Materials Archives

Five Keys to a Cost-Effective Repair/Modification Package for Tanks-Vessels-Piping

By: George Antaki Thursday, January 25, 2018

: Process: Does the repair change the process chemistries, physics (fluid phase), and thermo-hydraulics (flow rates, pressures, temperatures)? Does the modification change the control room indications and the operating envelopes? Material: Are the selected metallic materials (base metal and welds) and non-metallic materials (gaskets, packings, etc.) compatible with the existing materials, with the environment, and […]

Tags: API 510, ASME PCC-2, ASTM, Materials, Mod Package

Reduced Toughness Properties of Some Modern Carbon Steels Create Brittle Fracture Risk

By: Chuck Becht Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Materials Degradation and Corrosion

Changes in steelmaking practice are reported to be causing some carbon steel piping components that are assumed by ASME Codes to behave in a ductile manner at ambient temperatures, to behave instead in a brittle manner. Barry Messer from Fluor made a presentation on this subject at the Spring 2016 meeting of the ASME B31.3, […]

Tags: ASME Code, ASTM, Brittle Fracture, Materials, Nuclear, Piping

Changing Your Crude Slate – Short and Long Term Consequences

By: NULL NULL Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Materials Degradation and Corrosion

There are many reasons why a refinery may want to change their crude slates. However, all of them boil down to economics. Whether a cheaper crude is available or there is a desire to manufacture specific products to increase profitability – money is the driver. However, in deciding to change your crude slate, the long […]

Tags: Corrosion, Due Diligence, Materials, Mechanical Integrity, Metallurgy

Shaft Fatigue Failures – Part II

By: Brent Blanc Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Machinery

Note: This blog is a continuation from the previous article from Becht Engineering, “Shaft Fatigue Failures – Part I”. It is suggested that the reader review “Shaft Fatigue Failures – Part I” before proceeding with this article. Click Here to view Part I. Before getting into the calculation methods, first a quick refresher on high […]

Tags: Equipment Strategies, Inspection, Materials, Pumps, Rotating Equipment

Shaft Fatigue Failures – Part I

By: Brent Blanc

Machinery

Many years ago when I first started my career in a rotating equipment maintenance organization, I was spending the day with a senior metallurgist, which was part of my orientation process as a new technical employee. He was well known to not have the best “bedside manner” and it was clear he was not thrilled […]

Tags: Equipment Strategies, Inspection, Materials, Pumps, Rotating Equipment

Determining “Life” of Bulged Coke Drum

By: Nadarajah Chithranjan Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Pressure Vessels

My previous blog on Equipment Health Monitoring (EHM) explains why EHM can be used to improve fatigue life of a coke drums. As explained in this blog, one of the critical locations to be monitored are the circumferential weld seams – where high thermal stresses occur during the operation of the drum. These high stresses over […]

Tags: Aging Equipment, Coke Drums, Equipment Strategies, Finite Element, Materials

Elevated Temperature Reactor Component Design and Qualification

By: Pease-Hollinger Pease-Hollinger Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Becht Nuclear

Becht Engineering, Nuclear Services Division, has completed a finite-element numerical study of two proposed Code Cases for ASME III Division 1 Subsection NH, Class 1 Components in Elevated Temperature Service. They are: “Satisfaction of Strain limits for Class 1 Components at Elevated Temperature Service Using Elastic-Perfectly Plastic Analysis” and “Calculation of Creep-Fatigue for Class […]

Tags: ASME Code, Finite Element, Materials, Mechanical Eng, Nuclear

NonMetallic Composite Wrap Pipe Repair

By: George Antaki Thursday, August 14, 2014

Becht Nuclear

Nonmetallic composite wrap repairs are wraps comprising two constituents: A fabric woven from a fiber such as graphite or glass A thermoset polymer such as a two-component mix epoxy resin. This material is also referred to as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP). These repairs can be liners wrapped inside, or jackets wrapped over a corroded pipe. There […]

Tags: ASME Code, Materials, Mechanical Eng, Nuclear, Piping

Changing Your Crude Slate?

By: Jim McLaughlin Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Materials Degradation and Corrosion

Changing Your Crude Slate? You Need to Consider More Than Just Naphthenic Acid Corrosion and High Temperature Sulfidation. Refiners are constantly evaluating their crude slates in an effort to maximize profits. It involves a continuous effort in trying to get the most product value from the lowest cost crudes. Generating a $1.00 per barrel margin […]

Tags: Corrosion, Materials

Changes In the 2012 Edition of ASME B31.3

By: Don Frikken Monday, July 22, 2013

Piping

In addition to the many clarifications, updated references to codes and standards, updates to basic allowable stresses, and added listed materials, there are several substantive changes to the 2012 Edition of ASME B31.3, Process Piping. These changes are: Category D Fluid Service The definition was revised to include piping with design minimum temperatures below -29⁰C […]

Tags: ASME Code, Materials, Piping