7/29/2015

ASMESectionVIIIUHA51ImpactTestChangesCryogenicVessels

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July31,2012
ASMESectionVIIIUHA51
ImpactTest:ChangesAffectingCryogenic
VesselsMadefromAusteniticStainless
Steel

AneweditionoftheASMEBoilerandPressureVesselCodeis
issuedeverythreeyears.Inthecurrent2010editiontherearea
numberofchangesfromthe2007edition.Wewereespecially
interestedinachangetoPartUHA51paragraph(a)(4)(a)that
affectsthemanufactureofcryogenicpressurevesselswithminimum
designmetaltemperatures(MDMT)below320F(77K).
PartUHAofSectionVIIIoftheASMEBoilerandPressureVessel
Codeaddressesrequirementsforvesselsfabricatedfromhigh
alloyssteels,whichincludesthe304and316stainlesssteels
generallyusedtofabricatevesselswhichoperateattemperaturesof
320F(liquidnitrogen)orbelow.ParagraphUHA51dealswith
impacttesting.Thisisanimportantissueformaterialsusedinlow
temperatureservicebecausemanysteelalloysundergoaphase
transitionfromaductilestatetoabrittlestateattemperatureswell
above320F.Impacttestingisonemeansofassessingtheextent
towhichamaterialisbrittleorductile.Inadditiontoinsuringthat
thebasematerialofavesselremainsductiledowntotheMDMT,
weldedjointsarealsoaconcern.Theheatintroducedbywelding
cancausechangesinthestructureofthematerial.Ifthe
compositionoftheweldfillermetaldiffersfromthebasemetalthen
variationsincompositionwillbecreatedwhenthebasemetaland
fillermetalcombine.Interactionbetweenthehotmetalandthe
surroundingatmospheremayalsoresultinchangesincomposition
andproperties.Forthesereasonswhenimpacttestingisrequired,
UHA51alsorequiresasampleofthebasemetalaswellasa
sampleweldandasampleHeatAffectedZone(HAZ)inthevicinity
oftheweld.
Ingeneral,UHA51requiresimpacttestingatorbelowtheMDMTfor
allmaterials.Fortunatelyitalsoprovidessomeexceptionstothis
requirement.Arequirementtoimpacttestatliquidhelium
temperatureswouldbeaseriousimpedimenttovessel
manufacturers.Whileimpacttestinghasbeenperformedatliquid
heliumtemperatures,doubtshavebeenexpressedoverthevalidity
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ASMESectionVIIIUHA51ImpactTestChangesCryogenicVessels

ofimpacttestingatverylowtemperaturesbecausetheimpact
causesthesampletowarmconsiderably.Anexceptiontothis
requirementisprovidedbyparagraphUHA51(a)(4)(a),whichallows
theimpacttestingtobeperformedat320FeventhoughtheMDMT
isbelow320Fundercertainconditions.Thoseconditionsare:
type316Lortype308Lweldfillermetalsaretobeused
theweldingprocessistobeGTAWorGMAW
iftype316Lfillermetalisusedthenitshallnothavea
ferritenumbergreaterthan5whileiftype308Lfillermetal
isuseditshallhaveaferritenumberbetween4and14
Newhereistheadditionof308Lfillermetal.Previouslythis
exceptionwasonlypermittedif316Lfillermetalwithferritenumber
nogreaterthan5wasused.Thisisaveryimportantexemptionfor
heliumvesselmanufacturerswhichbearanASMEcodestampsowe
thoughtthatwewouldtakeacloserlook.Itisworthnotingthatthe
ASMEB31.1ProcessPipingCodedoesnotincludesuchan
exception.Requiringthatheliumpipingbetestedtothe
requirementsofB31.3imposesanearlyimpossiblecondition.
Formanyyearsonly316Lfillercouldbeusedtoqualifyforthe
exemptionfromimpacttestingattheMDMTfortemperaturesbelow
320Fandmanystillregard316Lasthefillermetalofchoiceforlow
temperatureapplicationsbecauseitconsistentlyproducesstrong,
toughwelds.The316Lfillercanbeusedtoweld316or304
stainlesssteels.Innoncryogenicapplicationsthe316Lfillermetal
isgenerallyusedtojoin316stainlesssteelwhile308Lfillerisused
forwelding304stainlesssteel.Justas304tendstobeless
expensivethan316stainlesssteel,the308Lfillermetalisalsoless
expensivethan316Lfillermetal.Bycarefullyadjustingthe
compositionofthefillermetalalloyssuppliersarenowabletooffer
316Land308Lfillerswithverysimilarpropertiesintermsof
strengthandtoughnessoftheresultingweld.
Whyisaferritenumberspecifiedandwhywoulditdifferforthetwo
fillersmetals?Stainlesssteelexistsinaustenitic,martensiticand
ferriticforms,eachhavingadifferentcrystalstructure.Depending
onitschemicalcomposition,analloymaybepurelyaustenitic,
purelymartensitic,purelyferritic,oramixtureoftwoorallthree
forms.Therelativequantityofeachformwilldependonthe
concentrationsofNiandCraswellastheconcentrationsofother
elementssuchasC,MnandMo.Theferritenumberisameasureof
theconcentrationofferrite.Becausetheferriteisferromagnetic,the
ferritenumbercanbemeasuredmagnetically.Ferritetendsto
preventhotcrackinginweldsanditspresenceisgenerally
consideredbeneficial.However,likecarbonsteelsandmartensitic
stainlesssteel,ferritebecomesbrittleatlowtemperaturesanditis
desirabletolimittheferriteconcentrationinweldsforlow
temperatureservice.Ideally,onewouldliketohavejustenough
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ASMESectionVIIIUHA51ImpactTestChangesCryogenicVessels

ferritetopreventhotcrackingbutnomorethanthat.Bycarefully
controllingthechemicalmakeupofthealloys,suppliersareableto
provideweldfillersforlowtemperatureservicewhichhavea
carefullycontrolledrangeofferritenumbersandwhichareresistant
tohotcracking.However,duringweldingsomeofthebasemetal
willmixwiththefiller.Thetendencytoformcracksasthemetal
coolswilldependonthequantitiesofsulfurandphosphorous
presentandthesewillvaryfromoneheat(batch)tothenextofthe
basemetal.Itisnotpossibletospecifyorcontrolferritenumber
withgreatprecision.Both308Land304stainlesssteelstendto
havehigherCrandlowerNicontentthan316,soitisnotsurprising
thattheirferritenumberswouldtendtobehigherfor308Land304L
alloys.Thechoiceofthespecificrangeof4to14seems
reasonable,butmayhavebeenbasedonthetestconditionsfor
availabledataratherthandetailedquantitativeconsiderations.
ThischangetoparagraphUHA51willgivefabricatorsgreater
flexibilityinthechoiceofweldfillermetalforapplicationsbelow
320FwhichrequireanASMECodestamp.AtMeyerTool,keeping
abreastofchangesintheASMEBoilerandPressureVesselCodeis
partoftherequirementformaintainingourCertificateof
AuthorizationtoissueUandRcodestampsandanotherwaywe
ReduceProjectRisktohelpyouachievelowesttotalcostof
ownership.

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