High-Temperature Tensile and Creep Behavior in a CrMoV Steel and Weld Metal

The 2.25Cr1Mo0.25V steel is a vanadium-modified 2.25Cr1Mo steel and is being widely used in the manufacture of heavy-wall hydrogenation reactors in petrochemical plants. However, the harsh service environment requires a thorough understanding of high-temperature tensile and creep behaviors of 2.25Cr1Mo0.25V steel and its weld for ensuring the safety and reliability of hydrogenation reactors. In this work, the high-temperature tensile and creep behaviors of base metal (BM) and weld metal (WM) in a 2.25Cr1Mo0.25V steel weldment used for a hydrogenation reactor were studied experimentally, paying special attention to its service temperature range of 350–500 °C. The uniaxial tensile tests under different temperatures show that the WM has higher strength and lower ductility than those of BM, due to the finer grain size in the WM. At the same time, the short-term creep tests at 550 °C reveal that the WM has a higher creep resistance than that of BM. Moreover, the creep damage mechanisms were clarified by observing the fracture surface and microstructures of crept specimens with the aid of scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the creep damage mechanisms of both BM and WM are the initiation and growth of creep cavities at the second phase particles. Results from this work indicate that the mismatch in the high-temperature tensile strength, ductility, and creep deformation rate in 2.25Cr1Mo0.25V steel weldment needs to be considered for the design and integrity assessment of hydrogenation reactors.

Nephelium lappaceum Extract as an Organic Inhibitor to Control the Corrosion of Carbon Steel Weldment in the Acidic Environment

Organic inhibitors have been considered as an effective way to control the corrosion of carbon steel weldment in an acidic environment. This work proposes a new green organic inhibitor made of extract of rambutan fruit (Nephelium lappaceum) peel and aims at analyzing its corrosion inhibitor properties and protection mechanism. Specimens of carbon steel weldment were tested for their corrosion by using electrochemical and immersion methods in 1M HCl solution containing 0 to 6 g/L of Nephelium peel (NP) extract. Results showed that, in the same solution, the corrosion rate was measured to be higher on the weld metal zone than that of base metal zone, which could be related to the coarser grain of the weld metal zone and the stability of the formed oxide layer. The addition of NP extract was found to increase the stability of the oxide layer, thus increasing the corrosion resistance of the specimens. The maximum inhibition efficiency of the NP extract was reached at 97% for weld metal with 5 g/L of extract, at 80% for the heat affected zone with 5 g/L, and at 70% for base metal with 4 g/L. This work reveals the particularity of different weldment zones to the different needs of inhibitor concentration for obtaining the optimum corrosion protection.

Effect of Imidazole as Corrosion Inhibitor on Carbon Steel Weldment in District Heating Water

Many research studies have been conducted on the corrosion inhibition performance of imidazole in acidic environments such as in the piping of a petrochemical plant. However, there has been no study on the effect of imidazole in alkaline conditions such as a local district water heating environment. Therefore, in this study, the effect of imidazole as a corrosion inhibitor on carbon steel weldment was investigated in alkaline district heating water. Inhibition efficiency and electrochemical properties were investigated by potentiodynamic polarization test and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. As the concentration of imidazole increased up to 500 ppm, inhibition efficiency increased up to 91.7%. At 1000 ppm, inhibition efficiency decreased. Atomic force microscopy showed that surface coverage of imidazole at 1000 ppm is lower than that of imidazole at 500 ppm. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that with 500 ppm of imidazole, the amount of pyrrole type interaction is 4.8 times larger than pyridine type interaction. At 1000 ppm of imidazole, the amount of pyridine type interaction is 3.49 times larger than pyrrole type interaction. Depending on the concentration of imidazole, the ratio of interaction between carbon steel and imidazole affected inhibition efficiency.