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ML00163 - Jun.2020 | Watch on Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tubedonated by: José Gonçalves Pacheco Junior

Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube

Micrography presenting the internal tube surface, with parallel cracks growthing from pits.

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presenting the internal surface, with parallel growthing from pits.
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Material

Low Carbon Steel
  • GB T 5310 grade 20G
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Description

This waterwall has been in operation during 10 years and suffered to the outside of the bolier, detected by visual inspection. A thick-edged rupture, associated to the membrane attachment, was identified from the cold side of the tube. The analysis indicated multiple transgranular parallel , filled with oxides, initiated from waterside, indicating that the failure occurred by a mechanism. Small underbead cracks were identified from the tube outside.

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Chemistry (% in weight)

Tube analysis

0.17C; 0.20Si; 0.46Mn; 0.008P; 0.005S; 0.04Cr; 0.04Ni; 0.08Cu.

Associated Images
Aspect of the waterwall during removal of the leaking tube. The leakage was detected, by visual inspection, from the outside of the boiler.
1675
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Field photoDf - General View
Aspect of the sample removed from the waterwall, where the tube has leaked, presenting the crack in the membrane.
361
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Field photoDf - Through Wall Cracking
Aspect of the tube internal surface after removal from the boiler, presenting multiple longitudinal cracks.
295
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - Internal Surface
Aspect of the external surface of the leaking tube, after removal of the membrane.
262
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - External Surface
Throught wall cracking of the waterwall tube at the leakage position, thick edged, The external surface of the tube was grounded to remove the membrane and the cracking is associated to the tube attachement.
242
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Thick-edged rupture
Macrography of the transverse section of the tube, in a position where the cracking was not yet through wall. The internal tube surface shows multiple corrosion fatigue cracks, parallel, under the weld of the membrane, probably related to the cold side of the tube (the cracks opened to the boiler outside). The external side of the tube presenting a small crack at the margem of the weld, suggesting also the action of thermal stresses.
214
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - NItal Etched MacroDf - Multiple cracks
The tube microstructure is ferritic-pearlitic, typical of this kind of material. No evidences of microstrutural changes were detected (no overheating, no decarburization).
177
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Ferrite and Pearlite
The internal side of the tube presented multiple cracks, filled with oxides, blunt-tipped, typical of a corrosion fatigue cracking mechanism.
160
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Parallel cracks
Micrographic detail of the corrosion cracking from internal side of the tube, in several points at the tube surface.
156
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Corrosion Cracking
Micrographic detail, by scanning electron micrography, of the pitting corrosion generating cracks, typical of a corrosion fatigue mechanism.
156
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by SEMDf - Pitting
Low magnification micrography of the multiple cracks, parallel, transgranular. No evidences of microstrutural changes (heat evolution or decarburization).
127
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Transgranular Cracking
Micrography presenting the internal tube surface with several parallel cracks, some still in the beginning (less than 0.1 mm deep).
115
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Parallel cracks
Micrography of the crack tip, initiated from the internal tube surface. The crack is transgranular, filled with oxides and blunt-tipped.
109
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Transgranular Cracking
Micrographic detail of the blunt-tipped crack, transgranular and filled with oxides.
102
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Crack
Micrography presenting the internal tube surface, with parallel cracks growthing from pits.
96
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Multiple cracks
Micrographic detail of the parallel cracks growthing from pits.
97
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Corrosion Cracking
Micrography of the crack tip, initiated from the internal tube surface. The crack is transgranular and filled with oxides.
87
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Transgranular Cracking
Micrographic detail of the transgranular cracking, filled with oxides.
94
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Crack
Micrography of the external tube surface, presenting a crack at the weld margin. This cracking could have been created by thermal induced cycles (fatigue), but it did not propagate into the tube wall. In some regions of the external side of the tube the weld metal was detached.
77
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - External Surface
Micrography of the external tube surface, presenting the cracking at the margin of the weld. This cracking could have been created by thermal induced cycles (fatigue), but it did not propagate into the tube wall.
85
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Fusion Line
Micrographic detail of the external tube surface with the crack at the weld margin.
71
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Cracking
Micrographic detail, by scanning electron microscopy, of the external tube surface, presenting the crack at the weld margin. The microstructure if ferritic in the left side (weld metal) and bainitic in the right side of the crack (heat affected zone).
90
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by SEMDf - Cracking
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
4
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by SEMDf - Pearlite
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
4
VIEW
ML00163 / Jun.2020
Corrosion Fatigue of a Boiler Waterwall Tube
M - Low Carbon SteelP - Seamless tubeAp - BoilerCd - Corrosion Fatigue
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Crack