STAINLESS STEELS 51

Extending PCI lance tube performance

Poor structural stability and creep strength properties found in standard stainless steel tube for blast
furnaces have lead to the development of an innovative material which could take the place of higher
alloyed materials such as 25Cr/20Ni steels, Alloy 800H, and even Alloy 600. David Zhou* explains why.

THE method of injecting pulverised Grades C Si Mn Cr Ni Ti Mo N Ce

coal into blast furnaces is shown to
bring remarkable economic benefits to 253 MA 0.08 1.60 ≤0.8 21.0 11.0 - - 0.17 0.05
demanding manufacturing processes, AISI 310 0.06 ≤0.75 1.5 24.5 21.0 - - - -
such as iron-making. For these purposes,
pulverised coal injection (PCI) lance tube Table 1: Chemical composition of 253 MA and AISI 310 (nominal composition, wt.%)
is one of the most critical parts of a blast
would identify a new and improved Chemical compositions
furnace and can significantly influence
material with excellent high temperature Typical domestic PCI lance tube materials
energy efficiency, production consistency
oxidation and carburisation corrosion include 310S, TP321H and 316L. Tests by
and safety.
resistance and high temperature strength. Sandvik focused on its own 253 MA grade
The new grade would prove capable of and AISI 310S, mainly examining the
Conventional materials
increasing the service life of PCI lance tube oxidation resistance and high temperature
The types of steel selected for these
by more than three times. creep rupture of each and comparing and
components can affect the advantages
testing the service life of the two materials.
achieved by operators. However, it has
Causes of PCI lance tube failure The chemical composition of the
become increasingly apparent in recent
Fig 1 is a schematic diagram of PCI lance materials are shown in Table 1.
times that standard materials are not
tube equipment. The PCI lance itself is one Sandvik’s 253 MA is an austenitic
capable of meeting growing demand for
seamless stainless steel tube, the outside chromium-nickel steel alloyed with
better performance and longer service.
surface of which is subjected to high hot nitrogen and rare earth metals and
Conventional materials are prone to wear
air temperatures in the range of 1,100 characterised by high creep strength,
and bending, which can shorten lifecycles,
to 1,300°C (2,010 to 2,370°F). The inner good resistance to isothermal and cyclic
sometimes to one month. These failures
surface is in prolonged contact with fine oxidation, good structural stability at
can result in the shutdown of blast
pulverised coal particles with a granularity high temperature and good weldability.
furnaces, creating huge economic losses.
range of 0-1000 μm, and the flow rate of The material is designed with a maximum
Standard grades that have exhibited
these can reach 15-30 metres per second operating temperature of approximately
insufficient performance properties
(m/s). 1,150°C (2,100°F).
include austenite steel, 304, otherwise
It is against these operational factors
known as 18/8 for its composition of 18%
and high temperatures that some steel Effects on the oxide scale structure
chromium and 8% nickel. It lacks resistance
grades are susceptible to high temperature The oxidation and corrosion resistance
to abrasion, oxidation and carburisation,
oxidation and carburisation corrosion. properties of common seamless stainless
prompting Sandvik to conduct extensive
As a consequence, PCI lance tubing steels come from the chromium (III)
research into high temperature corrosion
manufactured from standard grades can oxide (Cr2O3) protective films formed on
resistance and creep rupture strength of
be easily bent and worn-out during service substrates (or molecules upon which an
materials selected for PCI lance tubing.
at high temperatures, causing tube failure, enzyme acts). Cr2O3 protective films can
Through these assessments, the company
examples of which are shown in Fig 2. hinder oxygen (O), carbon (C), nitrogen

PCI rate 150kg/fHM

Coal & nitrogen Raceway

Lance tube

Blast (air-oxygen)
15-30m/s

200m/s 1250°C B

Blowpipe
Water cooled tuyere
Coal: ~ 150a/m3 of blast
BF walls

Fig 1: PCI lance tube equipment schematic diagram Fig 2: Examples of apparent failure of PCI lance tube; a) shows bending failure while b)
depicts wear out failure

* Technical marketing specialist, Sandvik Materials Technology

www.steeltimesint.com September 2015

STAINLESS STEELS T sandvik.indd 1 8/28/15 9:30 AM