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ML00125 - Mar.2018

Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet

Aspect of the surface of the platesheet at a corroded area, showing the selective attack effect.

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Aspect of the surface of the platesheet at a corroded area, showing the selective attack effect.
M

Material

Brass
  • UNS C28000
Ds

Description

The air cooler was operating, in a , using treated seawater as the cooling medium, and failed after less than 5 years in service. The metallurgical analysis indicated a selective () of the Muntz Metal sheet where it was in contact with the treated seawater (in higher temperature) and the occurred because of the material embrittlement ( in a porous layer) at the intersection of the 1/2" plate with the 5/8" cooper .

C

Chemistry (% in weight)

Plate Analysis

61.2Cu; 37.4Zn; 0.03Fe; 0.02Ni; 0.003Pb; 0.93Sn.

Associated Images
Aspect of the CuZn platesheet where it is corroded (cooling medium side). The (hot) air cooler uses treated seawater as the cooling medium and the corroded regions are associated to the regions in the heat exchanger of higher temperatures, and the leakage occurred in regions of contact of the platesheet to cooper alloy tubes.
1167
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - Corrosion
Micrography of a transverse section of the platesheet presenting a duplex structure, alpha (light yellow) and beta (orange) phases.
214
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+Ethanol Etched MicroDf - Alpha and Beta
Aspect of the tubesheet after removal of the cooper alloy tubes and water cleaning. The corrosion is more intense in the regions of tube connection.
176
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - Surface AspectDf - Corrosion
Transverse section of the tubesheet, after removal of the tubes. The seawater sie is to the top of the figure. It is possible to see regions of localized corrosion close to the tube position and a red layer all through the plate surface.
182
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Corrosion
Macrographic detail of the transverse section of the tubesheet at the cooper alloy tube position, after removal of the 5/8" tube. The red layer at the top of the plate (exposed to the cooling medium - treated seawater) is a region of selective corrosion, dezincification.
169
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Corrosion
Macrographic detail of the transverse section of the tubesheet at the cooper alloy tube position, after removal of the 5/8" tube. The "layer" at the top of the plate (exposed to the cooling medium - treated seawater) is a region of selective corrosion, dezincification. It is possible to see that in the right side of the figure, where the cooper tube was positioned, the corrosion damage is deeper.
153
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Dezincification
Micrography of the transverse section of the platesheet at the interface between the corroded and the non-corroded regions. The micrography is in the as polished condition.
140
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Preferential Dissolution
Micrography of the transverse section of the platesheet showing that part of the material (right side in the top of the figure) was lost (corroded).
129
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Preferential Dissolution
Micrographic detail of the dezincification effect, where the beta phase is preferentially corroded, leaving a cooper rich phase (red) that is porous and easily cracks.
121
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Dezincification
Micrographic detail of the dezincification effect, where the beta phase is preferentially corroded, leaving a cooper rich phase (red) that is porous and easily cracks.
130
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Cracks
Micrography showing detachment of material at the surface of the platesheet. The cracks are associated to the dezincification effect, where the beta phase was preferentially corroded and became a weak porous layer.
113
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Crack
Aspect of the surface of the platesheet at a corroded area, showing the selective attack effect.
99
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - Surface Aspect by SEMDf - Corrosion
Micrography presenting the interface between the layer where the dezincification occurred (top of the figure) and the region where the material was not yet corroded (bottom of the figure).
86
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Dezincification
Same region of the previous figure, after etching. Micrography presenting the interface between the layer where the dezincification occurred (top of the figure) and the region where the material was not yet corroded (bottom of the figure, now etched to reveal the microstructure).
85
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+Etanol Etched MicroDf - Dezincification
Micrography of the interface between the layer where the dezincification occurred (top of the figure) and the region where the material was not yet corroded (bottom of the figure, etched to reveal the microstructure).It is clear that the cracks (black opened regions in the upper side of the figure) are associated to the red islands that correspond to the regions of beta phase (orange islands in the bottom of the figure),
103
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+Etanol Etched MicroDf - Dezincification
Micrography of the non corroded region of the tubesheet presenting a microstructure of alpha (light yellow phase) and beta (orange phase).
99
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+Etanol Etched MicroDf - Alpha and Beta
Micrographic detail of the non corroded region of the tubesheet presenting a microstructure of alpha (light yellow phase) and beta (orange phase).
77
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+Etanol Etched MicroDf - Alpha and Beta
Micrography of the corroded region of the tubesheet presenting a microstructure of alpha (light yellow ), but no longer beta. In the position of the beta phase it is possible to see the cooper rich island (light red) and cracks (black) due to the selective removal of the zinc.
75
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+Etanol Etched MicroDf - Dezincification
Micrographic detail of the corroded region of the tubesheet presenting a microstructure of alpha (light yellow ), but no longer beta. In the position of the beta phase it is possible to see the cooper rich island (light red) and cracks (black) due to the selective removal of the zinc.
80
VIEW
ML00125 / Mar.2018
Dezincification of a Cooler Tubesheet
M - BrassP - PlateAp - ShipCd - Preferential Dissolution
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+Etanol Etched MicroDf - Dezincification