Calorised Pipes Petrochemical W-Up

INDRA UDYOG
Manufacturer of Lancing Pipes & Lancing Equipment

Factory: W-9/W-15, MIDC Industrial Estate, Taloja, Navi Mumbai 410208
Tel: 27410277 Fax: 27402645 Email: info@indraudyog.com, sunilbill@gmail.com
==================================================================================
Calorising
Calorising is a metallurgical process for treating the surface of steels, stainless steels and alloy steels, with either
aluminium, aluminium silicon, chromium or boron. The treatment provides protection against elevated
temperature scaling and corrosion. Indra Udyog has developed its process based on aluminium silicon alloy.
Adding aluminium to carbon and stainless steels is commonly known to improve corrosion resistance. A side effect
of the process, however is, unfavourable changes in the mechanical properties of the base steel.
Calorising solves this problem. Calorising diffuses the aluminium alloy into the steel surface to form an alloy with
excellent heat and corrosion resistant properties, retaining the base steel’s inherent strength and rigidity, without
changing the high temperature mechanical properties of the base steel. The protection provided by the calorised
diffusion zone remains effective at all temperatures upto the boiling point of the base metal.
During the calorising process, the steel is chemically cleaned, treated with flux at 70 0C, further treated with
another flux at 8500C and then dipped into molten aluminium alloy at 8500C. This results in an evenly aluminium
coated steel. This then positioned in a retort. The retort is sealed and placed in an atmosphere controlled furnace.
After the heat treatment, the aluminium alloy diffuses into the surface of the steel, at the elevated temperature,
forming an aluminide within the surface of the steel. This aluminide layer is called the diffused layer. It is totally
Diffused Calorised layer -
100 to 250microns
Base Pipe
inert to most corrosive chemicals and gases.
Diffused Calorised layer -
100 to 250 microns
==================================================================================
Regd. Office: Flat No.1,3rd. Floor, Mitra Kunj, 16, Pedder Road, Mumbai -400026
INDRA UDYOG
==================================================================================
After cooling in the furnace, the treated steel is taken out of the retort. Straightening, trimming, beveling and
other secondary operations are performed.
Process quality is monitored by test coupons. The coupons are of the same specification as the base steel. These
are placed along with the process materials in the retort. The nature of the process, air controlled atmosphere and
uniform programmed heating ensures uniform calorising over the whole surface of the process steel including the
test coupons. After the process is completed the coupons are removed from the retort, sectioned and examined in
the laboratory for quality and depth of diffusion. As the process is a batch process, it is fair to assume that the
results of the coupons are a fair assessment of the quality of the whole batch. Different applications may require
different depths of diffusion. The customer may set his own standards within the diffusion limits achievable.
Higher the diffusion, does not necessarily mean that, higher will be the safety, but will surely be higher cost.
The end result of the calorising process is a true aluminde with the base steel. The process is not a coating and
there is no mechanical interface with the substrate. This layer is not visible to the naked eye. It can only be
observed under magnification. The protective diffusion zone cannot be removed except by a machining operation.
Calorising is used to enable engineered materials to better resist high temperature sulfidation, oxidation,
carburization, scaling and hydrogen permeation. All types of wrought and cast steels, plain carbon and low alloy
carbon steels, ferritic and austenitic stainless steels can be calorised. Temperature and process materials
determine the specifications of the steel to be used for calorising.
The calorising process as described above is unique in its approach. Conventially pack cementation and out of pack
gas calorising has been followed by some manufacturers. These processes are fraught with extreme dangers and
are unreliable for long and complex parts, such as small diameter tubes 6m and above. Sidisha Pipes Pvt. Ltd’s
process overcomes all these drawbacks and gives a much higher and reliable product. The process is patented.
Salient Features of Calorising.

Advantages over Coatings
 Elimination of problems inherent in coating processes due to difference in the thermal expansion
coefficient between the coating and the substrate.
 Ease with which fabricated shapes, internals, long tube internals and complex contours can be treated.
Line of sight is not required.
Technical & Commercial Benefits
 High Corrosion resistance
 Diffusion depth upto 300 microns.
 Continuous operation upto 9000C
 Inherent properties of the base steel are unaffected and retained.
 High Life, lower maintenance and higher efficiency.
 Lower down times
 Increases tube life upto about 20 years
 Cheaper in the longer run.
==================================================================================
INDRA UDYOG
==================================================================================
Common Applications
 Fertilizer: Sulphuric acid/ Phosphoric acid equipment, gas ducts for SO2
 Refining : Recuperators, charge heaters, sour gas treaters, sulphur recovery plants and heat exchangers.
 Petrochemical : Reformers, distillation columns, ammonia heat exchangers, pipelines.
 Boilers: Pulp and Paper boilers, waste heat recovery boilers, fluidized bed boilers
 Steel : Lancing pipe, water wall panels
 Nuclear : Low Hydrogen Permeation heat exchangers.
 Sugar : Refining Section Piping, Air heaters
Stainless Steel and Calorised Steel
 Calorised steel out performs stainless steels in high temperature and corrosive environments
 Stainless steels are often considered the final answer to every kind of corrosion problem.
 Austenitic Stainless Steels are used because they offer excellent resistance to high temperature oxidation.
Generally higher the temperature of exposure, higher the nickel content of the steel. Stainless steel 201
(16/18% Nickel) can withstand a continuous temperature of 8500C, while Stainless steel 310 ( 19/22%
Nickel) can withstand temperatures as high as 11500C.
 Higher the nickel, higher are the chances of high temperature sulfidation. Nickel preferentially combines
with sulphur to create a low melting temperature nickel sulphide eutectic. The melting temperature of
this eutectic is 6450C
 At temperature as low as 5500C Sulphur will begin to penetrate towards the nickel in the steel, causing
rapid embrittlement. Once the eutectic is formed, nickel is preferentially melted out of the alloy, leading
to catastrophic corrosion and failure.
 Calorising stainless steel will passivate the surface of the steel, tying the nickel into an iron aluminium
aluminide and preventing the formation of the eutectic. No eutectic means no corrosion.
 In a study of direct reduction of iron ore, the process pipe was made of high nickel proprietory alloy. In a
17 hour period of exposure to high temperature sulphur bearing gases, the pipe wall was completely
penetrated in a number of places.
 The replacement calorised pipe remained sound and unaffected by many subsequent exposures to the
same gases under the same operating conditions.
Hydrogen Permeation
 Calorised ferritic and austenitic steels reduce hydrogen permeation by three orders of magnitude as
compared to untreated alloys of the same composition.
 Hydrogen permeation is also related to other types of degradation, such as sulphide stress corrosion
cracking and hydrogen blistering.
 In a study by Dr. I.H. Gundiler of New Mexico Institute of Technology, he states “ Since aluminium has a
very low hydrogen permeability, the aluminium will act as a hydrogen barrier and is expected to decrease
Sulphur stress corrosion susceptibility. Both aluminium layer and the iron aluminium intermettalic layer
have hydrogen permeability rates, which are several order of magnitude less than that of iron.
==================================================================================
INDRA UDYOG
==================================================================================
Consequently, aluminising produces an excellent barrier for hydrogen diffusion and induced sulphur stress
corrosion failure of high strength steels”
 In a study by K C Forcey, D K Ross, JCB Simpson and D S Evans, as reported by them in the Journal of
Nuclear Materials, they state that “ The permeation rate of tritium through aluminised material was
nearly four order of magnitude lower than untreated steel. Hence it is inferred that permeation of tritium
through aluminised martensitic and austenitic steel could be greatly reduced, particularly at operating
temperatures in the range of 6000C ”
 In another study, the heat exchanger was of the bayonet type. Hydrogen diffusion through the walls of
the inner tube was providing a means of conducting heat from the heating medium within the inner tube
to the annulus space between it and the outer tube. Calorising the inner tube on both its surfaces reduced
the hydrogen permeation by almost three orders of magnitude.
Sour Gas
 Natural Gas is considered sour if H2S exceed 5.7milligrams/ m3
 Sour gas is undesirable, harmful, lethal to breathe and extremely corrosive.
 Typical composition of Natural Gas.
Methane CH4 ----------------------------------------- 70 – 90%
Ethane C2H6, Propane C3H8, Butane C4H10 ------------- 0 – 20%
CO2 --------------------------------------------- ----- - 0 – 8%
O2 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0 – 0.2%
N2 --------------------------------------------------------- 0 – 5%
H2S-------------------------------------------------------- 0 – 5%
 Sour gas from the feed fractionator, after being stripped of heavy hydrocarbons, is sent to the gas
sweetening facilities where the acid gases are removed by physical and chemical absorption. The acid gas
is sent to the Claus sulphur recovery unit.
 H2S is removed by the Gridler Process using Monoethnolamine (MEA)or Diethnolamine (DEA).
 Further Elemental Sulphur from H2S solution is removed by the Claus Process.
 In the Claus process, H2S in the acid gas stream is partially oxidized in the reaction furnace. This reaction is
highly exothermic. The sour gas plant is designed around a preset exit high gas temperature. The plant
contains two Sulphur recovery units, each having two reaction furnaces and waste heat boilers operation in
parallel.
 All carbon steel tubes are Calorised to eliminate high-temperature sulphidation in the Claus recovery
equipment.
 One of the largest sour natural gas processing facilities in the world, successfully used Calorised tubes in
their Claus Process equipment to eliminate high-temperature sulphidation .
 The plant, which began operation in 1992, is designed to process 8,533,000m 3/day of sour gas. The overall
sulfur recovery for the facility is 99.8%. The total sulfur recovery production is approximately 4,000
tons/day.
 Calorised tubing is specified in a number of gas plants to protect the tubes in the waste heat boilers and
condensers. A wide variety of metallurgies and configurations are Calorised for use in many types of gas-
processing plants.
==================================================================================
INDRA UDYOG
==================================================================================
Flue Gas
 The composition of flue gas is approximately the following: N2 - 78 to 80%, CO2 – 10to14%, O2 – 2 to
6%, CO – 70 to160ppm,Nox – 50to 110ppm, SO2 – 180 to 2000 ppm, Cxhy – Methane CH4,Butane C4H10
(Alkanes) below 60ppm, Soot – Balance
 SO2 and CO in the presence of Moisture are highly corrosive. Hence the flue gas is exhausted below the
dew point loosing a lot of heat and reducing the efficiency of the recuperator.
 Life of the recuperator tubes is severely impaired.
 Calorised pipes in the recuperator completely eliminate the deficiency, increase the efficiency and
reliability of the equipment.
 Huge cost saving in the running cost. This is minimal as compared to the cost of calorised tubes.
 Lower allowances in the wall thickness of the tube while designing the recuperator. This translates to lower
weight and higher heat transfer rate leading to higher efficiency.
Coal Fired Power Plant

 The emission levels for a power plant using different fuels is:
Kg/Billion K Joule of Energy input
Pollutant Natural Gas Oil Coal

CO2 53070 74390 94340
CO 18 15 94
NOx 42 203 207
SO2 0.45 508 1175
Particulate 3.10 38 1245
Hg 0 0.003 0.007
 Because of high levels of SO2 and CO in Oil and Coal fired power plants, it is imperative that only
calorised pipes are used where ever the flue gases are being transported.
 Calorised pipes will reduce the downtime and increase the efficiency of the plant.
 Higher initial capital cost will be offset by higher saving in running cost.
Design Criteria and Availability of Materials.

 Pipes and tubes of Low Carbon Steel, Medium Carbon Steel, Alloy Steels and Stainless Steels are
available in the calorised form.
 The base material of construction need not be changed. This will not change the initial design criteria.
 Calorising neither changes the shape nor increases the dimensions of the pipes or tubes. Corrosion
allowance can be decreased.
 Tubes and pipes in the range 15mm OD to 300mm OD and lengths upto 6m can be processed. Longer
lengths upto 10m can be supplied. Rolled sections such as angles, channels and beams upto 150mm
width can also be processed
 Base material as per BIS, ASME , DIN, GOST and JIS standards can be processed for calorising. Indra
Udyog does tests for the depth of calorising, the base properties being unaffected. Surface hardness
increases marginally. Tensile strength decreases because the calorising process is carried at
temperatures close to the annealing temperature of some alloys. Chemical composition does not
change in any manner except at the depth of calorising. Aluminides are diffused within the interstitial
spaces.
==================================================================================
INDRA UDYOG
==================================================================================
 Pipes can be processed for exact diameter, wall thickness and length according to customer
requirements, in our own pipe drawing plant. The limit in OD for this plant is 63mm.
Manufacturing Facilities
Indra Udyog, has the following plant:
 Pipe/ rolled profile Surface Cleaning and processing section
 Pipe/rolled profile Fluxing and hot dip aluminising section
 Pipe/rolled profile Calorising section
 Quality control laboratory
 Laboratory equipment to decide on calorising procedures on different base materials before production
 The process is proprietory and patent has been received.
The information in this document is taken from sources or based on data believed to be reliable: However Indra Udyog., makes no warranty
as to the absolute correctness or sufficiency of any of the foregoing or that additional or other measures may not be r equired under particular
conditions. The information is for guidance purpose only. It should not be copied or mentioned without the explicit concurrence of Indra
Udyog.
==================================================================================

Calorised Pipes Petrochemical W-Up

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Calorised Pipes Petrochemical W-Up

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

INDRA UDYOG

Manufacturer of Lancing Pipes & Lancing Equipment

Diffused Calorised layer -

inert to most corrosive chemicals and gases.

Diffused Calorised layer -

100 to 250 microns

Salient Features of Calorising.

Stainless Steel and Calorised Steel

Coal Fired Power Plant

Pollutant Natural Gas Oil Coal

Design Criteria and Availability of Materials.

You might also like