Stress corrosion cracking and NACE

(MR0103-2007) Scope and Application

Mahendra Prabhu SUBRAMANI

Rotating Equipment Engineer

Stress Corrosion Cracking

 Table of contents

1. Introduction to Corrosion

2. Economics associated with Corrosion in Refinery

3. Stress Corrosion Cracking

4. NACE MR103 Requirements and guide lines

5. References

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Introduction to Corrosion

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Why Corrosion is important???

 20% of the refinery accidents are related to

corrosion in EU between 1984 to 2010 [1].
 Uncontrolled corrosion can cause release of
hazardous substances and components.
 Reduce the performance and reliability of
equipment until their failure.
 Corrosion in the oil industry is estimated around $
3.7 billion in US per year [1].

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Refinery elements causing corrosion [1]

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Process conditions contributing to corrosion[1]

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Economics Associated with
Corrosion

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Cost of Corrosion control in
Distillation Column [2]

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Different Environmental cost
in Refinery [2]

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Cost of Corrosion Control in
Refinery [2]

Fig: Tentative cost of Corrosion Control

expenditure in 260,000 bbl Refinery

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Stress Corrosion Cracking

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Corrosion in Amine plants[3]

 Amines are used around the world in refineries to

remove CO2 and H2S from feed gas.
 Unocal disaster in 1984
 The corrosion in the amine plants is not caused by
amines itself but by the H2S.
 The formation of amine in the amine plants is
Exothermic reaction
 The primary amines are MEA, DGA and secondary
amines such as DEA, DIPA and MDEA.
 The amine units are converted from the use of MEA
to MDEA which results in lower corrosion rates.

Stress Corrosion Cracking

UNOCAL disaster 1984

 July 23,1984 at Union Oil

refinery at Iilinois, Chicago
 17 People killed and causing
major property damage
 14 m upper portion of amine
absorption thrown 1 km from
original location
 The cause of cracking was
hydrogen embrittlement
reduced the fracture resistance
of the material

Stress Corrosion Cracking

 Type of Corrosion due to Wet
sulfur in metals

 Hydrogen Blistering
 Hydrogen induced cracking (HIC)
 Stress oriented Hydrogen induced cracking
(SOHIC)
 Sulfide stress corrosion cracking (SIC)

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Hydrogen Blistering

 Growth of Sub surface

cavities in metal, bulged like
blisters, as result of significant
internal pressure due to
hydrogen molecular gas
formation close to the
surface.
 Results in degradation of
Mechanical strength
 Reduces ductility of Material
 And leads to eventual fatigue
failure
 Will fail at sustained low level
load and cyclic loads
 Control of Impurity in steel will
be one of the prevention
methods
Stress Corrosion Cracking
Hydrogen Induced Cracking
 Hydrogen-induced cracking (HIC)
refers to the internal cracks brought
about by material trapped in budding
hydrogen atoms. It involves atomic
hydrogen, which is the smallest atom,
that diffuses into a metallic structure.
In the case of a crystal lattice
becoming saturated or coming into
contact with atomic hydrogen, many
alloys and metals may lose their
mechanical properties. 
 Low alloys and High Strength steels
are more prone to HIC
 Material with harness less than 30
HRC and material Strength less than
1000 M Pa is less susceptible to
Hydrogen Induced Cracking.
 Can be prevented by maintaining
Clean and moisture free environment
of weldments and maintaining
temperature at 400 to 450 °F.

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Stress Oriented Hydrogen
Induced Cracking
 SOHIC is a cracking
mechanism which only
affects carbon and low alloy
steels in wet sour service.
 This type of failure
observed in 1980’s
 Not fully understood and
testing methods and
acceptance criteria is under
development
 Will be available at the end
of 2014. ( Source: Paper
from Dr.Chris Fowler
President of NACE Institute)

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Sulfide Stress Cracking

 SSC is a form of
spontaneous brittle
breakdown in occurring in
high-strength alloys and
steels when it comes in
contact with humid
hydrogen sulfide as well as
sulfidic atmospheres.
Among the most prone to
sulfide stress cracking
include valve trim, blowout
preventer hard parts and
tool joints.

Stress Corrosion Cracking

NACE MR0103

 Scope:[4]
This standard defines material requirements for
resistance to SSC in sour petroleum refining and
related processing environments containing H2S
either as a gas or dissolved in an aqueous ( liquid
water ) phase with or without the presence of
hydrocarbon.

Stress Corrosion Cracking

Environmental Conditions
known to cause SSC[4]
 > 50 ppm total sulfide content in aqueous phase.
 > 1 ppm total sulfide content in aqueous phase
and pH < 4
 > 1 ppm total sulfide content and 20 > ppm free
cyanide in the aqueous phase and pH > 7.6
 0.3 kPa absolute (0.05 psia) partial pressure H2S
in the gas phase associated with the aqueous
phase of process

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Architecture of NACE MR0103 [4]

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Road Map (Table 1) of NACE
MR0103 [4]

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Cont [4].

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References

 [1] JRC SCIENTIFIC REPORTS – CORROSION

RELATED ACCIEDENTS IN PETROLUM REFINERIES
– Published by European Council (EUR 26331 EN) in
2013
 [2] Appendix E of Petroleum Refining by Dr. Gregoey R.
Ruschau ., Mohammed A.Al-Anezi
 [3] Corrosion and Materials Selection for Amine Service
by S.Rennie from Woodside Energy Ltd from Materials
Forum Volume – 30 of 2206
 [4] NACE Standard MR0103-2007

Stress Corrosion Cracking