FAILURES AND THE LIFE OF FURNACE TUBES

It is showed after the furnace tubes serviced for 8-10 years that the density of damage in the HAZ (heat affected zone) of the weld has higher than in parent metals, though the depth of damage is not equal to. By the test of creep crack growth, it is also acquired that under same mechanic parameter C* (t), the rate of creep crack growth in the HAZ is more than twice as fast as in parent metals. Two mechanisms (overheating and thermal shock) of failure occurred in an accident are presented. The stress of thermal shock is analyzed, in which the change of the elasticity modulus with the radius ET = /(r) is considered. Based on it, the safety region of the thermal shock is obtained. Finally, two sets of curves for the safe life are suggested which can facilitate to estimate the remaining life of HK-40 or HP-Nb tubes by their creep rupture data.

Effects of aging treatment on microstructure and mechanical properties of Cr25Ni35Nb and Cr35Ni45Nb furnace tube steel

Cr25Ni35Nb and Cr35Ni45Nb alloys are usually used in the ethylene cracking furnaces. However, premature failure of furnace tubes often occurs ahead of design life due to elevated temperature exposure conditions （1050-1100 ℃） and aggressive service environment. Effects of exposure temperature and time on microstructure and mechanical properties of Cr25Ni35Nb and Cr35Ni45Nb steel at aging temperature （1200 ℃） with various exposure time were simulated different service times at 1050 ℃. Change of mechanical properties at room temperature and elevated temperature （900 ℃） of the aged Cr25Ni35Nb and Cr35Ni45Nb steel were investigated. Under exposure at 1200 ℃, ultimate tensile and yield strength, elongation of Cr35Ni45Nb steel increase initially and then decrease, however, strength and ductility of Cr25Ni35Nb steel decrease with aging time increasing. Large amount of fine secondary carbide particles precipitated and dispersed in matrix of Cr35Ni45Nb steel, which increased strength and ductility for dispersion strengthening. However, the effect of the dispersion strengthening is weakened by needle-like secondary carbides. Strength and ductility decreased with fine secondary carbide particles growing. For Cr25Ni35Nb steel, few fine secondary carbide particles precipitated and dispersed in the matrix, and needle-like secondary carbides generated in the matrix, which causes strength and ductility decreased with aging time increasing.

TWO METHODS FOR ASSESSMENT OF RESIDUAL LIFE OF HK-40 FURNACE TUBES

Two methods for predicting residual life of high temperature furnace tubes are studied. One is testanalysis method that is mainly based on the creep rupture tests on postservice specimens. Specimens were taken from the tubes, which had been in service for different times. KachanovRobinsons damage summation concept is employed, however with a modified factor K(ts) to account for prior damage in the specimens. If the foregone total life corresponds with real condition, all of the test data modified by K(ts) should be distributed uniformly nearby the master curve of the new material. The other iscomputer simulation method that considers all of the operating conditions that influence the life. The finite element method (FEM) with iterative calculation is used in the analysis. The variation rates of critical damage element along the wall thickness are determined as a function of the service temperature and current damage. A special program designed based on the method predicts well the residual life of furnace tubes, so long as the maximum depth of critical damage in radius direction of tubes has been detected by ultrasonic techniques.

Measurements of Creep Internal Stress Based on Constant Strain Rate and Its Application to Engineering

This research is carried out on the basis of Constant Strain Rate （CSR） to measure creep internal stress. Measurements of creep internal stress are conducted on the material test machine by using the CSR method. A mathematical model of creep internal stress is also proposed and its application is presented in this paper.

Damage prediction of HP40Nb steel with coupled creep and carburization based on the continuum damage mechanics

HP40Nb steel, used as a candidate material for ethylene cracking furnace tube, suffers creep and carburization damage from the complex environment of high temperature, high carbon potential and low oxygen partial pressure, and they lead to failure of the furnace tubes ahead of designed life. In order to investigate damage evolution under the complex condition, coupled creep damage and carburization damage constitutive equations were developed according to continuum damage mechanics theory. Based on the finite element ABAQUS code, user subroutines were developed for analyz- ing damage evolution of ethylene furnace tube under the action of coupled creep- carburization. The results show that carburization accelerates the damage process dramatically, damage value reaches the critical value along the inner surface after serving for 75,000 h under the action of creep-carburization, meanwhile the damage value is only 0.53 along the outer surface after operating the same time under the action of creep alone, which means that microcracks are generated along the inner surface under the action of coupled creep-carburization, fracture begins along the outer surface of tube under the action of creep alone.