Failure analysis of monel packing in atmospheric distillation tower under the service in the presence of corrosive gases

We have performed a failure analysis on a monel packing material subjected to sulfidation and sulfide stress cracking after a short period of service in an atmospheric distillation tower containing corrosive gases. Optical macroscopic inspections show that the failed packing material was basically covered with dark scales and corrosion products. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction spectrum show that the corrosion products contain sulfur as the main element along with oxygen indicating that oxidation may have been taken place beside sulfidation. Metallography of the failed samples reveals that cracks exist and were initiated on the surface from defects most likely developed due to the formation of porous and brittle sulfide layer accomplished by hydrogen embrittlement. Although nickel base alloys are an appropriate candidate owing to their high corrosion resistant in corrosive atmospheres, however, presence of H₂S, HCl, O₂ and naphthenic acid in crude oil lead to reduction in corrosion resistant of the monel 400 alloy.     

高通量填料在空分精馏中的开发应用

随着空分设备精馏塔的规模越来越大,推广应用高通量、低阻力、高效率的规整填料已成为空分行业发展的共识。介绍几种传统规整填料实现高通量性能的解决方案,提出高通量填料产品的结构设计与优化原理,分析高通量填料的试验性能,阐述高通量填料在空分设备中的典型应用场合。     

D210塔简体泄漏原因分析

采用化学成分分析、金相检验和断口分析等方法,对304L钢D210塔筒体泄漏原因进行了分析。结果表明：D210塔筒体泄漏原因是由于氯离子的存在而产生应力腐蚀开裂所致。由于敏感材料、应力腐蚀环境及应力三个条件共同存在,在一定温度下使其产生应力腐蚀裂纹,裂纹起始于筒体外壁角焊缝处,而后向内壁扩展,最终穿透筒壁,致使该塔筒体在角焊缝处产生破裂泄漏。     

甲酸钠尾气吸收塔失效分析

采用扫描电镜观察、力学性能检测、化学成分分析和残余应力测定等方法系统分析了甲酸钠尾气吸收塔发生泄漏的原因。结果表明：泄漏部位的腐蚀产物含有钠、氯等元素,同时泄漏部位存在残余应力偏高问题,在不断遭受腐蚀和工作应力的共同作用下产生应力腐蚀开裂,最终导致设备的失效。     

5083铝合金整体壁板耐腐蚀性能研究

铝合金整体壁板具有质量轻、耐腐蚀等特点,在国外已广泛应用在船舶建造上。本文研究了5083铝合金整体壁板的抗剥落腐蚀和应力腐蚀性能,对其耐腐蚀性能和机理进行了深入的探讨。结果表明,在铝合金整体壁板组织中β相沿加工方向成行,不连续分布,未在晶界上出现连续的β相网膜结构,因此整体壁板具有良好的耐腐蚀性能。     

1Cr18Ni9Ti不锈钢输油管道开裂原因分析

通过化学成分分析、宏观检验、金相检验和断口分析等方法对1Cr18Ni9Ti不锈钢液压油输送管道开裂原因进行了分析。结果表明:不锈钢管开裂为应力腐蚀开裂,裂纹起源于管道外壁并逐渐向内壁扩展;产生开裂的主要原因是工业水中氯、硫和氧等腐蚀性物质不断在钢管外壁沉积,在管道压力和腐蚀介质共同作用下,不锈钢管发生应力腐蚀开裂。     

球罐应力腐蚀开裂研究与安全性分析

对球罐应力腐蚀开裂的原因和主要影响因素进行了分析.针对16MnR和SPV50Q球罐用钢,在分析湿硫化氢环境下应力腐蚀开裂形式的基础上,通过改进的WOL预裂纹试样的应力腐蚀开裂试验,对不同球罐用钢、不同硫化氢浓度、不同焊接状态条件下的应力腐蚀开裂进行了研究,并对设备的安全性能进行了分析,进而提出了防止应力腐蚀开裂的对策.     

Stress corrosion cracking model in 7075 aluminium alloy

The stress corrosion cracking is a typical fracture process in metals and alloys. Among aluminium alloys, the 7075 alloy, presents a high performance in the mechanical properties but it is susceptible to stress corrosion cracking. This paper presents a semiempiric model of crack growth by stress corrosion cracking for the above alloy. This model only uses macroscopic parameters from fracture mechanic theory and experimental tests which are easy to obtain. The model quantifies the fissure rate related to environmental condition, microstructure and loading level, permitting the evaluation of the crack growth process at different environmental conditions and heat treatments. The model results are compared with the experimental data obtained. The theoretical model reproduces adequately the stress corrosion cracking process for the 7075 alloy.     

卡车轮胎气门嘴开裂分析

某卡车轮胎的铜合金气门嘴在使用1-3个月后部分发生开裂。采用宏观检验、化学成分分析、金相检验、硬度测试、断口分析及能谱分析等方法对气门嘴开裂的原因进行了分析。结果表明：气门嘴经过冷加工变形后没有去应力退火,在应力和环境介质的共同作用下,发生了应力腐蚀开裂。     

节温器开裂原因分析

通过断口分析、金相检验、腐蚀性能测定等方法对节温器壳体开裂的原因进行了分析。结果表明:节温器的开裂属于应力腐蚀开裂。引起应力腐蚀开裂的主要原因是节温器中作用于壳体内侧应力较高和含硫橡胶对黄铜壳体产生腐蚀。     

Resistance to stress corrosion cracking of unidirectional ECR-glass/polymer composites for high voltage composite insulator applications

Stress corrosion experiments were performed on unidirectional ECR-glass/polymer composites with the modified polyester, epoxy and vinyl ester resins for the use in high voltage composite insulator applications. Two types of ECR-glass fibers were investigated with low and high counts of gaseous inclusions (seeds) within the glass. The stress corrosion tests were performed in nitric acid under four point bending conditions and the resistance to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of the composites was determined for as-supplied and sandblasted surface conditions. In addition, the materials were analyzed for their micro-hardness and surface fiber exposure. The resistance to SCC of the ECR-glass/polymer composites was compared with that of the E-glass/polymer systems. It has been found that the ECR-glass fiber composites vastly out-perform their E-glass counterparts regarding their resistance to SCC in nitric acid. The stress corrosion data presented in this work should help composite insulator manufacturers in the selection of composite rod materials with substantially increased resistance to SCC to lower the number of brittle fracture failures among their products.     

Cracking analysis on joint lug of aluminum alloy framework of an airplane

An aluminum alloy joint lug of the framework of an airplane was found to have a crack near the bolt hole after serving for a period. To find out the failure mode and cause, macro and micro observation, microstructure examination, EDS analysis, chemical composition analysis and dimensional check were carried out. The results show that the failure mode of the joint lug is stress corrosion cracking under the co-effect of tensile stress and corrosive environment. The cracking of the surface anodic oxidation film near the bolt hole and the exposure of part of the bolt hole inner surface to air are the main causes for the stress corrosion cracking. In addition, the outer diameter of the steel sleeve inside the bolt hole exceeded the design requirement, which resulted in greater tensile stress near the bolt hole and promoted the stress corrosion cracking. The manufacturing procedure should be adjusted to avoid the cracking of anodic oxidation film, the uncovered part of the inner surface of the bolt hole should be covered, and the outer diameter of the steel inside the bolt hole should be controlled properly to meet the design requirement, so that stress corrosion cracking near the bolt hole can be avoided.     

Investigation into recurring military helicopter landing gear failure

The skid landing gear of a military helicopter failed while the helicopter was moored on the ground at the airport. The rear cross tube of the landing gear assembly was found fractured into two separated pieces. The fracture occurred in the right flange of the rear cross tube, where a connection with the spring tube is established using a clamp. The initial visual inspection of the fracture zone revealed a presence of heavy corrosion and significant damage of the anti-corrosion protective layer on the outer surface of the flange of the rear cross tube. Fractographic analysis highlighted corrosion as the main cause of the failure. Evidence was found to show that the fracture was initiated from corrosion pits located on the exterior, underside of the cylindrical part of the flange. Metallographic examination discovered corrosion pits with micro cracks and multiple branched secondary cracks in the crack origin area, indicating the occurrence of stress corrosion cracking. Chemical analysis of the corrosion deposits showed the presence of sodium, chlorine, calcium and sulfur. The stress analysis of the helicopter landing gear assembly, carried out by means of finite element method, confirmed that the crack origin was located at the area with the maximum tensile stress in the flange.     

Comparisons of 30Cr2Ni4MoV rotor steel with different treatments on corrosion resistance in high temperature water

Three different treatments, including the heat treatment, deep cryogenic treatment and laser surface melting, were carried out on the 30Cr2Ni4MoV rotor steel. Electrochemical polarization curve and stress corrosion test at the high temperature autoclave were employed to evaluate the corrosion resistance of treated specimens in high temperature water. Results indicate that the conventional heat treatment will increase the value of K_IH for specimens with the lower yield strength, and hence reduce the susceptivity of stress corrosion cracking. However, for the deep cryogenic treated specimen, no apparent improvement was observed on the hardness and corrosion resistance due to the limited carbon precipitate and austenite transformation. In comparison, the best corrosion resistance of laser treated specimens was gained among the three-method-treated specimens according to results of the electrochemical polarization tests at temperature of 90 °C. Nevertheless, some micro-cracks produced on the tensioned surface during the fabrication of self-loaded U-bend specimen due to the large deformation, and thus lead to a decreased stress corrosion cracking resistance in the environment of high temperature water.     

Micromechanics of dislocation channeling in intergranular stress corrosion crack nucleation

While driven by a combination of stress, a susceptible microstructure and an aggressive environment, the mechanistic origin of stress corrosion cracking remains poorly understood. The emergence of localized deformation as a key process in SCC has resulted in considerable experiment and simulation studies. The effectiveness of irradiation in localizing deformation into dislocation channels has provided a tool for studying the interaction between channels and grain boundaries. Experiment and simulation have shown that normal stress can be in excess of twice the applied stress and that cracking correlates well with the high normal stress. Shear stresses in the channel can add an additional component to the normal stress at the channel-boundary intersection. While the exact role of localized deformation in stress corrosion cracking is not yet full understood, it is known that the degree of localized deformation correlates well with SCC susceptibility. Further, both experiments and simulations indicate that cracks preferentially nucleate in grain boundaries that are perpendicular to the loading direction, are non-special high angle boundaries, are not oriented for easy deformation under the applied load, and are effective barriers to slip transmission. This paper will review recent progress in understanding the behavior of localized deformation and the impact on stress corrosion cracking.     

乙苯/苯乙烯分离塔塔顶分布器失效分析

采用宏观及微观观察、金相检验、化学成分分析、力学性能检测等方法分析了某乙苯/苯乙烯分离塔塔顶分布器发生开裂泄漏失效的原因。结果表明:由于分离塔设备工作介质中含有Cl~-,在腐蚀介质和应力的共同作用下,最终导致了分布器侧板的应力腐蚀开裂。最后提出了相应的改进建议及防护措施。     

The failure of an armour faced conveyor connector

The combined use of modern metallurgical techniques for fracture examination, laboratory test data and fracture mechanics calculations allows metallurgical failures to be examined in a quantitative manner. Complex load histories and environments can result in more than one sub-critical cracking mechanism occurring in a component. Quantitative understanding of the rate determining cracking process is a necessary prerequisite to rectifying the problem. The following case study describes a connector from an armour faced conveyor which failed in service. The failure investigation involved fractography, stress analysis, material property evaluation and fracture mechanics calculations. Fractographic evidence indicated a stress corrosion failure mechanism. Calculations of critical crack sizes showed that stress corrosion cracking alone could not account for the fracture. It was concluded that the failure was due to a sequence of three cracking processes which preceded unstable ductile fracture. Firstly, frictional heating caused rubbing or quench cracks typically 0.5–1 mm deep. Secondly, corrosion fatigue cracks grew several millimetres allowing the third fracture process, stress corrosion cracking, (SCC) to initiate and grow. In the situation described here, this process was much faster than corrosion fatigue. The influence of defect size due to rubbing cracks and the influence of K_ISCC have been compared with the corrosion fatigue life of the component. An increase in K_ISCC and hence critical defect size for SCC has been shown to increase the corrosion fatigue life of the component by a large factor. A change in design would also alleviate the problem of SCC by reducing the static stress, which is the driving force for SCC.     

电子显微分析技术在奥氏体合金应力腐蚀开裂研究领域中的应用

奥氏体合金广泛应用于核电领域。应力腐蚀开裂是核电材料主要的失效形式之一,奥氏体合金的应力腐蚀开裂关系到核电站的安全运行。综述了评估应力腐蚀开裂的试样方法以及运用现代电子显微分析技术表征应力腐蚀开裂的方法。对这些电子显微分析技术的优点进行了总结,并指出未来电子显微分析技术在应力腐蚀开裂研究中的发展方向。     

Stress corrosion cracking of AISI 321 stainless steel in acidic chloride solution

The stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of AISI 321 stainless steel in acidic chloride solution was studied by slow strain rate (SSR) technique and fracture mechanics method. The fractured surface was characterized by cleavage fracture. In order to clarify the SCC mechanism, the effects of inhibitor KI on SCC behaviour were also included in this paper. A study showed that the inhibition effects of KI on SCC were mainly attributed to the anodic reaction of the corrosion process. The results of strain distribution in front of the crack tip of the fatigue pre-cracked plate specimens in air, in the blank solution (acidic chloride solution without inhibitor KI) and in the solution added with KI measured by speckle interferometry (SPI) support the unified mechanism of SCC and corrosion fatigue cracking (CFC).     

弹壳开裂失效分析

对某型H68黄铜弹壳进行检查时发现大量弹壳存在裂纹。通过对弹壳进行宏观和微观观察、能谱分析、金相检验和残余应力测定等,分析了弹壳开裂的原因。结果表明:弹壳的开裂性质为应力腐蚀开裂,其原因是由于收口位置存在一定的残余拉应力,且该位置的晶粒尺寸较大,在外界介质的协同作用下产生了应力腐蚀裂纹。