Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Offshore.
Possibilities & Limitations
By
Torfinn Havn, Ztrong AS, Norway
1 What is 316
2 Properties
3 Limitations
4 Extended possibilities
5 Examples
The 316 is an alloy belonging to the AISI 300 series, which have
minimum of 16% Cr and 6% Ni. The alloying elements are balanced
to give an austenitic structure.
The 316 consists of 16-18 % Cr, 10-14% Ni and 2-3% Mo
The 300 series are available as sheet, plate, all wrought forms and
castings. The most widely used group of stainless steels (e.g.304).
The brittle and detrimental sigma phase is not a problem for 316.
But any additional Cr or Ni increases rapidly the risk for sigma
formation.
Protecting films formed by Cr, Mo and O atoms cause the high
corrosion resistance
The problems experienced offshore with 316 are pitting and stress
corrosion cracking.
2H+2e-
= H2
Oxide
n + Mo,W
Oxide
layerlayer
Cr m Cr
On m+OMo,W
thickness
20-40
thickness
20-40
Steel + Cr + Mo + N + W
crit
repass
log current
Increased
crit
Chloride
content &
temperature
Increased
oxygen
content &
chlorite
(NaOCl)
repass
log current
Increased
crit
Chloride
content &
temperature
Increased
oxygen
content &
chlorite
(NaOCl)
repass
F++
crit
OHe
repass
OH-
Example 1
Example 1
Example 1
External corrosion of
CuNi pipe 1 OD
and original wall
thickness of 2.5mm.
Externally insulated.
Service 10 years.
On a North Sea
platform.
Some locations had
leakages through the
wall thickness.
Example 1
ppm chloride
Water from Norwegian lakes
0 10
5 15
10 75
50 - 300
C
ESCC
176 F
80
140 F
60
104 F
40
Pitting
68 F 20
10
100
ppm Cl-
1000
10000
100k
C
Ti gr 2
Superduplex 25Cr/ 6Mo
Vanlig duplex 22Cr
316L
176 F
80
140 F
60
104 F
40
68 F
Ti gr2
25Cr/6Mo
22Cr
20
316L
1
10
100
ppm Cl-
1000
10000
100k
Never use CuNi piping in the fresh water system (due to external
corrosion under insulation and constant high velocities in the hot
part of the piping system)
Extended possibilities
Example 2
5m
1.62m
2 6Mo / 25Cr
3 316L + anodes
4 Ti Gr 2
5 GRP
5m
1.62m
Materials
Initial
cost k$
Comments
CS + lining
+ paint +
anodes
High maintenance
cost, anodes do not
work > 60 C
60
6Mo / 25 Cr
230
316L + CS
anodes
130
Limited experience
Ti Gr 2
400
Technical superior
GRP
The design of the carbon steel anodes for 316L tank (half the tank)
Anode current output =135mA/m2 x 11m2 + 0.12 A (self corrosion = 8.3% x 135 x 11)
= 1.62 A
Protection potential
= - 300mV (SCE)
Anode potential
Driving potential
Anode size
= 350mm x 350 mm x 35 mm
Anode resistance R
Current output I
N1
The design of the carbon steel anodes for 316L tank (half the tank)
Seen from above.
After filling the tank with sea water, the anode potentials were measured:
10
-510
SCE (mV)
-520
-530
Average
-540
-550
-560
Design
After filling the tank with sea water, the potentials were measured:
SCE (mV)
-460
-470
-480
-490
-500
-510
-520
-530
10
After filling the tank with sea water, the potentials were measured:
After filling the tank with sea water, the current output was measured:
The readings just a few hours after water filling were judged not
representative. Most probably deposits on the surface will build-up and the
protecting current will decrease.
After 15 years in service the carbon steel anodes are proposed replaced.
This means that the protecting current is higher than 135 mA/m2 most
probably 20/15 x 135 = 180 mA/m2.
Isolation
Isolation
Carbon Steel
R
Resistance
Pump
-0,1000
-0,2000
-0,3000
-0,4000
-0,5000
-0,6000
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
[ mA/m2 ]
100
0
0
10
20
Resistance [ohm]
30
40
50
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
The secret
for the SS / CS
combination
Example 4
25Cr piping
Sea water for water injection
Example 4
Cost difference:
Static mixer in Inc 625 (UNS N00625)
compared to 316 SS (UNS S31600)
= 74 000 USD
Example 5
Carbon steel corrosion spool piece design
To avoid galvanic corrosion between different materials, it is common to
install isolation spool pieces between the metals.
The spool pieces are typical of length 5xND 10xND and internally lined
The spool pieces are expensive and the lining may flake off
Carbon steel
R = x L / A ()
U = R I (V)
Isolation piece
Ti
= resistivity
L = length of spool piece
A = cross section
R = resistance
= paint film
Conclusions
1 Stainless steel of 316 quality can not stand chlorides and high
temperature at the same time
2 With cathodic protection, the limits for use of stainless steel 316 can be
considerably extended
3 The cathodic protection can be by use of sacrificial carbon steel pipe or
by sacrificial anodes.
4 Based on available data, a safe and reliable design can be made
5 A 2 ND 316 stainless steel pipe can be protected up to 14m length
6 The carbon steel will work as sacrificial anode up to high temperatures
7 The carbon steel potential is low enough to protect 316 SS, but not so low
that hydrogen evolution take place and limit the potential length due to high
ohmic potential drop
8 Stainless steel 316 with carbon steel protection save significant costs