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Microstructure investigation of premature corroded heat exchanger plates

  • Dr.-Eng. Anna Wassilkowska is a specialist in electron microscopy at the Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Cracow University of Technology (CUT), Poland. She received her PhD in Engineering Science from AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland in 1998. Since 2000, she was a visiting researcher in the following institutes in Germany: Forschungszentrum Jülich, MPI of Microstructure Physics Halle and Technical University Munich. Her research team received the Sawamura Award for distinguished paper in ISIJ International in 2006. Now she is working on microstructure characterization, on mechanical behavior of environmental and engineering materials as well as on corrosion topics.

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    Dr.-Eng. Tadeusz Skowronek, born in 1952, received his MSc in Metallurgy and Metal Physics from AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland in 1979 and PhD in the field of special steels and alloys from the Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science at the same university in 2006. Since 2006, he is a senior lecturer in the Department of Physical and Powder Metallurgy, AGH, Cracow, Poland. His research interests include metal science and quantitative metallography.

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    Dr.-Eng. Stanislaw M. Rybicki, born in 1958, graduated from Cracow University of Technology (CUT), Poland in 1983. He earned his PhD in Environmental Engineering at the same university in 1996. He is a licensed construction engineer with over 30 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment process design. He completed several research grants in the field of water and wastewater treatment, mostly on interaction between processes and nutrient removal and recovery. He is currently Assistant Professor at CUT.
Published/Copyright: March 7, 2022
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Materials Testing
From the journal Materials Testing Volume 58 Issue 3

Abstract

A food processing plant supplied different heat exchanger plates to investigate the cause of their premature corrosion. In the elder version of the system, heat exchanger plates of grade 316/316L worked for five years before they became unsuitable for use. The new production line includes two heat exchangers working interchangeably to allow breaks for regular cleaning. An increased permeability during hydrogen test showed that corrosion of new plates started in one of the heat exchangers after two weeks, and in the second one after few months. Leaks manifested themselves by a regular pattern of corrosion pitting, occurring exactly in contact points of adjacent plates. A detailed study of the microstructure features of the austenitic steel plates was performed using scanning electron microscopy and metallography. It was found that plates corroding prematurely had surface impurities containing chlorides. A characteristic feature of the corrugated plate surface is secondary recrystallized microstructure with thick and pronounced austenite grain boundaries. Pitting was identified as the dominant material degradation mechanism promoted by fretting corrosion of adjoining plate ribs.

Abstract

Eine Lebensmittelverarbeitungsfabrik legte zur Untersuchung verschiedene Wärmetauscherplatten vor, um die Ursache der vorzeitigen Korrosion zu ermitteln. In der älteren Version desselben Systems waren Wärmetauscherplatten aus dem Stahl des Types 316/316L für fünf Jahre eingesetzt, bevor sie für eine weitere Verwendung unbrauchbar wurden. Die neue Produktionslinie enthält zwei Wärmetauscher die abwechselnd betrieben werden, um Unterbrechungen für die regelmäßige Reinigung zuzulassen. Eine erhöhte Permeabilität in entsprechenden Wasserstoffversuchen zeigte, dass die Korrosion der neuen Platten in einem der beiden Wärmetauscher bereits nach zwei Wochen und im anderen nach ein paar Monaten einsetzte. Die undichten Stellen wiesen eine reguläre Streuung von Korrosionslöchern (Pittings) auf, die exakt dort auftraten, wo die Kontaktstellen zu den benachbarten Platten waren. Es wurde eine detaillierte Studie der Mikrostruktur der austenitischen Stahlplatten mittels Rasterelektronenmikroskopie und Metallographie durchgeführt. Es wurde herausgefunden, dass die vorzeitig korrodierten Platten Oberflächenverunreinigungen aufwiesen, die Chloride enthielten. Ein charakteristisches Merkmal der geriffelten Platten besteht in der sekundär-rekristallisierten Mikrostruktur mit dicken und ausgeprägten austenitischen Korngrenzen. Lochkorrosion (Pitting) wurde als dominanter Degradationsmechanismus identifiziert, unterstützt durch Fraßkorrosion der verbundenen Plattenrippen.

Keywords: Plate heat exchanger; stainless steel; grain boundaries; pitting; fretting corrosion
Dr. Anna Wassilkowska Faculty of Environmental Engineering, S-3 Cracow University of Technology Ul. Warszawska 24 31-155 Cracow Poland

About the authors

Dr.-Eng. Anna Wassilkowska

Dr.-Eng. Anna Wassilkowska is a specialist in electron microscopy at the Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Cracow University of Technology (CUT), Poland. She received her PhD in Engineering Science from AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland in 1998. Since 2000, she was a visiting researcher in the following institutes in Germany: Forschungszentrum Jülich, MPI of Microstructure Physics Halle and Technical University Munich. Her research team received the Sawamura Award for distinguished paper in ISIJ International in 2006. Now she is working on microstructure characterization, on mechanical behavior of environmental and engineering materials as well as on corrosion topics.

Dr.-Eng. Tadeusz Skowronek

Dr.-Eng. Tadeusz Skowronek, born in 1952, received his MSc in Metallurgy and Metal Physics from AGH University of Science and Technology, Cracow, Poland in 1979 and PhD in the field of special steels and alloys from the Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science at the same university in 2006. Since 2006, he is a senior lecturer in the Department of Physical and Powder Metallurgy, AGH, Cracow, Poland. His research interests include metal science and quantitative metallography.

Dr.-Eng. Stanisław Rybicki

Dr.-Eng. Stanislaw M. Rybicki, born in 1958, graduated from Cracow University of Technology (CUT), Poland in 1983. He earned his PhD in Environmental Engineering at the same university in 1996. He is a licensed construction engineer with over 30 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment process design. He completed several research grants in the field of water and wastewater treatment, mostly on interaction between processes and nutrient removal and recovery. He is currently Assistant Professor at CUT.

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Published Online: 2022-03-07

© 2016 Carl Hanser Verlag, München

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Mechanical Testing
  3. Deformation and damage behavior of lightweight steels at high rate multiaxial loading
  4. Failure Analysis
  5. Reheat cracking failure of a welded alloy 803 outlet pigtail tube used in a steam hydrocarbon reforming furnace
  6. Production-Oriented Testing
  7. Surface roughness of Ti6Al4V after heat treatment evaluated by artificial neural networks
  8. Fatigue life of the magnesium alloy AZ31B under specific spectrum loading
  9. Mechanical Testing
  10. Optimization of welding parameters to attain maximum strength in friction stir welded AA7075 joints
  11. Experimental investigations of Al-TiO2-Gr hybrid composites fabricated by stir casting
  12. Corrosion Testing/Failure Analysis
  13. Microstructure investigation of premature corroded heat exchanger plates
  14. Mechanical Testing
  15. Investigation of deep-drilled micro-hole profiles in Hadfield steel
  16. Wear Testing
  17. Investigation of the abrasive wear behavior of an aluminum alloy and its Al2O3 particle reinforced composite by statistical analysis
  18. Production-Oriented Testing
  19. Optimization of process parameters for rectangular cup deep drawing by the Taguchi method and genetic algorithm
  20. Fabrication of microstructured polymers by a simple biotemplate embossing method and their characterization
  21. Fatigue testing/fractography/materialography
  22. Performance of non-asbestos organic brake liners for light motor vehicles
  23. Failure Analysis
  24. Material optimization of a cemented tibia tray using functionally graded material
  25. Mechanical Testing
  26. Effect of agglomeration and dispersion on the elastic properties of polymer nanocomposites: A Monte Carlo finite element analysis
  27. Production-Oriented Testing
  28. Effects of machining parameters and reinforcement content on thrust force during drilling of hybrid composites
https://doi.org/10.3139/120.110837
Keywords for this article
Plate heat exchanger; stainless steel; grain boundaries; pitting; fretting corrosion

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Contents
  2. Mechanical Testing
  3. Deformation and damage behavior of lightweight steels at high rate multiaxial loading
  4. Failure Analysis
  5. Reheat cracking failure of a welded alloy 803 outlet pigtail tube used in a steam hydrocarbon reforming furnace
  6. Production-Oriented Testing
  7. Surface roughness of Ti6Al4V after heat treatment evaluated by artificial neural networks
  8. Fatigue life of the magnesium alloy AZ31B under specific spectrum loading
  9. Mechanical Testing
  10. Optimization of welding parameters to attain maximum strength in friction stir welded AA7075 joints
  11. Experimental investigations of Al-TiO2-Gr hybrid composites fabricated by stir casting
  12. Corrosion Testing/Failure Analysis
  13. Microstructure investigation of premature corroded heat exchanger plates
  14. Mechanical Testing
  15. Investigation of deep-drilled micro-hole profiles in Hadfield steel
  16. Wear Testing
  17. Investigation of the abrasive wear behavior of an aluminum alloy and its Al2O3 particle reinforced composite by statistical analysis
  18. Production-Oriented Testing
  19. Optimization of process parameters for rectangular cup deep drawing by the Taguchi method and genetic algorithm
  20. Fabrication of microstructured polymers by a simple biotemplate embossing method and their characterization
  21. Fatigue testing/fractography/materialography
  22. Performance of non-asbestos organic brake liners for light motor vehicles
  23. Failure Analysis
  24. Material optimization of a cemented tibia tray using functionally graded material
  25. Mechanical Testing
  26. Effect of agglomeration and dispersion on the elastic properties of polymer nanocomposites: A Monte Carlo finite element analysis
  27. Production-Oriented Testing
  28. Effects of machining parameters and reinforcement content on thrust force during drilling of hybrid composites
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