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ML00134 - Aug.2020

Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body

Detail of the internal bore, showing a brittle crack through the wall.

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Detail of the internal bore, showing a brittle through the wall.
M

Material

Super Duplex Stainless Steel
  • ASTM A 182 grade F55
  • UNS S32760
Ds

Description

During high pressure testing of 1" gate prototype, the body presented a brittle that was arrested in a region of the insert . The metallurgical analysis showed that this body presented low toughness and has formed during processing, probably during after (since the sigma was dissolved in the of the fabrication fillet weld).

C

Chemistry (% in weight)

Certificate (N 0.255)

0.014C; 0.42Si; 0.57Mn; 0.026P; 0.004S; 25.24Cr; 6.77Ni; 3.59Mo; 0.59Cu; 0.66W; 0.009Al; 0.064V.

Associated Images
Aspect of the cracked valve body, after disassembling and removing the internal parts. The valve is part of a lot that was manufactured by forging a cubic 170mm from a forged bar in SDSS UNS S32760, and heat treated (solution annealed) by the forging company. The fabrication using these bodies included the machining, fillet weld two inserts in Alloy 625, machining again, assembling the internals, and pressure test at 15,000 psi. The cracking occurred during test, only for this valve body.
676
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - Cracking
Detailed aspect of the cracking, straight and presenting a brittle aspect.
122
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - Cracking
Detail of the internal bore, showing a brittle crack through the wall.
106
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - Cracking
Aspect of a section cut transverse to the center of the body. The crack is brittle, trough wall, and was arrested in the region where the valve body was welded to the insert.
105
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Cracking
Microstructural analysis of the valve body structure, close to the position where the cracking has occurred. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with a large amount of detrimental phases associated to the ferritic structure, probably sigma phase.
106
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Sigma
Micrographic detail of the valve body structure, close to the position where the cracking has occurred. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with a large amount of detrimental phases associated to the ferritic structure, probably sigma phase.
102
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Sigma
Metallographic detail of the large amount of sigma phase, associated to the ferritic structure.
105
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Sigma
Microstructural analysis of the valve body structure, close to the position where the cracking has occurred. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with a large amount of detrimental phases associated to the ferritic structure, probably sigma phase.
92
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Micrography by SEMDf - Sigma
Micrographic details by scaning electron microscopy. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with a large amount of detrimental phases associated to the ferritic structure, probably sigma phase.
85
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Micrography by SEMDf - Sigma
High magnification details by scaning electron microscopy. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with a large amount of detrimental phases associated to the ferritic structure, probably sigma phase.
81
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Micrography by SEMDf - Sigma
Higher magnification detail of the sigma phase by scaning electron microscopy.
76
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Micrography by SEMDf - Sigma
Aspect of a section cut transverse to the center of the body. The structure of the valve body was not uniform and close to the BX groove body face the structure was more degradated than in the bottom of the body, as it will be presented in the next figures.
83
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Cracking
Microstructural analysis of the valve body structure, far from the position where the cracking has occurred, in the bottom of the body. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with some sigma phase, not in a large amount, indicating the valve structure was not uniform.
67
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Ferrite and Austenite
Micrographic detail of the valve body structure, far from the position where the cracking has occurred, in the bottom of the body. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with some sigma phase, not in a large amount, indicating the valve structure was not uniform.
63
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Ferrite and Austenite
Micrographic detail of the valve body structure, far from the position where the cracking has occurred, in the bottom of the body. The structure is ferritic austenitic, with some sigma phase, not in a large amount, indicating the valve structure was not uniform.
61
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Ferrite and Austenite
Aspect of a section cut transverse to the center of the body. The cracking is brittle, trough wall.
58
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Cracking
Low magnification micrographic aspect of the cracking. It is brittle, transgranular and associated to the ferritic/sigma phase interfaces.
54
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Brittle Cracks
Micrographic details of the cracking. It is brittle, transgranular and associated to the ferritic/sigma phase interfaces.
50
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Brittle Cracks
Micrographic aspect of the cracking. It is brittle, transgranular and associated to the ferritic/sigma phase interfaces.
49
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Brittle Cracks
Aspect of the fracture surface after cutting the valve body and opening the crack. The fracture is brittle.
55
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Fracture Surface AspectDf - Brittle Fracture
Fractographic aspect of the valve body fracture surface after opening the crack. The fracture micromechanism is brittle, by cleavage, with several secondary microcracks associated to the sigma phase.
54
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Fractography by SEMDf - Cleavage Facets
Fractographic detail of the valve body fracture surface after opening the crack. The fracture micromechanism is brittle, by cleavage, with several secondary microcracks associated to the sigma phase.
52
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Fractography by SEMDf - Cleavage Facets
Fractographic detail of the secondary microcracks associated to the sigma phase.
48
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Fractography by SEMDf - Secondary Cracks
Aspect of the valve body after cutting a slice containg the crack and the welded joint of the body to the insert (fillet weld). The cracking was arrested at the position of this welded joint.
56
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MacroDf - Welded Joint
Image of the external surface of the valve body at the region where the Alloy 625 insert was fillet weld to the SDSS valve body. The surface was later machined, so it is possible to see only a mark indicating where the weld is. The brittle crack is arrested at the margin of the weld. It is possible to see strong deformation at the crack tip when it arrives the weld.
41
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - External Surface
Macrographic detail of the valve at the welded joint of the SDSS body (left side of the figure) to the Alloy 625 insert (right side of the figure), by a fillet weld. The cracking was arrested at the position of this welded joint.
49
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MacroDf - Welded Joint
Low magnification micrography of the valve at the welded joint of the body to the insert (fillet weld). The cracking was arrested at the position of this welded joint because the structures of the weld metal, insert and heat affected zones are tough (austenitic in the weld metal and insert, and free from sigma in the HAZ) .
48
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Welded Joint
Micrography of the valve at the welded joint of the body to the insert (fillet weld). The cracking was arrested at the position of this welded joint because the structures of the weld metal, insert and heat affected zones are tough (austenitic in the weld metal and insert, and free from sigma in the HAZ) .
46
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Heat Affected Zone
Micrographic detail of the fusion line of the welded joint of the body to the insert (fillet weld). The cracking was arrested at the position of this welded joint because the structures of the weld metal, insert and heat affected zones are tough (austenitic in the weld metal and insert, and free from sigma in the HAZ) .
39
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Heat Affected Zone
Micrography of the valve at the welded joint of the body to the insert (fillet weld). The heat affected zone shows that the sigma phase was removed, which means that the base metal was degradated and during welding the thermal cycle created a condition to remove the sigma phase (dissolve it).
38
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Heat Affected Zone
Micrographic detail of the heat affected zone of the valve to the insert joint showing that the sigma phase was removed, which means that the base metal was degradated and during welding the thermal cycle created a condition to dissolve the sigma phase.
39
VIEW
ML00134 / Aug.2020
Brittle Fracture of a Superduplex Valve Body
M - Super Duplex Stainless SteelP - Fabrication WeldAp - SubseaCd - Brittle Fracture
Cm - NaOH Electrolytic Etched MicroDf - Heat Affected Zone