API 571 Damage

Mechanisms

GENERAL MECHANICAL
AND METALLUGICAL
FAILURE MECHANISMS
Graphitizatio Brittle
Strain Aging
n Fracture

A change in The Rapid fracture

the carbide deformation under stress
phase of C/S and aging at with little
and 0.5 Mo an evidence of
steels after intermediate plastic
long term temperature of deformation.
exposure to older C/S and
800 F (427 C-0-5 Mo low
C) to 1100F alloy steels.
(593 C)
temperatures
causing
decomposition
into graphite
 Softening
Short Term Thermal
(Spheroidizat
Overheating Shock
ion)

Localized Occurs when A change in

overheating high and non- the
causing uniform microstructure
deformation thermal of steels where
and/or rupture stresses the carbide
at low stress develop over a phase change
levels. short period of from normal
time. If plate like
restrained, forms to
stresses above spheroidal in
the yield the
strength can temperature
occur. range of 850F
 885
Creep/ Stress Steam
Embrittlemen
Rupture Blanketing
t

A loss of At high A steam

toughness in temperatures blanket inside
alloys metals deform a tube caused
containing a under load by a
ferrite phase below the yield "departure
(400 series SS, stress. from nucleate
duplex SS, boiling" that
wrought and causes
cast SS, welds localized
& overlay) overheating
due to and
exposure to deformation
600F(316C) and/or rupture.
to
 Erosion/ Temper Sigma Phase
Erosion Embrittlemen Embrittlemen
Corrosion t t

The A reduction in Brittle phase in

accelerated toughness in SS due to high
removal of low alloy steel temp exposure
material from due to long of 1000F
impacts of term exposure (538C)to
solids, liquids to 1750F(954C)
or vapors. The 650F(343C) . Increased
erosion can be to likelihood due
increased 1100F(593C) to higher
when corrosion . Equipment ferrite,
removes may fail during chromium, and
protective startup or molybdenum
films or scales. shutdown. content.
 Dissimilar
Thermal
Metal Cavitation
Fatigue
Cracking

Thermal Cracking in Localized

cycling the ferritic impact
resulting in side of a forces of
cracking weld collapsing
from high between a vapor
stresses at 300 series bubbles
restrained SS and a causing
areas of ferritic erosion,
equipment. material usually in
operating at pumps and
 Vibration-
Mechanical Refractory
Induced
Fatigue Degradation
Fatigue

Cracking from Mechanical Mechanical

cyclical fatigue from damage and
stresses dynamic corrosion to
resulting from loading due to refractory due
mechanical vibration, to thermal
loading or water shock,
thermal hammer, or expansion, and
cycling. unstable fluid oxidation,
flow initiating sulfidation,
at stress risers and high
or notches. temperature
mechanisms.
 Gaseous Oxygen-
Reheat Cracking Enhanced Ignition and
Combustion

Cracking most often Many metals are flammable

observed in heavy wall in oxygen and enriched air
sections due to stress (>25% oxygen) services
relaxation from PWHT and even at low pressures,
service at elevated whereas they are non-
temperatures. flammable in air. The
spontaneous ignition or
combustion of metallic and
non-metallic components
can result in fires and
explosions in certain
oxygen-enriched gaseous
environments if not
properly designed, operated
and maintained. Once
ignited, metals and non-
 API 571 Damage
Mechanisms

UNIFORM OR
LOCALIZED LOSS OF
THICKNESS
 Corrosion
Galvanic Atmospheric
Under
Corrosion Corrosion
Insulation

Electrochemica Corrosion from Corrosion from

l induced moist water trapped
metal loss of atmospheric under
dissimilar conditions, insulation or
metals when more severe in fireproofing.
joined together marine and
in a suitable industrial
electrolyte environments.
such as a
moist or
aqueous
environment or
moist soil.
 Cooling Boiler Water
CO2
Water Condensate
Corrosion
Corrosion Corrosion

General or General Carbonic acid

localized corrosion and from CO2 in
corrosion of pitting in water causing
C/S and other boilers and general or
metals caused condensate pitting
by dissolved return piping corrosion of
salts, gases, from dissolved C/S.
organic oxygen and
compounds or CO2.
microbiological
activity.
 Flue Gas Microbiologic
Soil
Dew-Point ally Induced
Corrosion
Corrosion Corrosion

Sulfur and Corrosion from The

chlorine bacteria, deterioration
species in fuel algae, or fungi of metals
gas with water in aqueous exposed to
vapor environments soils related to
condense and especially in temperature,
form sulfurous stagnant or moisture, and
acid, sulfuric low flow oxygen
acid, and conditions. availability and
hydrochloric other
acid, leading variables.
to corrosion.
 Caustic Graphite
Dealloying
Corrosion Corrosion

Corrosion Preferential Corrosion of

either local attack on the cast iron
or general one or more matrix of
caused by alloy cast iron
caustic or constituents leaving
alkaline leaving a corrosion
salts, usually dealloyed products and
in high heat often porous porous
transfer structure. graphite.
conditions or
high solution
strengths.
 HIGH TEMPERATURE
CORROSION 200C (400F)
 Carburizati
Oxidation Sulfidation
on

Oxygen Carbon Carbon

combined absorbed absorbed
with C/S and into a into a
other alloys material at material at
at high elevated elevated
temperature temperature temperature
creating while in while in
oxide scales. contact with contact with
a a
carbonaceou carbonaceou
s material or s material or
carburizing carburizing
Decarburiz Metal Corrosion
ation Dusting Fatigue

The removal Carburizatio Fatigue

of carbon n resulting in cracking
from mainly accelerated from cyclic
carbon steel localized loading and
at high pitting corrosion
temperature occurring initiating
s resulting in from from stress
low strength. carburizing risers.
gasses and
streams
containing
 Caustic
Stress
Corrosion Fuel Ash
Nitriding
(Caustic Corrosion
Embrittlemen
t)

Surface High A hard brittle

initiated temperature surface layer
cracking of wastage of on C/S, low
metal surfaces metal surfaces alloy, 300 &
exposed to of fired 400 series SS
caustic heaters, from high
primarily boilers, and levels of N2 in
adjacent to gas turbines ammonia and
non PWHT'ed from fuel gas cyanides
welds. contaminants particularly
 Chloride Ethanol Sulfate
Stress Stress Stress
Corrosion Corrosion Corrosion
Cracking Cracking Cracking

Surface cracks Surface- Surface

of 300 SS and initiated cracks initiated cracks
some nickel caused by caused by
alloys from environmental environmental
tensile stress, cracking of cracking of
temperature, carbon steel copper alloys
and an under the in sulfate
aqueous combined solutions over
chloride action of many years.
environment. tensile stress Most
and a fuel commonly
grade ethanol found in heat
 Ammonia
Liquid Metal Hydrogen
Stress
Embrittlemen Embrittlemen
Corrosion
t t
Cracking

Aqueous Cracking when Hydrogen

ammonia certain liquid charging of
streams cause metal contacts metals leading
cracking in specific alloys. to brittle
some copper cracking.
alloys. C/S Charging can
cracks in come from
anhydrous manufacturing,
ammonia. welding, or
service
environment.
REFINING INDUSTRY UNIFORM
OR LOCALIZED LOSS ON
THICKNESS PHENOMENA
 Ammonium
Bisulfide Hydrofluoric
Amine
Corr. Acid
Corrosion
(Alkaline Corrosion
Sour Water)

General or Alkaline sour HF acid causes

localized water high rates of
corrosion corrosion in general or
principally on hydro localized
C/S in amine processing corrosion with
treating reactor hydrogen
processes. effluent cracking,
streams and in blistering,
alkaline sour and/or
water streams. HIC/SOHIC.
Naphthenic Ammonium
Hydrochlori
Acid Chloride
c Acid (HCI)
Corrosion Corrosion

High General or Aqueous

temperature localized HCL causing
corrosion corrosion both general
from occurring and localized
naphthenic under corrosion
acid content, ammonium aggressively
temperature, chloride or affects most
sulfur amine salt materials.
content, deposits,
velocity and often
alloy without free
 High Temp Aqueous
Sulfuric Acid
H2/H2S Organic Acid
Corrosion
Corrosion Corrosion

Hydrogen in Sulfuric acid Organic

H2S streams corrodes CS compounds
increases high both generally present in
temperature and locally in some crude
sulfide HAZ's oils
corrosion especially. Very decompose in
above 500F sensitive to the crude
with uniform flow rates and furnace to
loss in water form low
thickness in concentration. molecular
hot hydro weight organic
processing acids which
circuits condense in
 Phenol
Phosphoric
(Carbonic Sour Water
Acid
Acid) Corrosion
Corrosion
Corrosion

Acid solvent Phosphoric Corrosion of

corrodes C/S in acid can cause steel due to
phenol pitting and acidic sour
extraction of localized water (H2S)
aromatics in corrosion of between 4.5
lube oil feed C/S depending and 7.0 ph.
stocks. on acid
concentration,
temperature,
and
contaminants
(free water
Environment-Assisted Cracking
Amine Stress Wet H2S Hydrogen
Corrosion Damage Stress
Cracking (Blistering) Cracking-HF

Cracking most Hydrogen Cracking of C/S

often found at blistering, and low alloy
non PWHT'ed Hydrogen steels in weld
carbon steel induced metal and
weldments in cracking, HAZ's from
aqueous Stress oriented exposure to
alkanolamine hydrogen aqueous HF
service. induced acid
cracking, and environments.
sulfide stress
corrosion
cracking from
hydrogen
 Carbonate Polythlonic
Stress Acid Stress
Corrosion Corrosion
Cracking Cracking

Cracking Cracking due to

adjacent to C/S sulfide scale,
welds from air, and
alkaline moisture acting
corrosion and on sensitized
tensile stress. austenitic SS.
Other Damage Mechanisms
 High Temp
Hydrogen Attack Titanium Hydriding
(HTHA)

Hydrogen at high Hydrogen diffusing

temperatures reacts into titanium creates
with carbides to form a brittle phase.
methane which
cannot diffuse
through the steel and
also cause a loss of
strength.