Case Study of Steam Pipe Failure & Microscopic Examination
Mosbah Ali akrim
Industrial Research Center -Libya
[email protected]Abstract This paper is concerning with the state of corrosion caused the failure of carrier pipe elbow of three steam boilers where one of them run periodically to one of the production line units & it is evaluated by microscopic examination. The steps and actions that have been taken to study the document related to operating line and the date, duration and time for failure occur, where samples taken from the failure part and analysed for water input and output of boiler examined as well. The analysis of microscopic examination indicates that the corrosion caused by the dissolved oxygen in steam, which caused an intergranualr corrosion& stress corrosion cracking as well as.
Description
This case represented in a failure apart of the steam pipe line (elbow) connects the boiler(1)with three steam boilers that would be one boiler operation periodically and tube metal is a carbon steel diameter of 150mm and a thickness of 5 mm and operating pressure20 atmospheric pressure and at a temperature of 200 C and failure occur on04/08/1997and Figure(1) illustrates a diagram for failure part in the steam line.
Fig (1) shows the failure position
Visual Examination
the crack exists in the left side of the elbow in the form of a fish's mouth and there is a bulge in place of the crack is not regular. And after cutting the elbow section we find pitting corrosion near the open crack and some of them are deep and there are some crack sin the end of the open crack, as shown in Figure (2).
Fig (2) shows the shape of failure
Measurements & laboratory tests
Measurements Measurement Diameter elbow Thickness of elbow Length of rift Showing rift Object 150 mm 5 mm 140 mm 30 mm
Section thickness was measured by ultrasound and the results were as shown in Figure (3). And Figure (4) shows the length of the crack
Fig (3)
Figure (4) shows the length of the crack
Chemical analysis
Sample was taken it from the elbow part and analysis by metals spectrometer analyser and the results are shown in Table (2). Fe 22000 MO .0..00 Ti Cu Cr Ni S P Mn Si C Element
.0.0 .0.050 .0.000 .0.0. .0.000 .0.0.0 .0500 .0..00 .00..0 Percentage
Table (2)
Microscopic Examination
Samples were taken from the elbow sections shown in Figure No. (5) it was next to the crack samples and gradually away to note how spread the crack. Microscopic examination of the samples show that the structure of the metal is a ferrite and perlite.
the petting corrosion effect on the internal structure of the metal and found that there is an extension of the petting Deol attack Perlite body was extend to ferrite as on fig (6).
Corrosion caused by the dissolved oxygen in steam, which caused an intergranualr Corrosion& Stress Corrosion Cracking as well as.
Fig (5)
Fig (6)a
Fig(6)b
Discussion of Results
Through field visits and examination of the place of the failure it is close to the boiler No(1). It is out of work since the three years and this indicates there is no flow of steam in this part and there is valve control for the passage of steam from the boiler (1) to the main line and the crack on the side of the elbow and this causes the failure is not from erosion.
It is by measuring the thickness of the sample in several different locations next to the crack away from it showing that there is a difference in the readings at many locations ranging from (4.1 to 5.3mm) the originally thickness 5mm increase Statistics of a layer of oxidation on the sample. When cutting the sample and make chemical analyses and microscopic examination to study the micro structure Of the metal and determine the cause of the failure also we noted that there the pitting corrosion in deferent places. Within this segment making a difference readings the thickness found in some places the depth of petting to (0.9 mm) as noted the presence of petting in the centre of the crack and this shows it does not reduce the
thickness of the sample resulted in the failure. At study of the micro structure of some of the samples taken from the failure part shows that the micro structure of metal is a perlite the base of ferrite with no difference on grain size. It was noted that corrosion petting extends to the perlite phase then ferrite corrosion caused by the dissolved oxygen in steam, which caused an intergranualr corrosion& stress corrosion cracking as well as. Through chemical analysis that the metal low-carbon steel to be considered on the metal caused by the presence of dissolved oxygen in the steam which cause the corrosion.
Conclusion
The failure of part of the main steam pipe line from boilers to production unite
Is a present of the oxygen gas has resulted in the presence of petting which the reason for the weakness in the metal with an increase in temperature and pressure resulted in this failure. There is no change in the thickness of the metal, except at the point of petting. No change on microstructure of the metal. Through chemical analysis of the sample the pipes used in steam lines according the specification standard.
REFERENCES
1. Aman company Document for steam unite . 2. Metallography and Microstructures, Vol 9, ASM Handbook, 2004 3. ASM Handbook, Volume 13, Corrosion 2006. 4. Corrosion grope , " case study for failure analysis for boiler and steam pipes on Libya tobacte company"
