Pane / Wewed by: [brahim masourat@araniccem| @ 2014 454 ‘API Recommended Practice 571 508 4.212. Dissimilar Metal Weld (DMW) Cracking 4.2121 Description of Damage Cracking of dissimilar metal welds occurs in the fertitic (carbon steel or lov alloy steel) side of a weld between an austeritic (300 Series SS or Nickel base alloy) and a ferritic material operating at high temperature (Figure 4-33 and 4-44). Cracking can result from creep damage, from fatigue cracking, from sulfide stress cracking or Fydrogen disbonding, 4212.2 Affected Materials ‘The mast common are ferrtic materials such as carbon steel and low alloy steels that are welded to the austenitic stainless steels as well as any material combinations that have widely differing thermal expansion coefficients. 4.2123 Critical Factors a) Important factors include the type of filler metal used to join the materials, heating and cooling rate, metal temperature, time at temperature, weld geometry and thermal cycling, b) Cracking can occur because of the different coefficients of thermal expansion between ferttic and austenitic (e.g. 300 Series stainless steel or nickeL-base alloys) which differ by about 25 to 30% of more. At high operating temperatures, the differences in thermal expansion leads to high stress at the heat-affected zone on the feritic side (Table 4-4). ©) As the operating temperature increases, differential thermal expansion between the metals results in increasing stress at the weldment, particularly if a 300 Series SS weld metal is used Ferritic/austenitic joints can generate significant thermal expansionithermal fatigue stresses at temperatures greater than 510°F (260°C) ) Thermal cycling aggravates the problem. Stresses during start up and shut down can be significant, €) Stresses acting on the weldment are significantly higher when an austenitic stainless steel filler metal is used, A nickel base filler metal hes a coefficient of thermal expansion that is closer to carbon steel, resulting in significantly lower stress at elevated temperatures. f) For dissimilar welds that operate at elevated temperatures, the problem is aggravated by the diffusion of carbon out of the heat-affected zone of the ferriic material and into the weld metal. The loss of carbon reduces the creep strength of the ferric material neat-affected zone, thereby increasing the cracking probbility (Figure 4-35). The temperature at which carbon’ diffusion becomes @ concern is above 800°F to 960°F (427°C to 510°C) for carbon steels and low alloy stee's, respectively. 9) Dissimilar metal welds on a ferrtic stee! that are made with a 300 Series SS weld metal or a nickel- based filler metal resutt in @ narrow region (mixed zone) of high hardness at the toe of the weld, near the fusion line on the ferritic steel side. These high hardness zones render the material susceptible to various forms of environmental cracking such as sulfide stress cracking or hydrogen stress cracking (Figures 4-36 and 437). PWHT of the weldment will not prevent environmental cracking if the weldis exposed to wet H,S conditions. bh) DMWs for high temperature service in hydrogen environments must be carefully designed and inspected to prevent hydrogen disbonding (Figures 4-38 to 4-41), |) Inenvironments that promote liquid ash corrosion, weld cracking problems may be accelerated by stress-assisted corrosion, The ferritic heat-affected zone will preferentially corrode due to the large thermal strain. The results are long, narrow, oxide wedges that parallel the fusion line of the weld (Figure 4-42) }) Poor geometry of the weld, excessive undereut, and other stress intensification factors will promote crack formation,Copyrighted material licensed to Saudi Aramco. No further reproduction or distribution permitted. Printed / viewed by: [ibrahim.masoura@aramco.com] @ 2014-03-03 Damage Mechanisms Affecting Fixed Equipment in the Refining Industry 4-55 4.212.4 Affected Units or Equipment a) Dissimilar metal welds are utilized in special applications in refineries and other process plants. b) Examples of DMW’s include: * Welds used to join clad pipe in locations such as transitions in hydroprocessing reactor outlet piping from overlaid low alloy CrMo nozzles or piping to solid 300 Series stainless steel pipe. e Hydroprocessing exchanger inlet and outlet piping. « Alloy transitions inside fired heaters (e.g. 9Cr to 317Lin a crude furnace) * Hydrogen reformer furnace 1.25 Cr inlet pigtails to Alloy 800 sockolets or weldolets on Hydrogen reformer tubes e Hydrogen reformer furnace Alloy 800 outlet cones to CS or 1.25 Cr refractory lined transfer ines. * Alloy transitions inside fired heaters (e.g. 9Cr to 317L in a crude or vacuum furnace) * Welds joining clad pipe sections to themselves or to unclad carbon or low alloy steel pipe (e.g. Alloy C276 clad CS piping in crude unit overhead system) e Nickel base alloy welds joining socket weld valves in 5 and 9 Cr piping systems * 300 series SS weld overlay in numerous refinery reactors and pressure vessels e Similar DMWs have been used in FCCU reactors and regenerator vessels and in Coker Units. c) All superheaters and reheaters that have welds between ferritic materials (1.25Cr-0.5Mo and 2.25Cr- 1Mo) and the austenitic materials (300 Series SS, 304H, 321H and 347H). 4.2.12.5 | Appearance or Morphology of Damage a) _Inmost cases, the cracks form at the toe of the weld in the heat-affected zone of the ferritic material (Figure 4-36 to Figure 4-42). b) Welds joining tubes are the most common problem area, but support lugs or attachments of cast or wrought 300 Series SS to 400 Series SS are also affected. 4.212.6 Prevention / Mitigation a) For high temperature applications, nickel base filler metals which have a coefficient of thermal expansion closer to carbon steel and low alloy steels may dramatically increase the life of the joint, because of the significant reduction in thermal stress acting on the steel (ferritic) side of the joint. Refer to API 577 and API 582 for additional information on filler metal selection, welding procedures and weld inspection. b) If 300 Series SS welding electrodes are used, the dissimilar metal weld should be located in a low temperature region. c) Consider buttering the ferritic side of the joint with the SS or nickel base filler metal and perform PWHT prior to completing the DMW to minimize the hardness of the mixed weld zone in order to minimize susceptibility to environmental cracking. See Figure 4-34 and 4-35. d) On buttered joints, the thickness of the weld metal should be a minimum of 0.25 inch (6.35 mm) after the bevel is machined. Figure 4-35. e) In steam generating equipment, the weld at the high temperature end should be made in the penthouse or header enclosure, out of the heat transfer zone.Panled / owed by: [branin macoura@aramco om] @ 03 Damage Mechanisms Affecting Fixed Equipment in the Refining Industry 487 Table 4-4: Coefficients of Thermal Expansion for Common Materials Material Coefficient (inlinF x 10 to 800 F (427°C) cs 7.97 Tonia No 753 2% Mo 758 300 Series SS 10.05 Alloy 600 8