CONSTRUCTION

MATERIALS FOR
PRESSURE VESSELS

Prepared by:
Rahul S Vora (LEMF)
N Velliyangiri (LEMF)
Agenda
General Considerations
Material Classification Based on Service
Non Corrosive Service
Corrosive Service
Stainless Steels
Hydrogen Attack
Overview of Common Materials
General Considerations
Corrosion resistance
Strength requirements
Cost
Fabricability
Quality of future maintenance
Availability
Materials Classification
Based on service environment
 Corrosive Service
 Non – Corrosive Service
Non – Corrosive Service

Cryogenic Temperature Applications

Low Temperature Applications

Intermediate Temperature Applications

Elevated Temperature Applications

Cryogenic Temperatures
It ranges from -250 °C to -101 °C
In this range CS and LAS are brittle
Austenitic stainless steels or nonferrous
metals like aluminum alloys can be employed
here as they exhibit no loss in the impact
strength
Materials such as SA240 TP 304, 304L, 316,
316L, 347
Low Temperatures

It ranges from -100°C to 0 °C

Here Low Alloy Steels and fine grain
Carbon Steels are employed
Materials like SA203 Gr. A, B, D, E,
SA516 All Grades
Intermediate Temperatures
It ranges from 0 °C to 425 °C
Here Low Carbon Steels are employed
due to their elastic behavior below
425 °C
Materials like SA516 All grades, SA515
All grades, SA285 Gr. C, SA204 Gr. B
are employed
Elevated Temperatures
Above 425 °C
The steels begin to exhibit a drop in UTS & YS and cease
its elastic nature and starts becoming plastic in nature so
here the main requirement is high creep-rupture strength
At higher temps. number of changes in the steel
microstructure occurs, to a large extent both in grain
structure and in chemical composition, which affect the
mechanical properties
So here a coarse grained structure is preferred. Materials
like SA387 Gr. 11, 12, 22, SA240 TP 304, 316, 321, 347
Non-Corrosive Service - Summary
 Carbon Steels
 C-Mo steels, Low and intermediate Cr-Mo alloy steels
• Resistance to graphitization and hydrogen attack
• High creep-rupture strength at high temperatures
• Over 345°C it is economical
 Ferritic SS
 Austenitic SS
 Special high temperature resisting alloys
• SA240 TP310 and Incoloy
Carbon Steels
As the carbon content varies the strength also varies
But all have similar properties in creep range
CS are easy to fabricate and are economical compared to
alloy steels, as the alloying elements increases the cost of
material and the difficulties in fabrication increases
Material Grade Grain Size UTS YS Temp. Range
(Ksi) (Ksi)

SA515 60 Coarse 60 to 80 32 0
65 Coarse 65 to 85 35 to
70 Coarse 70 to 90 38 420°C

55 Fine 55 to 75 30 -30
SA516 60 Fine 60 to 80 32 to
65 Fine 65 to 85 35 420°C
70 Fine 70 to 90 38
CS-High Temperature Vessels
Most of them are fabricated at low cost
by using low alloy CS with an internal
refractory lining (insulation)
Not for small dia. Piping or in Heat
Exchangers
Corrosive Service
Here corrosion resistant material has to be
employed else protective lining has to be
done on the base material
For up to 10mm thick vessel shells SS plate is
economical to use and above that CS or LAS
shells with applied corrosion resistant layer
(of SS) are used i.e. Cladding
3 methods are employed for attaching the
protective layer:
1. Integrally Applied Cladding

Fabricated in steel mills by hot rolling of

assemblies of CS or LAS plates
(backing) & corrosion resistant sheet
(liner)
At high temp. the pressure creates a
solid-phase weld between the backing
and cladding metals
2. Strip or Sheet Lining
In strip lining, strips of 3-5 ft. long and
3-6 in. width are attached to the shell
by continuous weld around edges
In sheet type lining, sheets of several ft
in width and length is tightly attached
to the shell wall by resistance spot or
seam welds on a standard square
spacing
3. Weld Overlay Cladding
Welding process in which a material
with desired properties is deposited on
the surface of base material i.e.
continuous bonded layer of corrosion
resistance
Here SAW and ESSC processes are used
for overlay cladding after plate rolling /
bending operation
Stainless Steel
Stainless Steel

Alloy of Cr and Fe (Cr: 11-30%)

Advantages
• Corrosion Resistance – Increase the life and safety

• Strength at elevated Temp.

• Oxidation Resistance at elevated Temp.

• High Impact strength at Cryogenic Temp.

Properties
Retains Strength at elevated Temperature (Above
600°C)
Higher Stress relieving Temp and Long Holding time

Barrier Layer
Formation of un reactive Cr Oxide film

Pickling & Passivation

 Removing surface contamination by Acids like HNO3
 Artificial Oxide film by strong Oxidizing agent
Sensitization
At high temp Carbon molecules diffuse to the
grain boundaries

Precipitates as Cr4C – depletion of Cr

Corrosion at grain boundaries –

Intergranular Corrosion

Poor Cr envelope is anodic with respect to rest

of grain – Galvanic Corrosion
Classification
Stainless Steel
Depending on Alloying Elem ents

Straight Cr Group Cr - Ni Group Cr-Ni-Mn Group

Cr upto 30% Cr-18,Ni-8 P ortion of Ni is replaced by Mn
400 Series 300 Series 200 Series

Stainless Steel
Depending on M icrostructure

Austinitic StainlessSteel Ferritic Stainless Steel Martensitic Stainless Steel

Non hardenable, Non Magnetic Non hardenable, Magnetic Hardenable, Magnetic
300 Series, Ty 201 400 Series 400 Series
Austenitic Stainless Steel
Formation:
• Solution Annealing above 1000°C

• Austenite is a powerful Solvent

• Cr, Ni, C dissolved in Austenite matrix

• To retain microstructure Cooled rapidly to 425°C

• Corrosion Resistance, Ductility, Strength are Max

425 – 870˚C - Sensitization

• 3-6 mm Band away from and parallel to weld
Austenitic Stainless Steel- Classification

Au stin itic S tain less S teel

D e p en d ing o n th e P o ss ib ility of S e ns itiza tion

Gr I G r II G r III
C a n be A ffe cted Im m u na ted R o o t is E lim in a ted
C a n b e cu red 3 21 ,3 47 3 04 L, 31 6L
3 04 , 3 16 , 3 09 ,3 10
Austenitic Stainless Steel- Group I

Sensitization may be encountered by

Welding/Flame cutting

Cure (Desensitization) – Full Solution Annealing

• Heating above 870° C to dissolve carbide
• Rapid cooling- Introduce Residual Stresses
• Stress Relieving at 425°C

Operating Temperature stay below 425 °C

Austenitic Stainless Steel- Group II
Alloying elements like Ti, Cb have higher affinity to
carbon than Cr

They form carbides in preference to Cr

These carbides dispersed through metal

Can be sensitized by special heat treatment

(Carburized)– Knife edge attack

Operating temperature above 425°C

347(Cb) is superior than 321(Ti)

Austenitic Stainless Steel- Group III
Extra low carbon grades (<=0.03%) like 304L, 316L

Low carbon – Low strength

Re sensitized if temp remains 425 - 815°C for

prolonged period of time

Limited up to 425°C

Expensive because of difficulty and cost of removing

of carbon
Ferritic Stainless Steel

No general transformation from austenitic to

martensite – Non hardenable

Brittle in heat affected zone because of Rapid

grain growth

Sensitized by heating above 930°C and cooling

in air. Desensitized by heating to 790°C
(Allows Cr to diffuse)
Ferritic Stainless Steel
The composition of electrode is so chosen to
produce austenitic or air- non hardanable high
alloy weld metal
885°F Embrittlement Toughness
is reduced when heated to 750 – 900°F due to the precipitation of
Cr rich ferrite

Exhibits lower ductility at lower temperature

Ferritic Stainless Steel

Seldom used for construction of Pr. Vessel

except as a cladding (405, 410S)
They are Magnetic
Martensitic Stainless Steel

Straight Cr steels

Hardenable by heat treatment

Magnetic

Rarely used for construction of Pr. Vessel

Least corrosion resistance among SS

Hydrogen Attack

Mono atomic hydrogen diffuses in to the

metal.

At voids and slag inclusions they combine

each other and form molecular hydrogen

As the time grows pressure also grows

Hydrogen Attack

Effects
• Near surface – Crack
• At depth – Blistering

• At high temp (>315°C) Fe3C decompose and

hydrogen combine with C and forms CH 4. Pressure

builds up and leads to Intergranular crack
Hydrogen Attack – Suitable Materials

Cs and LAS at low temp and high Pr or high

temp and low Pr.
Austenitic Stainless Steel
Under hydrogen service both clad and base
material should be a hydrogen attack
resistance
 Overview of common Materials
SA 203 Ni SA302 Cr-Mo SA515 SA612
SA204 C-Mo SA353 Ni SA516 SA724/737
SA240 SA387 Cr-Mo SA517 SA738
SA263 Cr-Clad SA533 SA812
SA264 Cr-Ni Clad SA537
SA265 Ni- Clad SA542
SA283 SA553 Ni
SA285
SA299

CS LAS SS

In °C