Autoklaven-Untersuchungen der Spannungsrißkorrosion von Fe-Cr-Ni-Legierungen in NaCl/Co2/H2S-Medien

Autoclave investigation of stress corrosion cracking behaviour of Fe-Cr-Ni alloys in NaCl/CO₂/H₂S-environment In oil and gas production, the corrosion problems increase as the depth of the reservoirs increases. The oil and gas products contain chloride-rich waters and mixtures of H₂S and CO₂ at high pressures and temperatures. Materials that can be used under these conditions are only high strength high alloy steels and nickel base alloys. These materials must be assessed for corrosion resistance under these conditions. The environment contain chloride ions and hydrogen sulphide, which are known to be critical components for SCC. With the aid of autoclave experiments, the fields of corrosion resistance for the materials no. 1.4462, 1.4563 and 2.4618 were determined as a function of temperature and hydrogen sulphide pressure. The base environment was a 5 Molar sodium chloride solution at 20 bar carbon dioxide. While the corrosion resistance of the duplex steel, material no. 1.4462, decreases markedly as the strength of the material and the hydrogen sulphide pressure increase, the two austenitic materials are completely resistant up to 300 °C and hydrogen sulphide pressure of 15 bar. Only at 300 °C and high partial pressures of hydrogen sulphide the material no. 1.4563 did fail, when stressed to stress levels higher than the YS. The crack path was predominantly transgranular with minute fractions of intergranular cracking. The microstructure appears to have no effect. All results indicate that a mixed mechanism of hydrogen- and chloride induced SCC is operting, while a corrosion enhancement due to interaction of both critical components takes place.     

Occurrence of the mycotoxins ochratoxin A, zearalenone and deoxynivalenol in feed components.

The mycotoxin contamination of feed components used by the Dutch cooperative feed industry was surveyed to estimate the risk for animal production losses. Of 89 randomly and 6 selectively taken samples of raw materials harvested in 1988 and 1989 27% were contaminated with ochratoxin A (OCHRA), 31% with zearalenone (ZEA) and 20% with deoxynivalenol (DON). The mean content (microgram/kg) of all positive randomly taken samples was 18 (OCHRA), 62 (ZEA) and 630 (DON). The highest level (microgram/kg) for all samples was 120 (OCHRA) in barley, 3100 (ZEA) in corn cob mix and 1900 (DON) in maizegluten feed. The results of this survey show that feed components are often contaminated with mycotoxins. However, the contamination level could only sporadically cause production losses in animal husbandry.     

Survey of animal livers for vitamin A content.

Retail samples of livers from calf (23), ox (18), lamb (17), pig (15), chicken (16) and turkey (1) were analysed to determine levels of vitamin A (all trans-retinol) and to aid assessment of the effects of using vitamin supplemented compound feedingstuffs for livestock. For comparison, 22 liver samples from lambs reared on diets not containing vitamin-supplemented compound feedingstuffs and four samples of liver from ox which had received supplemented feed but not during the last four months prior to slaughter were also analysed. The chosen method of analysis utilized saponification, solvent extraction and normal-phase high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. For all species analysed, the levels of vitamin A ranged from 10 to 1100 mg/kg, with all but seven at or below 400 mg/kg. For lamb and ox livers, the mean levels were 310 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg respectively for retail samples. The mean levels were 220 mg/kg (lamb) and 120 mg/kg (ox) in liver samples from animals fed controlled diets. The results are of the same order as those reported over recent years.     

Determination of total non-sulphonated aromatic amines in soft drinks and hard candies by reduction and derivatization followed by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Utilizing elements of methodology developed previously for food colours, total free and bound non-sulphonated aromatic amines (NSAA) were determined in commercial samples of soft drink beverages and hard candies. Bound amines in the samples were reduced using sodium dithionite, then total NSAA were extracted into chlorofom, transferred to aqueous acid solution and diazotized with sodium nitrite before coupling with 2-naphthol-3,6-disulphonic acid, disodium salt (R-salt). The coloured derivatives were analysed using reversed-phase ion pair high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and an absorbance detector set at 512 nm. Solid phase extraction cartridges were utilized for extraction and clean-up of the food colours present in the sample, and the concentration of each dye was determined quantitatively using HPLC and absorbance detector wavelengths of 426, 516 or 625 nm. Levels of total NSAA were compatible with those observed previously in food colours. Commercial soft drinks were found to contain (expressed in terms of total free plus bound NSAA in the beverage) 0.19-12.6 ng/ml of aniline, 0.83-8.25 ng/ml 1-naphthylamine and 0.62-1.12 ng/ml 2-naphthylamine. Levels of 0.66-9.15 ng/g of aniline and 2.48-10.6 ng/g 1-naphthylamine were found in commercial samples of hard candies. Bound NSAA in hard candies appeared to survive the manufacturing process. Recoveries averaged 96.9% for tartrazine and 89.6-97.2% for the bound amines when hard candies were prepared in the laboratory.     

Development of a current detection type cable fault locator

A cable fault location instrument based on the detection of traveling wave currents was developed. It is different from the conventional pulse radar method based on voltage detection. Measurement is automated, and the distance to the fault point is displayed by merely pushing a switch. In a branched or crossbonded line, the fault point can be located without interference from the branched or the crossbonded point. Tests performed in both real and simulated lines confirmed the practical utility of this instrument