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[Article Sharing] FABRICATION AND WELDING OF

SOLID CRA AND CRA-CLAD MATERIALS
(https://subseapipeline26.wordpress.com/2015/01/
29/fabrication-and-welding-of-solid-cra-and-cra-
clad-materials/)

 29 January 201530 January 2015  sintaflorentinamanafe

 engineering, fabrication, material,
pipe, pipeline, sour service, steel corossion, technology, welding
Source: http://www.aws.org/itrends/july01/LeBlanc.html 

FABRICATION AND WELDING OF SOLID CRA AND CRA-CLAD MATERIALS

The fabrication and welding of carbon steel or corrosion-resistant alloys (CRAs) in sour service equipment is
explored

BY BY LYNN C. LeBLANC, CWI, SCWI (http://www.aws.org/itrends/july01/LeBlanc.html#A)

In this final article — the last of a three-part series — the fabrication and welding associated with carbon
steel or corrosion-resistant alloys (CRAs) used in equipment exposed to sour service will be explored.
The first article (Winter 2001 issue) covered the use of carbon steel and corrosion-resistant alloys in sour
natural gas production. The second article (Spring 2001) covered the design and manufacture of
equipment constructed from CRA-clad (metallurgically bonded) or CRA-lined (mechanically bonded)
materials.

It may appear from this article that the fabrication and welding of solid CRA, CRA-clad or -lined
material requires too much attention to detail to be economical, but actually the reverse is true.
Investment in CRAs, when shown to be beneficial for the intended service, can lead to an increase in the

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safety and reliability of sour gas processing facilities, which is priceless.

Fig. 1 — A CRA weld cladding of a raised face flange.

Extent of CRA Protection

Where corrosion-resistant alloy (CRA) material is used to clad or line

equipment such as pressure vessels, heat exchangers and piping for
corrosion protection in sour service, the entire internal surface must be
covered with one or more layer(s) of CRA. This includes the gasket faces
of any flanged connections and faces of tube-sheets and channels — Figs.
1 and 2. Even the inside diameter of a hole drilled for the attachment of a set-on-type (O-Let) branch
connection must be protected — Fig. 3. Experience has shown partially CRA-clad or -lined equipment
can be attacked by accelerated corrosive action at the exposed CRA/carbon steel interface, thereby
undermining corrosion resistance and ultimately leading to a failure in service. Any internal attachments
in this type of equipment should also be constructed from solid CRA material and attached directly to
the carbon steel backer with CRA weld metal, to maintain the integrity of the CRA layer — Fig. 4.

Fabrication Technique and Joint Design

Fabrication of solid CRA, CRA-clad or -lined equipment is covered in ASME Section VIII, Division 1 or 2
Rules for Construction of Pressure Vessels and in ASME B31.3 Process Piping. However, the specific
fabrication technique used for a welded joint is determined by whether or not there is access to the CRA
side.

Where access is possible, as in a CRA-clad pressure vessel with a manway, the following five-step
technique is generally used:

Fig. 2 — A heat exchanger tube and tube sheet.

1) Carbon steel is prepared with either a single- or double-V-

groove joint design — Figs. 5 and 6. Approximately 5/6 to 3/8
in. of CRA is removed or stripped back from the adjacent
surfaces to avoid melting the CRA while welding the carbon
steel side of the joint, which can lead to cracking. 2) Removal of carbon steel is confirmed by swabbing
the area with a copper sulfate (blue vitriol)

solution. Differentiation between the two materials is indicated by copper plating out on the carbon
steel, but not on the CRA. The recipe for this solution consists of 8 g copper sulfate, 3 mL of 1.84 specific
gravity sulfuric acid and sufficient distilled water to make 500 mL, always adding the acid to the water,
not vice-versa. Personal protection is very important during this procedure to avoid chemical burns.

3) The carbon steel side is welded first, using carbon steel welding consumables. The reverse side is then
backgouged and welded to achieve complete penetration and fusion.

4) The CRA is restored in the stripped-back area, generally using at least two layers of CRA weld metal,
although a single layer with the proper chemistry is also possible using a low- dilution welding process

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such as pulsed GMAW.

5) Finally, the area where the CRA has been restored is checked again to verify that there is no exposed
carbon steel remaining.

In a piping system constructed of CRA-clad or -lined materials where access to the CRA side of the joint
is not possible, the entire welded joint is completed using CRA weld metal. This is referred to as full
alloy welding and is illustrated in Figs. 4, 7 and 8.

Fig. 3 — A single-welded, single-bevel “O-Let” connection.

Where the CRA is mechanically bonded, as is often the case in

pipeline fabrication and installation, a special joint design and seal
weld are required at the CRA/carbon steel interface prior to joint fit-
up — Figs. 9 and 10. The joint design, seal weld penetration and seal
weld heat input are particularly critical. Failure to use this procedure
will generally result in cracking, porosity and fusion defects at this
interface during subsequent welding of the joint.

Care of Base Materials

Care and preservation of solid CRA, CRA-clad or -lined materials is very important during fabrication
and welding and should begin as materials are received. CRAs should not be stored outside without
adequate protection. Plate clamps and other hard metallic devices should not be used in handling,
unless the CRA surfaces are protected from marring. When stacking these materials, new, clean wood
blocks should be used to separate each piece.

Chemical elements such as sulfur, phosphorous, lead, zinc and copper can contaminate CRA and cause
embrittlement if not completely removed before welding and heat treating. These contaminants may be
present in cutting fluids, grease, oil, waxes, household detergents and soaps, primers, marking crayons
and temperature-indicating crayons. They must be removed by swabbing the affected area with a
nonchlorinated solvent such as toluene, methyl-ethyl-ketone (MEK), acetone or isopropyl alcohol. In
addition, the chemical content of the hydrotest water, cleaners, paints and inks must be carefully
selected to avoid the contaminants mentioned earlier. Certification of these materials should be reviewed
and maintained on file.

Fig. 4 — A fillet-welded internal attachment.

The sulfur content of any fuel gas used to fire heat-treating furnaces must
not exceed 0.5 g/100 ft3 or 141 ppm. Where heating oil is the fuel source,
a low sulfur grade containing no more than 0.5% by weight, conforming
to ASTM Grade 1, should be used. Acetylene gas should not be used as a
fuel source for preheat, since the carbide used in its production is permitted to contain up to 0.5% sulfur
by federal specifications.

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The 300 series austenitic stainless steels, while classified as a CRA, are susceptible to attack by
compounds containing chlorides. Possible sources of contamination are hydrostatic test water, dye
penetrant solutions and even human perspiration. The chloride content of these fluids should be verified
to be not greater than 50 ppm. To avoid contamination, workers should wear clean cotton gloves during
handling. Similar precautions for CRAs containing 50% or more nickel are not necessary because they
are resistant to this form of attack.

Storage and Handling of Consumables

The same storage and handling requirements that apply to carbon steel consumables are equally
applicable to CRA consumables. The basic requirement for clean, dry storage prior to opening the
manufacturer’s packaging is vital. Tagging the age of each container using a “first in, first out” system is
essential. GTAW filler metal should be marked with flagging identification on each end so that
traceability is maintained even if the wire is cut in half. This will help prevent the inadvertent use of an
incorrect CRA. The coating on CRA SMAW electrodes is just as hydroscopic (i.e., prone to moisture
pickup) as conventional carbon steel low-hydrogen types and should be treated accordingly.

Fig. 5 — A double-welded, single V-groove with equal thickness. Fig. 6 — A double-welded, double V-groove with
equal thickness.

Welding Processes and Qualification Codes

The most common welding processes used for joining solid CRA, CRA-clad or -lined materials are
SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, FCAW, SAW or a combination of these processes. The qualification of a welding
procedure specification (WPS) and welders to perform welding on CRAs is generally covered by ASME
Section IX, Welding and Brazing Qualifications, as the referenced document in the construction codes,
ASME Section VIII and ASME B31.3. However, ANSI/AWS B2.1, Specification for Welding Procedure
and Performance Qualification, contains very similar rules. For offshore carbon steel pipeline
construction, API 1104, Welding of Pipelines and Related Facilities, covers the qualification of WPSs and
welders. But it does not address CRAs even though it is the referenced document in the relevant
construction codes ASME B31.8, Gas Transmissions and Distribution Piping Systems, and ASME B31.4,
Pipeline Transportation Systems for Liquid Hydrocarbons and Other Liquids. Yet there have been a
number of solid CRA, CRA-clad and -lined pipelines constructed worldwide. This situation has
generally been addressed in energy companies’ project welding specifications by requiring qualification
in accordance with both ASME IX and API 1104. In addition to the codes mentioned above, NACE
MR0175, Standard Material Requirements Sulfide Stress Cracking-Resistant Metallic Materials for
Oilfield Equipment, also contains service-related requirements for fabrication and welding.

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Fig. 7 — A single-welded, single V-groove with equal thickness in clad pipe.

Filler Metal and Flux Chemical Composition

From a chemical composition standpoint, selected CRA filler metal should

overmatch the CRA base material in terms of the corrosion-resistant chemical elements present
(generally considered to be Cr, Ni and Mo) in order to maintain corrosion resistance in the completed
weld. This condition, commonly referred to as overalloying, is necessary to compensate for losses that
occur during welding due to dilution of the weld metal by the base metal or elemental segregation.

If this approach is not followed, preferential corrosion of the weld can take place. In nickel-based alloys
— those nominally containing 50% or more nickel — excessive silicon content in the deposited weld
metal leads to hot-shortness and often will result in cracking. While the silicon content of nickel-based
alloy GTAW, GMAW and SAW solid wire and SMAW electrodes are limited to a fairly low level by the
filler metal specifications, the same cannot be said for FCAW tubular wire and SAW fluxes. In the case of
SAW flux, a value known as the Basicity Index (BI) greater than 1.5 should be required, based on the
well-established equation shown below:

Fig. 8 — A single-welded, single-bevel, set-in branch connection.

In this equation, all components are in weight percent. Additionally, the

SiO2 content of the SAW flux should not exceed 20% and the Si content of
the as-deposited weld metal should not exceed 0.4%. There are a number
of SAW flux manufacturers, both in the USA and abroad, whose products
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meet these requirements. As yet, there is no AWS filler metal specification covering nickel-based FCAW
filler metals, so these should be selected, specified and qualified by treating the referenced manufacturer
and brand name as an essential variable.

Filler Metal Mechanical Properties

When selecting filler metal in terms of the mechanical strength properties desired, those of the base
metal should be matched or slightly exceeded. This approach will help satisfy the designer that the
welded joint will have 100% efficiency (i.e., match the base metal). The allowable stress used in the
design calculation formulas, found in ASME Section VIII, Division 1 or 2, and ASME B31.3 for vessels,
exchangers and piping, are generally based upon a fraction (usually 1Ž4 to 1Ž3) of the specified
minimum ultimate tensile strength (SMUTS) of a given base metal. But in pipelines or flowlines, where
the design is covered by ASME B31.8, the allowable stress used in design calculation formulas is based
upon a percentage (40 to 80%) of the specified minimum yield strength (SMYS) of a given base metal,
also derated for design temperature.

Fig. 9 — Joint design for CRA-lined pipe.

This matching, or slightly overmatching, approach is not usually a

problem where carbon steel filler metal can be used, since each AWS
carbon or low-alloy filler metal specification contains minimum tension
test requirements — tensile, yield and elongation — for each
classification. However, it is a problem where full alloy welding using
CRA filler metal is required as it is in piping, pipelines and flowlines.
The AWS CRA filler metal specifications for both stainless steel and nickel-based alloys contain only a
tensile and elongation requirement and in some cases no mechanical property requirements at all, as
shown in Table 1. The reason for the absence of such requirements, as stated in the specifications, is
because the tensile property, bend ductility and soundness of the welds produced with these filler
metals are generally determined during welding procedure qualification.

Variables in welding procedure (current, voltage, speed of travel), shielding medium (specific gas
mixture or flux), manual dexterity of the welder, base metal composition and filler metal all influence the
mechanical properties that can be achieved. However, interpretation of the mechanical properties for a
welded joint as a whole is not possible using the transverse weld tensile test specimen generally required
by most codes during welding procedure qualification (e.g., ASME Section IX and API 1104). This is true
because the reduced section of that test specimen contains three regions (base metal, heat-affected zones
and weld metal), all of which are simultaneously subjected to the same stress during testing that results
in elongation and fracture of the region with lowest strength. For example, if weld metal strength is
higher than that of the unaffected base metal, failure will occur outside the weld area and no
quantitative information about the weld metal strength will be provided by the test. Actually, the
intended purpose of the transverse weld tensile test is to verify that the welding procedure will produce
welds that equal or exceed the design strength requirement, and only the ultimate tensile strength (UTS)
and fracture location are reported. This apparent dilemma can be resolved, however, by including all-
weld-metal tensile (AWMT) tests, where the yield strength (YS) as well as the other mechanical
properties can be determined, as a supplementary requirement during welding procedure qualification.
This test should be considered where the filler metal specification does not require the property upon
which the design is based.

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Fig. 10 — A seal weld for CRA-line pipe.

Welding Technique and Parameters

CRA welding, confined in this article to austenitic stainless steel and nickel-based alloys, is similar to
carbon steel; however, there are some noteworthy differences. For example, the voltage and amperage
used for welding these CRAs should be somewhat lower and the travel speed higher than that used on
carbon steel for the same filler metal size/base metal thickness combination. The resulting lower heat
input will help prevent distortion and decrease the chance of compromising corrosion resistance of the
completed joint and heat-affected zones. This is made necessary because the nominal coefficient of
thermal conductivity (TC) for these CRAs is generally less than half that of carbon steel. Table 2, taken
from ASME Section II, Part D, Material Properties, supports this statement.

The interior must be protected with an inert-gas backing, such as argon or helium, when welding piping
or pipeline joints in solid CRA, CRA-clad or -lined materials from one side using GTAW or GMAW. The
use of this so-called backpurge helps reduce internal oxidation that can lower the corrosion resistance of
the finished joint. The backpurge also promotes good penetration, fusion and root bead shape. Although
it is not appropriate to specify one maximum oxygen limit for the back-purged atmosphere to be used in
each instance, a maximum of 0.5% (5000 ppm) is considered acceptable for all but the most sensitive
applications (e.g., high purity pharmaceutical and food industries). The backpurge should precede arc
initiation and be held steady for a period of time sufficient to achieve the low oxygen limit specified and
should ordinarily be maintained until about two layers, or a minimum of 1Ž4 inch of weld metal, has
been deposited.

Fig. 11 — A single-welded, clad joint macroetch and hardness specimen. Fig. 12 — A single-welded, clad joint
chemical analysis specimen.

WPS Qualification Testing

ASME Section IX and API 1104 address WPS qualification in the United States and specify tensile and
bend tests for groove welding qualification, chemical analysis and dye penetrant examination for weld
cladding qualification. But for sour service, those rather limited tests are often supplemented by the
following additional testing for the qualification of CRA-clad or -lined WPSs:

1) Charpy V-Notch toughness

2) Transverse weld hardness survey (Fig. 11)

3) Root bead chemical analysis (Fig. 12)

4) Corrosion tests

As mentioned earlier, the AWMT test may also be necessary, using the protocol illustrated in Figs. 13
and 14.

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Fig. 13 — An all-weld-metal tension test coupon, end view.

R. M. Denys-Labratorium Soete recently proposed an

alternative to the AWMT test using a specimen called the side-
grooved transverse tensile, which can be used to determine the
YS of the weld metal in a completed weld joint. As illustrated in
Fig. 15, removing one strip tensile specimen from the base
metal and an additional one centered on a weld made in that
base metal forms a base for carrying out this nonstandard test
procedure. The side-groove is located in the middle of the weld
on specimen A, so that failure will occur in that region. The test
is conducted in the same manner as a standard tensile test. The
area between the grooves is calculated from measurements
taken before the tensile load is applied and test specimens are then loaded to failure, with
instrumentation providing an indicated UTS and YS. The recorded YS from both test specimens (base
metal and weld) are then used to calculate the yield strength ratio A/B to be used in the following
formula to arrive at the actual yield strength of the weld metal (YSw).

YSw = YSp x A/B

In this equation, YSp is the actual yield strength shown on the mill test certificate for the base metal
used. The recorded YS-A for the weld and B for the base metal are not representative of the actual yield
properties, but they make it possible to obtain the ratio above and thus calculate the actual weld metal
YS. The problem with this testing procedure is that one single test cannot determine that all welds will
meet the yield strength calculated. The test can be made more representative, however, by using a heat
of base metal having a YS at the higher end of the permitted range and performing at least two separate
tests per WPS qualification.

Fig. 14 — An all-weld-metal tension test coupon, side view.

Nondestructive Examination (NDE)

For volumetric examination of CRA production groove welds, radiography

(RT) is generally the best choice. Ultrasonic examination (UT) of CRA
production groove welds is generally ineffective because of the nature of CRA
weld metal, which results in the following observed phenomena:

1) A high and variable return sound attenuation (loss) is caused by grain

orientation in the weld metal.

2) An ultrasonic beam spread and/or skewing is also caused by this same grain
directionality analogous to what occurs with stealth aircraft and conventional
radar. The angular shapes of the fuselage do not reflect sufficient energy back
to the sending unit to present an indication on the radar screen.

3) The inherent acoustic mismatch at the CRA/carbon steel interface of clad weld joints creates sound

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disruption and noise on the screen, which can mask an indication. Surface examination of CRA groove
welds is generally conducted by dye-penetrant examination (PT) since CRAs are not sufficiently
ferromagnetic to permit the use of magnetic particle examination (MT).

Penetrant testing, the copper sulfate test, as well as production chemical analysis, are generally used to
examine CRA weld metal claddings, although the relevant construction codes do not specify the last
two. The atomic absorption method, commonly referred to as wet chemical analysis, or optical emission
spectroscopy may be used for quality control checks on the chemistry of production weld claddings.

Fig. 15 — Side-grooved transverse tensile, A and B are yield

strengths derived from notched test specimen.

LYNN C. LeBLANC, CWI, SCWI (lleblanc@isi-moody.com

(mailto:lleblanc@isi-moody.com)), is Vice President and
Welding/QA Specialist for ISI-Moody International,
Amelia, La.

Source: http://www.aws.org/itrends/july01/LeBlanc.html

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