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BREAKTHROUGH FOR SANDVIK GRADE IN NITRIC ACID PRODUCTION
An order for 80 tonnes, equivalent to 78 kilometres, of stainless steel heat exchanger tubing, won by Sandvik Materials Technology, represents a breakthrough for Sandvik grade 2RE10 in nitric acid production. German company BASF is building a new nitric acid plant in China and has selected stainless steel grade Sandvik 2RE10 for the heat exchangers based on previous experience of good corrosion performance. Sandvik 2RE10, an austenitic stainless steel with 25% chromium and 20% nickel contents conforms to European standard EN 1.4335 (UNS S31002). It is produced by Sandvik, specifically for nitric acid applications, with high chromium and extremely low carbon and impurity levels. As a result, it has excellent resistance to intergrannular corrosion, good resistance to pitting and good weldability. Part of the order also included Sandvik's welding consumables. Suitable methods of fusion welding are manual metal-arc with covered electrodes and gas shielded arc welding, with the TIG and MIG methods being first choice. No preheating is required. Sandvik 2RE10 has considerably better performance and resistance to nitric acid than standard stainless steel types AISI 304L and 321 and can handle temperatures which are 20°C higher. Bengt Eriksson, responsible at Sandvik Materials Technology for marketing tubes to acid plants, believes, "We won this order because we could meet the high demands on corrosion. Although the initial tube cost is more expensive than standard grade materials, the customer will benefit in the long run. We know that we can make this claim, because the grade has a good and proven track record for long life. This latest order provides an excellent reference for us to further develop our involvement in nitric acid production in China".
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