P91 Piping

Fabrication Guidelines
David Buzza
American Electric Power
Combined Cycle Users Conference
October 31, 2011
History
Grade 91 was developed for high temperature
service. Allowable stress of P91 is 2.5 times
greater than P22 at 1080F.
Grade 91 approved by ASME B&PV Code
Section I and VIII in 1983-1984.
Grade 91 has been in service since the 1990s
for retrofits of traditional fossil plants, new
supercritical plants and new combined cycle
plants.
Most Common Fabrication Issues with
P91 Identified by Inspection
Target Hardness
Components = 190-250 Hb
Welds = 190-280Hb
Small Bore (</= 4 inch)
Hard Components
Hard Socket Welds
Soft Components
Large Bore (>4 inch)
Hard Attachment Welds
Soft Components (mostly elbows)


P91 Fabrication Issues Hard
Components
ASME A335 specifies max
allowable hardness of 250Hb.
Risks - Overload or creep
failure due to improper
metallurgy
HP stop valve before seat
drain line failure had hardness
of 318-351Hb.
Plant X - identified 4 small
bore pipe sections (330-
390Hb).
Plant Y identified 13 large
and small bore components
(316-366Hb)
HP Stop Valve Before Seat
Drain Line Failure
Failure
Drain Line
P91 Fabrication Issues Hard
Socket Welds & Attachment Welds
AEP P91 Fabrication
specifies less than 280Hb
weld hardness
Risks - Cracking due to
SCC or lack of toughness
Plant X 30 of 300
socket welds (300-
417Hb)
Plant Y 76 of 773
socket welds (300-
437Hb)
Plant Y 34 of 94
attachment welds (315-
439Hb)

Socket
Weld
Pipe
Elbow
P91 Fabrication Issues Soft
Components
AEP P91 Fabrication
Standard specifies
hardness of >190Hb.
Risks shortened
creep life due to
improper metallurgy.
Plant X and Y
identified numerous
components with
hardness of <165Hb
Metallurgy
P22 P91
Base Metal Ferrite / Pearlite Martensite
Welding Bainite microstructure.
Hardness = 280Hb
Martensite microstructure.
Hardness = 400Hb
PWHT Stress relieving (weld
shrinkage) and tempering
hardness.
Bainite transforms to ferrite
Hardness = 200Hb
Stress relieving, tempering
hardness and formation of
precipitates
Martensite must be maintained
Hardness = 250Hb
If PWHT is above LCT, then
microstructure remains the
same.
If PWHT is above the LCT, then
microstructure changes
drastically and component can
become soft or hard.
LCT = Lower Critical Temperature
Improper PWHT is the Root Cause
for P91 Fabrication Issues
Fabrication Issue Root Cause
Hard Components PWHT temperature exceeded LCT
followed by rapid cooling.
Hard Welds PWHT temperature at the weld
never reached hold temperature.
Soft Components PWHT temperature exceeded LCT
followed by slow cooling.
Or
PWHT hold time is excessive.
PWHT Demonstration I
Hold Temperature > LCT
2 Sch 160 P91 Pipe, Hold Time =3 hours
Code Hold Temperature =1350-1425F
Lower Critical Temperature =1475-1575F
After PWHT target =190-250Hb
PWHT Demonstration II
Hold Temperature > LCT
Monitoring
TC
Control
TC
1. Thermocouple (TC)
2. Heating Beads
3. Insulation & Cook
PWHT Demonstration II Chart
1400F
1200F
1600 F
Both socket
welds hold at
1430 F
One Pipe T
peaks at
1728 F
Other Pipe &
Elbow remain
under 1430 F
1800 F
2 Hr
PWHT Demonstration II Final
Hardness, Hb
Low hardness -
pipe temperature
exceeded lower
critical
temperature
Good hardness
- pipe & elbow
temperature
remained below
lower critical
temperature
Hardness Target =
190-250Hb
Waterford Drain Pipe Fabrication
Material 2 inch
socket welded, P91
pipe spools.
Pipe spools were
fabricated in shop
then shipped for
install.
Shop PWHT
Furnace
Induction

Spool
installation
Drain Pipe Fabrication
Furnace PWHT
Temperature chart
showed that target
temperature and hold
time were met.
Final hardness check
showed 100 of 170 welds
to be hard.
Conclusion furnace
temperature did not
accurately reflect the
actual weld temperature
during heat treating.



Furnace layout of spools
Drain Pipe Fabrication
Induction PWHT
Additional thermocouples,
TCs were added.
Temperature chart of
pipe, elbow and weld
showed that target
temperature and hold
time were met.
Final hardness check
showed that all 28 welds
were properly heat
treated.
Conclusion Proper heat
treatment results in good
hardness readings.

Keys to Proper Fabrication of P91
1. Check incoming material
A. N:Al on the Material Test Report (MTR)
should be greater than 4:1 and under no
circumstances less than 2.5:1
B. Hardness on the MTR and own testing
should be 190-250Hb. A hardness of
220Hb is preferable because hardness will
decrease with each PWHT

Keys to Proper Fabrication of P91
(cont)
2. Improve heat treating procedures
A. Follow AWS D10.10
i. Number of control zones based on pipe diameter
ii. Heating blanket length based on pipe diameter and thickness
iii. Monitoring thermocouples for soak zone and heat band zone
B. Use heat treating set-up sheets
i. Procedure ramp rates, hold times / temperatures
ii. Wrap sheet
a. Heating pad size / placement for each heating circuit
b. Control thermocouple placement for each heating circuit
c. Monitoring thermocouple placements
C. Review heat treating set up sheets
i. Check that hold time has been reduced for smaller welds.
ii. Check that heating pads will contact the pipe as much as possible.
iii. Check that thick sections and thin sections are on separate heating circuits.
iv. Check that control thermocouples are towards center of pad and at the location that
you would expect to be the hottest.
v. Check that monitoring thermocouples are where you want the heat (weld) and
where you do not want to overheat (base metal).
vi. Check that someone will be monitoring the heat treating and can abort if needed.


Heat Treating Wrap Sheet that
Shows Proper Control & Monitoring
Heating blankets
Control
thermocouples
valve body
pipe soak band
Monitoring
thermocouples
weld
pipe heating band
Heat Treating Wrap Installed
TCs
weld
Heating
blankets
If in doubt, then add TCs
Keys to Proper Fabrication of P91
(cont)
3. Confirm proper heat treating by hardness
testing
A. Weld hardness reduced.
B. Base material hardness maintained within 0 to 20
Brinell hardness points of initial readings.

Note: Hardness testing should be performed on a grid by a qualified
tester. Testers will think that they are qualified, but they are not.
We use GE MIC10 and Pin brinell or telebrineller
Conclusions
If your fabricator continues to treat grade 91
materials the same as they treat other traditional
high temperature materials (i.e. grade 22), then
you will continue to have quality issues.
You must insist that your fabricator upgrades
their heat treating (improved control and
monitoring) and adds hardness testing to their
procedures to successfully and consistently
fabricate grade 91 materials.