Economical consequences ......................................................................................32
18. Conclusions .............................................................................................................33
All technical and other information contained herein is based on general Stamicarbon/DSM experience and within this limit is
accurate to the best of our knowledge. However, no liability is accepted therefor and no warranty or guarantee is to be inferred.
1.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
1. Abstract
In 1992 Stamicarbon and Sandvik met to discuss a new material to be developed for
use in urea plants. Following goals were set:
10 years later, after successful research and development and elaborate experiments
and in plant experiences, the conclusion is that all goals have been realized and that
this material has even gone beyond our expectations. SafurexÒ (Stamicarbon A-4
18005 type BE.06) is a duplex stainless steel grade exclusively developed by Sandvik
for the Stamicarbon urea and melamine process.
This paper reviews the development and shows the success of SafurexÒ. Since 1997
several SafurexÒ HP heat exchangers have been fabricated successfully. At this
moment a plant is under construction whereby the complete synthesis is made from
SafurexÒ.
2.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
2. Introduction
In 1992, both Stamicarbon and Sandvik met for their annual meeting in which ongoing
developments with respect to material, weld deposits and corrosion aspects in the field
of urea were discussed and experiences were exchanged.
In that particular meeting, the idea to use a duplex as alloy protection was discussed.
Stamicarbon indicated that it should be possible to design a urea plant that could run
without oxygen using duplex material as alloy protection.
In practice, it was already proven that duplex alloys in urea application showed good
corrosion resistance and that it should in theory be possible to develop a Duplex
Stainless Steel that would meet that demand.
A fore cast of the needed alloying elements was indicated and goals were set. The
development of the material should finally result in a material that would show following
objectives:
3.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
In order to find the right material composition and to ensure the reproducibility of the
material some 20 different heats were made in a laboratory high frequency furnace. The
first discrimination was done on bar and tube samples.
In first instance, it was agreed to check the quality from corrosion point of view with the
Huey test and the Streicher test.
· The heats that had a homogeneous microstructure and a low level of impurities
exhibited good corrosion resistance in the Huey test, the Streicher test and in
field tests
· Samples, selectively attacked in the Streicher test also showed selective attack
in the field test. The Huey test was not showing any selective attack in parallel
samples. These observations were for us reason to use the Streicher test as the
quality test.
· The structure stability was tested and confirmed to be stable under critical
conditions.
Out of the test results, the optimum alloy composition was selected; this material was
named SafurexÒ. In the subsequent years only slight improvements in the composition
were made. To date, SafurexÒ does not differ from the heat produced in first instance.
The first produced commercial SafurexÒ heat is now present in urea equipment and
proves to be of excellent quality in urea/carbamate solutions.
4.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
4. Quality requirements
The use of a Ferrite scope appears not to be practical. Unreliable figures will appear.
The philosophy is that in case of base materials Point counting will be done and when
welding, the Ferrite content of the Procedure Qualification Welding (PQR) will be
checked for its ferrite content by Point Counting and in the mean time also the correct
microstructure will be ensured.
Subsequent, welding should be done in accordance with the weld parameters as used
in the procedure qualification welding.
It was learned that the execution of the standard ASTM Streicher test gave rise to many
discussions. For that reason, we have developed our own Specification for Streicher
testing.
5.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
In order to have comparable results, the test should only be executed as per this
specification. The quality of the various SafurexÒ products proves to be very stable.
The material is recognized in the ASME system under UNS 32906 and applied as per
ASME Code Case 2295.
6.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
5. Mechanical properties
The mechanical properties are unambiguously better than any other alloy protection in
use in urea plants so far.
7.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
6. 475°C embrittlement
At 100°C, the toughness is on the low side while at operating conditions the ductility is
secured as can be learned from figure 2; the toughness is fully OK using 27 Joule is
applied as the lower limit.
Besides the mechanical aspects, also the corrosion resistance is of importance.
Investigations show that the corrosion resistance of Safurex® decreases if the material
is exposed to temperatures of 4000 C for more than 15hours.
8.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
7. Safurexâ welding
The experience with the first ever Pool Condenser in SafurexÒ welded confirms this
statement. This Pool condenser has 1,202 U-tubes. In total 2,404 IBW weld were made,
after some initial fine tuning, the number of repairs did not differ from IBW welds made
in BC.05 materials.
It is also important to recognize that, in spite of the fact that this was the first time that
SafurexÒ IBW welds were made in production, the welding was completed in 41 days.
This figure is in line with IBW welds in BC.05 material.
9.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
8. Design consequences
The use of Safurex® as construction material has a positive impact on the design of the
equipment. Due to the lower corrosion rates and the higher mechanical properties the
following main items have been changed in detail but with large consequences.
8.1 Liners
Liners in Stamicarbon Urea plants were typically specified in A4-18005 BC.01
(316 L Urea Grade) material. Since the liner is not part of the pressure vessel, its
thickness should be enough to obtain a reasonable life time and to operate the
equipment in a practical way. Stamicarbon specifies that the limitation with respect to
the lifetime of the liner is the risk for buckling (as a result of difference in thermal
expansion between the construction materials used) in combination with the overall
corrosion during operations.
10
BC.05
8
4
Safurex®
2
0
1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500
Diameter [mm]
On top of the strength calculation, a corrosion allowance of 2-mm was added in order to
obtain an acceptable lifetime of a BC.01 liner. Finally, the thickness was adapted to
commercial available thicknesses.
10.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
Subjecting SafurexÒ to the design criteria, taking in mind the high mechanical properties
in combination with the good corrosion resistance of Safurex® and the fact that the
thermal expansion coefficient of SafurexÒ is identical to that of Carbon steel, allowed us
to specify a liner thickness of 4-mm for all conditions resulting in a corrosion allowance
of plus 3-mm.
Table 4 shows the difference in liner thickness comparing two materials.
A corrosion rate of 0.1-mm per year on stream for BC.01 liner while for the SafurexÒ
liner a corrosion rate of 0.05-mm was taken into account.
The diameter of the reactor in this example was 3,000-mm.
Expected
Thickness inclusive
Minimum required Thickness liner
Materials corrosion allowance,
thickness, mm advised, mm life time,
mm
years
6.63 8.63 9 34
BC.01
0.34 4 4 > 50
Safurexâ
The consequence is a reduction in material cost for the liner of some 35%, while the
lifetime of the liner is more than doubled. This is made visible in figure 4.
4
BC.01 BE.06
3
Over thickness liner, mm
0
Year
11
14
17
20
23
26
29
32
35
38
41
44
47
50
53
56
59
2
-1
-2
-3
Year Onstream
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10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
For plant operations the minimum design wall thickness is not of interest. Important are
the actual operating pressure and temperature in order to determine when a tube
should be plugged.
Such calculation method has however to be accepted by the local authorities. This
method can only be used if, in its lifetime no pressure test conditions based on design
conditions are mandatory by the authorities.
Table 2. Miminum tube wall thickness in relation to the materials and tube dimensions
as per ASME VIII, div.1, Pressure 160 bar.
Material
Outer diameter
BC.01, mm BC.05, mm Safurex® , mm
na 1.71 1.00
31-mm, T 2250C
For plant operations a different wall thickness is conclusive. The advised minimum
allowable wall thickness of the heat exchanger tubes when checked by eddy current,
based on operating conditions can be learned from table 3.
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10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
Table 3. Miminum tube wall thickness in relation to the materials and tube dimensions
under operating conditions, pressure 145 bar.
Material
Outer diameter
BC.01, mm BC.05, mm Safurex® , mm
na 1.45 0.70
31-mm, T 2140C
The high mechanical properties of SafurexÒ result in a low minimum wall thickness, this
in combination with the allowance enables the use of HP Stripper tubes, with a wall
thickness of nominal 2.5-mm compared to 3-mm in BC.05 material.
The net effect of the reduction in wall thickness of 0.5-mm compared to the wall
thickness specified in BC.05 material is a longer lifetime as shown in figure 5.
An additional advantage is that the reduction in tube wall thickness results in a larger
inner diameter of the heat exchanger tube improving the heat exchange performance
and in turn having an impact on the dimensions and finally on the weight of the
equipment.
2 .5
2 B C.05 B E.06
1 .5
Extra wall thickness, m
0 .5
0
Year
11
23
32
41
44
2
14
17
20
26
29
35
38
47
-0 .5
-1
-1 .5
-2
-2 .5
-3
Years On strea m
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10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
Material
Wall thickness
BC.05, mm Safurex® , mm
1.45 0.70
31-mm, T 2140C
1.00 0.50
25-mm, T 1870C
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10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
When using SafurexÒ, additional savings in the design of equipment are possible,
9.1.Tubesheet thickness
The higher mechanical properties of the heat exchanger tube leads also to a reduction
in tubesheet thickness. When calculating these tubesheets in accordance with the
Standards of the Tubular Exchanger Manufacturers Association TEMA, a reduction of
some 25 % in thickness is achieved.
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10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
10. HP piping
The use of a lower schedule has a big impact on the weight of the HP Piping as can be
learned from table 5.
16.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
Not only the schedule will be different, but also the pipe size can be down scaled. This
is possible at sizes of 12” and more. The inner diameter of the tubes changes
dramatically; then, one pipe size less can be used and still having the same internal
pipe surface as can be learned from table 6.
These tables are typical pipe sizing for a 3,250 mtpd tons Pool condenser Urea plant.
All these advantages are having a large consequence on the HP Piping. For a typical
3,250 mtpd plant, the consequences have been listed in tables 7 & 8.
17.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
From these tables it is obvious that a weight saving of more than 50% is achieved and
that the costs as a consequence thereof are reduced by a factor 2.5.
Also the other piping components have the same type of savings.
18.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
The fact that Stamicarbon designs a full SafurexÒ Synthesis leads to the request to
Sandvik to deliver product shapes that are not in the delivery program of Sandvik.
For that reason other specialized fabricators were approached to deliver product forms
needed. Sandvik has exclusive supply agreements with these companies. In order to
ensure the quality of these products, Sandvik does market these products and tests
these materials as per the Stamicarbon specifications.
11.1 Forgings
The availability of forgings required to
manufacture in an economical way
products has been guaranteed in that
several forging mills have an agreement
with Sandvik to forge for them the
requested shapes. All however under
strict control and via Sandvik.
Photo 6. Forging
11.2 Plates
Since 1998 plates in SafurexÒ have been produced. These plates are fabricated by
Industeel. The responsibility and quality assurance and Quality Control is in hands of
Sandvik
19.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
The cost for the connectors in a typical 3,250 mtpd tons urea plant is only some 55%
compared with ANSI flanges with Lens ring joints
A 4” pipe connector was installed in the outlet pipe line of the HP carbamate pump of a
Stamicarbon urea plant. After 6 months in service the connector was opened and
inspected. An inspection after dismantling showed the connector as being not used at
all. No corrosion was found at the SafurexÒ mating faces of the flanges and seal ring.
The seal ring has been replaced by a new one and the used seal ring is now with
Stamicarbon.
20.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
The advantage of this joint is cost savings but of more in importance is the savings on
maintenance costs and the reliability of this joint.
21.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
The design of a SafurexÒ valve is such that the body will be made from SafurexÒ and
the spindle can be made from a normal 22.05 (BE.03) duplex material. The
consequence of this will be that maintenance in the future will be such that only the
stem has to be replaced.
22.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
· The Safurex® overlay and liner reveal a peRFTt corrosion behavior, no sign of
any corrosion was observed.
· The remote field eddy current measurements (RFT) did not show any corrosion
in the tubes; the findings matched those of the base line measurements executed
when building the equipment.
23.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
The tubes have been extensively examined by both Stamicarbon and Sandvik. The
results of this investigation can be summarized as follows,
Metallurgical examination.
After the Remote Field Eddy Current measurements, the Safurex® heat exchanger
tubes were metallurgical examined. The protruded tube ends showed a smooth surface.
The area influenced by corrosion is identical with the area as found for the BC.05 tubes.
(Upper 3 meter of the heat exchanger tube). It was also observed that the overall
corrosion proceeds via the austenite phase. The wall thicknesses as measured by RFT
technique were confirmed.
24.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
1997
• HP Scrubber: DSM Holland
1998
• HP Carbamate Condenser: El Delta, Egypt
• HP Carbamate Condenser: Police, Poland
1999
• HP Stripper: Agrium, Canada
• HP Carbamate Condenser: Petfurdo, Hungary
2000
• High efficiency reactor trays: Shiraz, Iran
2001
• HP Stripper: Shiraz, Iran
• HP Carbamate Condenser: Razi, Iran
• Siphon Jet reactor trays: SKW, Piesteritz Germany
• HP Carbamate Condenser: El Delta, Egypt
• HP Carbamate Condenser: Dneproazot, Ukraine
2002
• Siphon Jet reactor trays: SKW, Piesteritz Germany
• HP carbamate Condenser ABF, Malaysia
• HP Stripper ABF, Malaysia
• HE-trays: ABF, Malaysia
• Several (control) valves Agrium, Canada
• HP Control valve ABF, Malaysia
• HP pipe lines Agrium, Canada
• HP Stripper Asaluyeh, Iran
• Poolcondenser Asaluyeh, Iran
• Reactor Asaluyeh, Iran
• HP Scrubber Asaluyeh, Iran
2003
• Siphon Jet reactor trays: SKW, Piesteritz Germany
• HP Stripper SAFCO, Saudi Arabia
• Poolcondenser SAFCO, Saudi Arabia
• Reactor SAFCO, Saudi Arabia
• HP Scrubber SAFCO, Saudi Arabia
• HP Piping SAFCO, Saudi Arabia
• Valves & accessoiries SAFCO, Saudi Arabia
• Siphon Jet Reactor trays: ABF, Malaysia
• HP Piping ABF, Malaysia
• HP Piping Reactor- HP Scrubber Agrium, Canada
2004
• Reactor: QAFCO, Qatar
• Siphon Jet reactor trays QAFCO, Qatar
• HP Stripper SAMAD, Saudi Arabia
• PoolReactor NINGXIA, P.R. China
• HP Stripper NINGXIA, P.R. China
25.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
The most challenging goal is to produce urea in an oxygen free urea plant by using
Safurex®. Numerous tests conducted under laboratory conditions show indeed that
Safurex® remains passive under oxygen free conditions.
The tests have been conducted with carbamate solutions at Urea reactor conditions
temperature 1830C and up. The results of this test are shown in table 9..
Safurexâ 0.03 5
The behavior of different materials which can be used in the HP Synthesis when using
oxygen to passify and the effect when reducing the oxygen content can be learned from
figure 6. It shows clearly that all known materials so far cannot maintain their passivity
and high (and active or transpassive) corrosion is the result. Only Safurex® shows no
reaction when lowering the oxygen content. The corrosion rate remains constant.
100
BC.01
BC.05
SAF 2205
Safurex®
Corrosion mm/year
10
1
0.0 0.1 0.5 1.0 10.0 100.0
0.1
0.01
PPM Oxygen
26.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
The consequence of this large HP Stripper, operating at current (low) capacity would be
that a uniform liquid distribution could not be achieved (turn down ratio). An irregular
distribution would lead to heavy corrosion of the heat exchanger tubes, resulting in
serious damage to the Stripper if BC.05 heat exchanger tubes would be installed.
This Stripper was never installed in the plant were it was designed for.
Presently this Stripper is operating in the Profertil plant in Argentina. In April 2003, it
replaced the Snamprogetti stripper that failed due to heavy corrosion problems which
caused the plant to shut down very frequently.
With the Stamicarbon Safurex® Stripper the plant is now in operation since beginning
May 2003. The stripper runs at the desired load to full satisfaction. The stripper bottom
temperature is 204.5 0C and the total oxygen fed as air to the synthesis is 0.45 % of the
CO2 feed to the synthesis. This air is partially fed into the bottom of the HP Stripper.
Stamicarbon performed an inspection of this HP Stripper in March 2004. The results are
impressive as can be learned from the inspection results,
27.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
Photo 14. Top cover with lifting lug Photo 15. Liner surface of top cover
The tubes in the top tube sheet and the tube-to-tubesheet welds are as new, no sign of
any corrosion could be observed in the tube ends in spite of mal distribution and taking
into consideration that a gap was present between the ferrule and the
tube end, see photo’s
'
In the bottom part of this HP Stripper the most severe conditions are present due to the
high temperature, but also here SafurexÒ behaved quite well.
It can be concluded that, in spite of the higher temperatures and the fact that the liquid
distribution in this HP Stripper which was modified to suit Snamprogetti's process is
poor, the SafurexÒ still shows good corrosion resistance and the overall corrosion rate
measured is more or less identical with the corrosion rate measured after one year of
operations in the DSM HP Stripper viz. 0.08-mm per year.
28.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
Photo 19. BC.05 flange face after leak Photo 20. Safurexâ flange face after leak
When opening the leaking flange it appeared however that even though the 316
serrated gasket was badly corroded, the Safurex® flange faces did not show any
corrosion; after some slight brushing in order to remove the corrosion product
originating from the gasket, a new gasket could be installed and the plant could be
started, see figures 19 & 20.
29.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
30.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
It is scheduled that in 2004 a new Stamicarbon Pool condenser plant with a capacity of
3,250 mtpd designed with only HP SafurexÒ equipment will go into production.
The equipment has been fabricated without problems. Here the oxygen content can
also be reduced quite significant.
The ultimate test, to run a commercial urea plant without oxygen is near. At this
moment, the fabrication of the components for a urea plant build all in Safurex® is on
going. This 3,250 mtpd urea plant is build for Safco and is planned to go into production
in the year 2005. This will be the first commercial Urea plant that can operate without
the supply of any oxygen.
31.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
32.
10th Stamicarbon Urea Symposium
10 - 13 May 2004, Scheveningen
18. Conclusions
· SafurexÒ is a proven construction material that has kept all the promises we had on
our list. Many references achieved since 1992 show that the corrosion properties are
supreme.
· All parts that need to be fabricated for a SafurexÒ Urea Plant are proven and also
proven is the fact that the equipment is less expensive. Besides this, maintenance
becomes easier and longer operating period between shut downs are possible. The
operation of the Urea plant is easier and one can operate with less care.
· SafurexÒ contributes to Plant safety and reliability. It will at the end result in lower
production costs.
· Even in existing Urea plants the oxygen content can be lowered. The use of SafurexÒ
in non Stamicarbon urea plants confirm this statement.
· Tests in these plants show also that the limits with respect to maximum operating
temperatures are shifted and are higher than with any other material currently used in
commercial operating Urea plants.
· SafurexÒ will keep the urea world moving and more papers about the success of
SafurexÒ will for sure follow but then about the operational achievements.
33.