API 571 Notes Important
API 571 Notes Important
Description:
✓ Surface initiated, Environmental cracking, 300 Series SS and Nickel Based Alloys
✓ Tensile Stress, Aqueous Chloride environment, Temperature
✓ Dissolved oxygen
Materials:
Critical Factors:
✓ Chloride Content/concentration
✓ pH above 2.
✓ Temperature above 60 C
✓ Stress (Applied or residual)- Highly stressed or cold worked components are more susceptible.
✓ Dissolved oxygen accelerates SCC- No threshold value
✓ Alloy composition- Nickel content bw 8-12 % is more susceptible.
✓ Temperature/Chloride increases likelihood of cracking
✓ Heat transfer conditions allow chloride concentration
Effected Units:
Morphology of Damage:
✓ Surface breaking cracks can occur from the process side or externally under insulation.
✓ No visible signs of corrosion
✓ Branches, Visually detectable- craze crack appearance, spider web appearance.
✓ Branched trans granular cracks. ( fine branching)
✓ Intergranular cracking of 300 series sensitized can also be seen.
✓ Welds in 300 series contain ferrite, producing duplex structure, more resistant
✓ Corrosion Resistant Nickel Based Alloys also susceptible under severe conditions.
✓ Fracture surfaces have a brittle appearance.
Prevention/Mitigation:
✓ Resistant MOC
✓ Low Cl content water during hydrotest, dry out thoroughly and quickly.
✓ Coatings under insulation
✓ Avoid designs that contain stagnant regions
✓ A high temperature stress relief of 300 Series SS after fabrication may reduce residual stresses.
However, consideration should be given to the possible effects of sensitization that may occur,
increasing susceptibility to polythionic SCC, possible distortion problems and potential reheat
cracking.
✓ Visually
✓ PT or phase Analysis EC techniques
✓ UT
✓ RT (Not accurate)
Description:
✓ Form of SCC
✓ Surface Initiated cracks
✓ Exposed to caustic, adjacent to Non-PWHT’d welds.
Affected Materials:
✓ Carbon Steels, Low Alloy Steels, 300 Series SS are susceptible. Nickel Alloys are more resistant.
Critical Factors:
Sensitized Material
SCC can be confused with HSC. Failures of high strength steel under static load are considered a
form of stress corrosion cracking. some of the alloy/ environment
Unfortunately, the two forms are still confused. The important differences are that in HSC (other than
SSC), nucleates internally and shows a bright & clean fracture surface however fracture surface of
SCC is covered in corrosion products. Also, as temperature increases, the probability of
HSCdecreases, unlike SCC. Also, CP enhances HSC, while reducing the likelihood of SCC. (In practice,
it is impossible to accurately determine the potential at the surface and the risk of over-protection
resulting in hydrogen generation means that CP would not be used if HSC is a possibility). Table in
picture shows differences between the two forms of environmental cracking.
Hydrogen damage shows the presence of hydrogen within the metal, forming cracks without any
anodic dissolution. While corrosion reactions can be the source of hydrogen, and chemical reactions
can occur on the surface and not by ‘anode-cathode’ corrosion.
Q. When and under what condition Hydrogen Damages due to HSC, SSC, HIC, Blistering, SOHIC, SWC
occur in Sour Wet Service?
Q. what's the difference in PTASCC, Caustic Embrittlement, Liquid Metal Embrittlement, Hydrogen
Embrittlement?
Q. Why aerated environment is required for SCC to occur in sour service, while HSC/SSC does not
require it?