Table 3
Common materials damage mechanisms in SMR hydrogen plants (Reference: API Recommended Practice 571)
Damage mechanisms
Equipment affected
Creep=stress rupture
High temp hydrogen attack
Oxidation
Thermal fatigue
Refractory degradation
Temper embrittlement
Amine cracking
Chloride stress corr: Cracking
Steam blanketing
Thermal shock
Short-term overheading - stress rupture
Sigma-phase=chi embrittlement
Reheat cracking
Dissimilar metal weld cracking
CO 2 corrosion
Amine corrosion
Boiler water=condensate corrosion
Metal dusting
Pressure cycle fatigue
Feed gas hydrotreater
X
ZnO drums
X
Convection steam gen coils
X
X
X
SMR furnace tubes/refractory
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
SMR furnace process outlet
X
X
X
X
Waste heat boiler/steam gen
X
X
X
X
SMR effluent hot bypass
X
X
X
X
X
X
HTSC inlet
X
HTS converter
X
X
X
X
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S.A. Treese