 |
| Main Menu | News By Date | News By Supplier | News By Category | About Us |
|
SANDVIK SAF 2507 SOLVES PROBLEMS
Its excellent resistance to localised attack, such as stress corrosion cracking and pitting, combined with high general corrosion resistance in hydrocarbon process fluids and various other chemicals, has made SAF 2507 the optimum material for a wide range of processes and applications. In addition to its superior material properties, the increasing use of SAF 2507 has been a result of increased availability. Today, all necessary components for heat exchangers such as tubes, tubeplates and welding consumables are readily available in the marketplace. In service, heat exchanger tubes are often the most critical part of the construction. The use of seamless Sandvik SAF 2507 tubes can be shown to increase operating reliability. A good example of the use of SAF 2507 in chloride containing media is in seawater cooled heat exchangers. Erosion problems found on lower strength materials such as brasses, bronzes and Cu-Ni materials, have been solved by retubing the exchangers with SAF 2507 seamless tubes. The high erosion resistance, low thermal expansion and ease of fabrication makes SAF2507 an ideal material in such cases. Another example of the successful use of SAF 2507 can be found in the refining industry. An Italian refinery has been using SAF 2507 tubes in an overhead condenser system in the crude distillation unit - an application where the corrosive conditions can be severe and unpredictable. Previously, carbon steel tubes were used, with a life limited to less than 2 years. By using SAF 2507, with a longer operating potential, the lifetime has been extended meaning less downtime and maintenance costs. The first SAF 2507 exchanger was installed in 1995 and based on its good results, four new heat exchangers have now been purchased and installed at the same location. In the petrochemical industry, SAF 2507 has created interest as a construction material for EDC/VCM plants. One example is in a Brazilian EDC/VCM-reboiler, where general corrosion and pitting was experienced on lower alloyed stainless steels. SAF 2507 was recently specified as the problem solver for this application. In organic acids, also SAF 2507 now has a long and proven record of test results, showing very good properties - in some cases equal to considerably higher priced Ni-based alloys. Recently SAF 2507 seamless tubes were specified for use in acetic acid service by some major US chemical companies.
|
| ©2008 New Materials International |