Back to Pure Copper
ML00180 - Mar.2022

Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes

Micrographic detail of the melted materials. Grey islands of steel and the dendritic structure of the orange copper and dark dots (probably due to oxygen contamination).

15

36
Micrographic detail of the melted materials. Grey islands of and the of the orange and dark dots (probably due to oxygen contamination).
M

Material

Pure Copper
  • UNS C12000
Ds

Description

The pure were in operation in a melting pot cooling panel of an electric arc furnace and were overheated due to the contact with liquid , creating points of local melting and water , causing huge in the furnace.

C

Chemistry (% in weight)

Tube

99.8Cu; 0.02Zn; 0.02Ni; 0.02Pb; 0.02Sn; 0.004P.

Associated Images
Aspect of the 3 1/2" diameter tube after the water leakage in high temperature.
962
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - General View
View of the iinternal side of the tube (water side), deformed in the overheated area. There are several leaking points.
115
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Aspect Before AnalysisDf - Internal Surface
Macroscopic aspect after cutting longitudinally in two halfs, at the damaged area. The tube internal surface showed a red copper colour at the overheated region and the perforation is associated to longitudinal cracks.
104
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Longitudinal Section AspectDf - Internal Surface
Detail of the perforation point, internal view. Aligned perforations in the overheated region and interconnected longitudinal cracks.
94
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Longitudinal Section AspectDf - Leakage
Micrographic aspect of the tube out of the damaged region, in a longitudinal section, showing the grain refined copper structure.
96
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+H2O Etched MicroDf - In the Center of the Thickness
Micrographic detail of the granular copper structure, a little far from the overheated region.
102
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+H2O Etched MicroDf - Granular structure
Micrographic detail of the granular copper structure, out of the damaged area. The dark particles are non metallic (oxides).
93
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+H2O Etched MicroDf - Granular structure
Transverse section of the tube in a position of localized thinning.
60
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Localized Thinning
Micrographic aspect, as polished, of a transverse section of the tube (bottom side of the image, orange), at the interface between the tube and the melted steel over the external diameter (top side of the image, grey). In the copper tube there are several microcracks and regions of incipient melting (voids).
41
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - As polished micrographyDf - Cracks
Micrographic aspect of the tube wall under the localized thinning, in a transverse section, showing a coarse structure due to high temperature grain growth.
37
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+H2O Etched MicroDf - Overheating
Micrographic detail of the high temperature grain growth in the tube microstructure.
31
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+H2O Etched MicroDf - Coarse Structure
Micrographic detail of the high temperature grain growth in the tube microstructure.
35
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+H2O Etched MicroDf - Coarse Structure
Transverse section of the tube in a position of wall perforation.
32
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Leakage
Micrography of the interface between the melted steel (top) and the copper tube (bottom), showing a mixture of melted materials.
31
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Mixture of Melted Metals
Micrographic detail of the melted materials. Grey islands of steel and the dendritic structure of the orange copper and dark dots (probably due to oxygen contamination).
36
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Mixture of Melted Metals
Micrographic detail of the melted materials. Grey islands of steel (with grains) and the dendritic structure of the orange copper and dark dots (probably due to oxygen contamination).
41
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Mixture of Melted Metals
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
1
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Thinning
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
4
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - FeCl3+HCl+H2O Etched MicroDf - Overheating
mixture
1
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Nital Etched Micrography by OMDf - Overheating
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
1
VIEW
ML00180 / Mar.2022
Local Melting of Copper Cooling Tubes
M - Pure CopperP - Cooling TubeAp - SiderurgyCd - Overheating
Cm - Transverse Section AspectDf - Leakage