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A M a t e r i a l s T e c h n o l o g y I n s t i t u t e P u b l i c a t i o n

COMMUNICATIONS “Maximizing resources through a global network of materials specialists” | FALL 2017

Page 4

Focus on Corrosion Under Insulation

2. New EuroTAC

Chair

8. New Member New Castle

9. Caldera Develops

Ceramic-based Solutions

10. AsiaTAC Update

13. MTI Scholarship Application

Deadline

16. TAC Awareness

Bulletin Committee

Update11. EuroTAC

Update

Inside this Issue

http:/ /www.mti-global.org

3. Bill Bieber Joins MTI

Board

6. NORAM Joins MTI

FALL 2017 | 2

About this Publication:MTI Communications is published by the Materials Technology Institute, Inc. (MTI). MTI is a unique, cooperative research and development organization representing private industry. Its objective is to conduct generic, non-proprietary studies of a practical nature on the selection, design, fabrication, testing, inspection, and performance of materials and equipment used in the process industries.

Copyright © 2017 Materials TechnologyInstitute, Inc. All rights reserved.

Contact:Submit all correspondence regardingMTI Communications to:Materials Technology Institute, Inc.1001 Craig Road, Suite 490 St. Louis, MO 631461-314 - 567- 4111 (telephone)1-314-567- 4138 (fax)[email protected]

MTI Communications Editorial Board:Mike Anderson, Syncrude Michael Blakely, NobelCladEileen Chant, Becht EngineeringMarc Cook, Dow ChemicalByron Keelin, MTIWilliam Paden, Ascend Performance MaterialsLindsey Skinner, MTIHeather Stine, MTIPaul Whitcraft, MTI

Editor: Kirk Richardson, MTI

Subscriptions:For a free subscription, write to MTI orcontact [email protected]

Calendar:

EuroTAC Fall Meeting November 13 – 15, 2017 Tarragona, Spain

AmeriTAC 125 February 19-21, 2018 Orlando, Florida

Managing Aging Plants USA November 13-14, 2018 Houston, Texas

Please contact us at 1-314 - 567- 4111 or [email protected] for more information or to find out how your company can become a member.

Website:http://www.mti-global.org

M TI’s TAC leadership model includes a Vice Chair position that allows

the new nominee two years to learn from the current Chair before tak-ing on the increased responsibilities of that position. At EuroTAC, the training period accelerated to one year, as Jim Shipley resigned his leadership role when he left MTI and Sophie Wastiaux graciously agreed to step up and become Chair one year early. Wastiaux, an International Senior Expert at Air Liquide and expert in materials for CPI applica-tions, is certainly qualified to lead MTI’s EuroTAC group. She has a PhD in Materials Engineering, where her research topic was Stain-less Steels. Her more than 30 years of experience in the field includes approximately 10 years as a Materials Specialist within Air Liquide’s engineering department. Now, as Material Science Expert, she leads the company’s worldwide Structural Asset Integrity Program.

“MTI was really a good opportu-nity for me and Air Liquide to get quick access to very experienced people of course, but also to join some project teams in line with our concerns within Air Liquide,” says Wastiaux. “Taking some responsibilities within MTI was obvious for me.” Wastiaux won’t be alone at the EuroTAC podium. The European representatives elected Lars Rose, DuPont, as her Vice Chair. “Lars is a really knowledgeable person in his field and has been involved in EuroTAC for many years,” she shares. But Wastiaux emphasizes that it will take more than the leadership team to make EuroTAC successful. “Engaged members make the whole organization work, so participation in meetings and projects is key to success,” points out Wastiaux. “People will attend meetings if they feel they will learn, if they feel they will get solutions,

> CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

New EuroTAC Chair Wastiaux Says Participation is Key to Success

Sophie Wastiaux, Air Liquide

contacts and experience, I want to help grow the organization by at-tracting new members and retain-ing existing members. It is extreme-ly important that MTI maintains its leadership in materials selection for the CPI and continues to be rec-ognized for its technical expertise.” MTI isn’t the only organization that will benefit by adding Bieber to its leadership team. The trade-off for his commitment is access to a wider range of information that could benefit him in his Business Development role back home at the tube manufacturing plant. “MTI members are committed to shar-ing non-proprietary knowledge to promote safety and improve the reliability of its members’ opera-tions,” he explains. “Sharing this collective knowledge and resources provides a unique learning oppor-tunity to me as an individual as well as Webco. As a supplier to the CPI, we learn what producers value and how we can provide that value. As we become more knowledgeable regarding how our materials are used, we can then possibly provide alternative solutions.” Although Bieber would like to see MTI grow, he hopes that the organization continues to retain the special culture that it enjoys. “I believe it will need to expand beyond the CPI to include other process industries with similar material problems,” he notes. “It must continually provide a value and demonstrate its value to the management of its member com-panies.” He has already taken a big step toward that goal for Webco. In turn, MTI is pleased to add Bill’s talent and unique perspective to the Board. Welcome. n

FALL 2017 | 3 Providing Global Leadership in Materials Technology

“MTI is one of” a kind and it is an honor to be selected as a

“board member”Bill Bieber, Webco Industries

Bill Bieber, a frequent contributor at MTI’s AmeriTAC Meetings, is bringing his 30

years’ experience in the production and sales of Corrosion Resistant Alloy (CRA) tubing to the Board. Bieber, TAC Representative for Webco Industries, recently replaced long-time supplier member Kelly Wyrough, who left her position on the BOD at the end of 2016. Although he has served on several project teams, this is his first leadership role at MTI. Bieber welcomes the opportu-nity to have an even bigger impact on our unique technical com-munity. “I have been involved in NACE, ASME, ASTM and other technical organizations, but MTI is one of a kind, and it is an honor to be selected as a Board member,” he says. Bieber participated in his first meeting after being confirmed by the current BOD at AmeriTAC 123 in St. Paul, Minnesota (June 2017). “It is extremely refreshing to participate in Board discussions as each Board member has a unique perspective,” he observes. “Yet all the Board members have the best interests of MTI in mind. MTI has to continue to find ways to provide value to its members.” Bieber brings a great deal of industry knowledge to the table. His background with materials includes CPI-related projects using stainless steel, duplex stainless steels, high nickel alloys and tita-nium tubing. Bieber’s current role at Webco is Business Development, focused on the Chemical Process Markets. He points out that CRA tubing is essential for shell and tube heat exchangers in chemical plants as well as petrochemical and refining applications, adding:

“As a Board member, I can use this experience to make informed deci-sions regarding many of the project proposals and to provide a different perspective to the Board.” Bieber hopes to leverage the expertise he has built over many years to MTI’s benefit. He plans to serve on MTI’s Membership Com-mittee, where he has been an ad hoc member for the last year. “I am also willing to help wherever I am needed and can make a meaningful contribution,” he adds. “Using my

Bieber Brings CRA Supplier Perspective to MTI Board

Corrosion

Insulation

FALL 2017 | 4

W hen MTI Refiners Roundtable 2 Chair Kevin Ganschow

(Chevron) began discussing the upcoming one-day special event with the steering committee, one topic seemed to capture the group’s interest: Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI). CUI poses challenges in many Process Industry plants worldwide and has been a struc-tured forum topic at TAC meetings and a hot topic at MTI’s co-hosted Managing Aging Plants (MAP) Conferences. Since interest in CUI hasn’t cooled much, the committee decided to pull together some of the leading experts on the subject for a panel session at RR2 in San Antonio, October 23, 2017. This distinguished group of experts in-cludes Dr. Narasi Sridhar of DNV GL, Michael MeLampy of PPG,

David Moore of Becht Engineering, Gary Whittaker of Eastman Chemicals, Brian Fitzgerald of Stress Engineering, Ken Kirkham of Equity Engineering, and Dr. Masao Nakahara of Asahi Kasei in Japan. Prior to the interactive panel session, we asked the panelists to share a little of their experience with CUI research and manage-ment. Ganschow, who will moder-ate this session, hopes the following thoughts will provide insights for newsletter readers around the world, stimulate discussion in the online MTI forum, and spark questions and input at the live roundtable. Dr. Sridhar, who spent 19 years in materials research at SwRI be-fore coming to DNV GL in 2007, defines CUI as consisting of three separate phenomena: (1) non-

uniform form of corrosion that occurs on carbon steel components, (2) stress corrosion cracking on the lower-alloyed stainless steels under insulation (sometimes also referred to as External SCC or ESCC), and (3) a more recently discovered phenomenon of stress corrosion cracking of carbon steel under in-sulation. “These three problems are all sometimes labeled as CUI, but have to be treated differently,” he explains. “Additionally, there may be other variations of this problem, such as that occurring on insulated, buried pipelines that also have cathodic protection imposed on it. The first two problems are well recognized by the industry. NACE has a guideline document and European Federation of Corrosion also has a recommended practices document.”


Focus on


Roundtable Panelists Address CUI Challenges and Potential Solutions

An example of CUI in action: 304 stainless steel that was removed from a 304 stainless steel distillation column operated at about 80°C in a seaside location. The column failed by severe external SCC as shown by these samples.

FALL 2017 | 6

MTI’s pool of materials engineering expertise just got deeper with the recent

addition of NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd, which owns subsidiary BC Research Inc. As it turns out, the parent company also purchased the assets of former member company Ellett Industries in 2017, which renewed its mem-bership as a larger supplier company offering additional capabilities. With its combination of subsid-iaries, NORAM brings a unique

blend of engineering, fabrication, and materials research expertise to share at worldwide TAC meetings, the forum, and with MTI project teams. Longtime MTI TAC Rep Robert Gill (formerly with Ellett) attended AmeriTAC 123 in St.

Paul, Minnesota and introduced NORAM President Tony Boyd and his new member company to meeting participants. NORAM, founded in 1988, is based in Vancouver, B.C., with six specialized business groups that have completed capital projects on five continents. “The NORAM group is a closely integrated portfolio of companies that allows process de-velopment to proceed from concept to full-scale industrial demonstra-tion, largely in-house, and with a

NORAM Engineering and Constructors Joins MTINew Member Company Includes Materials Research Component

(Below) Pilot skid recently designed, built and commissioned at NORAM’s newly-opened, purpose built BC Research Inc.


strong emphasis on design-for-pur-pose,” according to Boyd. “We bring our experience in the chemical and resource sectors to bear on pilot plant design, which in turn benefits scale-up insofar as our pilot plants can extract the optimal design information and material selection required as inputs for full-scale industrial processes. For example, a concept might prog-ress from the bench-top, through our associate BC Research Inc. (www.bcri.ca) where pilot design, construction and operation leads to a specification for an industrial plant, for which the process vessels are manufactured by our associate Axton Inc. (www.axton.ca). There is therefore less emphasis on hand-off to the next stage and more on working seamlessly across the stages of development.” The company also works in the Sulphuric Acid, Electrochemistry, and Pulp & Paper market sectors. All of these niches have extreme operating environments in com-mon and often must rely on high-performance materials. “We have a particular interest in tita-nium, Si-bearing grades, tantalum, high nickel alloys, and glass-lined vessels,” notes Boyd. Ellett’s experi-ence with these and other corrosion resistant alloys could open new doors to projects in the CPI. “We see materials as a hierarchy, where our business has evolved around the production of very large carbon and stainless steel process vessels, and that’s something we do well,” explains Boyd. “However, the recent acquisition by NORAM of the assets of the venerable Ellett Industries allows an evolution to taking even higher performance alloys, duplexes, titanium and zirconium in-house. Titanium in

particular plays an ever-increasing role in electrochemistry, and we are leaning into the challenge of tak-ing Ellett’s world-class reputation to the next step — with MTI very much in mind.” NORAM is better positioned to support MTI-related projects with its new purpose-built BC Research complex in Vancouver BC, which came online earlier this year. The state-of-the-art facility offers ana-lytical laboratory capabilities, an extensive pilot plant infrastructure, and a platform for good founda-tional research. Co-located with BC Research are two centres of excel-lence in High-Temperature Ther-mochemistry and Fluidised Bed mechanics, and also the nascent Carbon Capture and Conversion Institute (CCCI), jointly supported by BC Research, the University of British Columbia, and Carbon Management Canada to advance the science of carbon valorization. “BC Research represents an impor-tant operational facet in supporting corrosion, fitness-for-purpose, and failure investigation studies for our business groups,” says Boyd. MTI’s collaborative materials science model is clearly an ideal fit

for NORAM. “MTI offers a unique meeting point where technology providers and end-users can pool their experience in an exchange that leads to a better way of doing things,” observes Boyd. “That trans-lates to productivity improvements on the production line, and safer, cleaner processes on the design front.” It didn’t take him long to see the many potential benefits to the industry. By the end of his first Ameri-TAC experience, Boyd was ready to contribute. “I was struck by the depth of relationships, forged over many years by a commitment to an open exchange of ideas, and a vital belief that advancements in our understanding of materials benefit all,” he shares. “MTI is somewhat unique in the way competitive interests and commercialism take a back seat to a common desire in seeing the science advanced. We look forward to advancing the discussion with our fellow mem-bers at MTI.” The MTI technical community welcomes back an old friend in Ellett and a valuable new contributor in NORAM! n

BC Research Inc.

FALL 2017 | 8

NCSP, LLC (“New Castle Stainless Plate”) was formed January 25, 2017 as a result

of a management buyout of former MTI member company Outokumpu Stainless Plate, LLC. Based in New Castle, Indiana (USA), NCSP pro-vides a wide range of capabilities and knowledge in ‘specialty’ stainless steel plate. The new member company’s expertise is of particular importance to MTI members due to the suitability of these grades for the most demanding CPI applications. “New Castle Stainless Plate is built upon a 115-year legacy of iron and steel production in central Indiana that is fostered by a team of professionals dedicated to the advancement of stainless steels in process industry applications,” explains Frank Alvin, Vice Presi-dent – Commercial. “With a deep knowledge of all things stainless, our experts bring the perspective of a producer to technical conversa-tions. Our experts are available to the MTI membership to address matters relating to the performance of standard and specialty grades in a wide range of environments.” Alvin, the company’s Designated Representative, states that the benefits of MTI membership for the New Castle business have been

validated over time. “We consider

MTI the preeminent forum for col-laboration on matters of significant importance regarding the suitabil-ity of our products in existing and new applications,” he says. “In es-sence, we are simply extending our original membership, rather than becoming new MTI members. “Our technical experts have been regular attendees and contrib-utors to the association, and we look forward to building on the MTI legacy of thought leadership in the industry. The organization pro-vides an opportunity for our team to contribute their expertise with regard to the optimal application of stainless steels in very challenging environments. Membership also provides a forum to collaborate with like-minded professionals from leading companies in the chemical process industry and share best practices as they relate to stainless steel.”

Alvin points out that as more attention is focused on the indus-trial impacts on clean air and clean water, knowledge of the materials that most effectively address corro-sion control and mitigate industrial discharge, for example, is becoming more critical. “With considerable experience in addressing these con-cerns, and insight into zero liquid discharge systems, our team can provide knowledge and insight to those companies seeking to become global leaders in innovative solu-tions to these challenges,” he notes, adding that NCSP is eager to con-tribute to MTI project teams. “Our participation in other Industry forums, such as ASTM and ASME, allow us to bring a deeper perspec-tive and help ensure our materials are a suitable selection in existing and new applications.” Although NCSP, LLC is a new name at MTI, you will see familiar faces from the company at TAC meetings around the world. “We want to ensure our colleagues that the same group of experts from our prior owner (Outokumpu) will continue to attend and contribute our knowledge and learning in the world class forum that is important to our collective success!” MTI welcomes NCSP’s input and continued participation! n

MTI Gains New Castle Stainless Plate as Member

MTI members are always on the lookout for com-panies in the Process

Industries that increase the breadth of knowledge in the organization. When Caldera joined the Materials Technology Institute in 2016, it brought with it expertise in apply-ing ceramics and some of the more exotic metals, like titanium, to solve corrosion and erosion prob-lems. The company brings a unique perspective, having solved such challenges in the Mineral Process-ing Industry since 1997. Back then, according to Caldera’s website, “a small group of engineers in Provo, Utah had a vision: to provide tech-nical support and solutions to an underserved industry.” Sound like a familiar story? Now the company is looking to provide support in other process-ing industry sectors. “We want to rub shoulders with bright people from processing industries,” says Engineer Brent Stewart. “We hope

to view new perspectives on innova-tion and problem solving. Caldera wishes to comprehend problems of the MTI technical community, hoping to assist in solution devel-opment, and alternatively to gain valuable and transferable insights to our own technical issues.” Caldera takes a science-based engineering/R&D approach, while leaning on its worldwide field expe-rience, to help solve severe service problems. For example, the com-pany offers hybrid ceramic-metal solutions to mitigate corrosion and erosion in flow control applications in mining and oil & gas operations. Caldera’s products include custom-ized valves, chokes, flash tubes and ancillary equipment for pressure letdown and other applications.

Rob Mock, a scientist/engineer with Caldera, believes that some of the expertise developed in mineral processing industry work could be applied to help companies in the CPI and O&G industries. “We also offer expertise in multi-phase and supersonic flow model-ing,” notes Mock, who attended his first AmeriTAC Meeting in June. He adds that Caldera also has the capability to reduce and analyze multivariable flow data. Other in-house capabilities include: Ceramic Testing and Failure Analysis, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), and Computational Multi-phase Fluid Dynamics (CMFD). Stewart and Mock are interested in several ongoing MTI projects, including the upcoming reactive alloys handbook, since titanium is used in the majority of the company’s products. “Caldera is also interested in expanding its understanding of polymer and



Caldera Uses Science to Develop Ceramic-based Solutions

Blast tube analysis.

FALL 2017 | 10

The Fall 2017 AsiaTAC Meet-ing was held September 11-13 in Hangzhou, China. This

year’s program included two half-day training classes on the first day. The first session, which focused on “Welding”, was championed by Dr. Chang-Ching Sun of Outokumpu (AsiaTAC Chair) and taught by Gary Coates and Dr. Phillip Song of Nickel Institute with Dr. C. C. Sun of Outokumpu. The second training session, “In-service FRP Inspection Awareness” was taught by MTI Fellow Pradip Khaladkar. According to MTI As-sociate Director Paul Liu, a total of 28 attendees from 13 member companies and two non-member companies took part in the class. Liu

reports that the feedback from the attendees was extremely positive! Those special courses were followed by the 2017 AsiaTAC Annual Meeting and Forum, held September 12-13. Forty-eight participants from 19 member companies and four non-member organizations attended the confer-ence. The two-day program in-cluded 15 technical presentations in four panel sessions (Corrosion Mitigation and Prevention; Failure Analysis; Testing and Inspection; and Materials) plus two project progress reviews and a new project idea brainstorming session. Three guest companies/institu-tions participated in the AsiaTAC Forum, including Wanhau Chemi-cals, Jiangsu Special Equipment

Safety Supervision Inspection Institute and Science & Technology University of Beijing. On the horizon, the leadership team is exploring the feasibility of hosting the Spring 2018 AsiaTAC Meeting in either Singapore or Malaysia. The committee is also working closely with KCI to help prepare an agenda for the Manag-ing Aging Plants Japan Conference, which will be held in Tokyo, Japan in June 2018 (for more informa-tion, visit managingagingplants.com). Rounding out the busy year, the AsiaTAC Annual Meeting will be held in Suzhou, China in late September 2018. For more information, continue to log into the members section of mti-global.org. n

AsiaTAC Update

Participants in the Fall 2017 AsiaTAC meeting in Hangzhou, China.


The Spring EuroTAC Meeting was a busy session and several projects have been moving

forward since then, according to MTI Associate Director Dr. Patrice Houlle. Those include studies of the High Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) and Stress Relaxation Cracking (SRC) phenomena as well as research on the properties of duplex steels at elevated temperatures. Two separate projects have been funded for HTHA (Production of Lab Samples and NDE Simulation and Evaluation). Dr. Houlle adds that members of EuroTAC are also considering a study on the facture mechanical properties of HTHA displayed in damaged steels. The SRC project is an attempt to complete a previous European JIP, which failed to reach the initial target goal. The main target is to identify a reliable, cost effective method able to characterize the SRC resistance of stainless steels and nickel alloys. “Finally, great interest has been raised in the study of mechanical properties at elevated temperature of duplex alloys that could open new applications for our members,” notes Dr. Houlle. “To complete the picture, two other projects, ‘Guidance of Mechanical Failures in CPI’ and ‘Development of Supplementary Requirements – Flanges’, are in process. So the European members have developed four projects and a lot of ideas in less than three years!” Participation in EuroTAC Meetings has been increasing and driving the increased project activ-ity, according to Dr. Houlle. “This translates the greatest involvement of the MTI European members in the organization,” he says. “These meetings now move all around Europe.” Recent sessions have been held in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

The next EuroTAC Meeting will take place in Tarragona, Spain, November 13-15, hosted by MTI member company Dow Chemical. Dr. Houlle adds that holding EuroTAC meetings in these differ-ent countries provides opportuni-ties to establish contacts with local

companies, unique labs, and raises interest in MTI projects, training opportunities and other activities in Europe. For more information on the latest news at EuroTAC, continue to check the members-only and visitors pages at mti-global.org. n

EuroTAC Update

The Fall 2017 EuroTAC Meeting will be hosted at the Dow Chemical Tarragona Facility, which celebrates its 50-year anniversary this year.

Two EuroTAC projects are focused on developing lab samples and NDE simulation and evaluation of HTHA. Areas of high stress (like those shown here), can accelerate HTHA and sometimes result in catastrophic failure of equipment.

FALL 2017 | 12

and if they feel they are actors in solving (their) industrial issues. “Having European representa-tives attending or joining projects is necessary, but additional people from their workforces are needed to keep the meetings dynamic and progress on our projects. As MTI Chair Maria Jose Ostergaard high-lighted at the beginning of this year, we are not working the same way as we did 10-20 years ago. “We need to be more agile and more responsive in our companies. The MTI project development phase should be shortened, and whatever the project-challenge, clear deliverables need to be defined in the early stage of the

New EuroTAC Chair Wastiaux Says Participation is Key to Success> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

project development. That will lead to clearer communication to members and hopefully will moti-vate additional persons (senior- and junior-level employees) to join proj-ect teams. In addition, sharing well defined deliverables should help each company with their yearly membership renewal.” The new TAC Chair believes that there are opportunities for members to become involved in and benefit from MTI’s activities outside of Europe. “Joining EuroTAC meetings is an oppor-tunity to get a clear status of the different projects, not only from Europe, but also from AmeriTAC, to let merge new project ideas,” she

suggests. “The agenda is set up ac-cordingly: project reviews as well as potential and current failure cases, analysis and lessons learned.” Wastiaux doesn’t anticipate making any big changes. She sees value in staying the successful course set by participants in the last meetings in Sweden and the U.K: “Follow the road, rely on members, and support project teams to go through the different phases, and get results quicker!” Please support our new EuroTAC Chair as she and Lars Rose work with project teams to achieve those goals. n

hard coated pipe to mitigate cor-rosion,” says Stewart. “We are also interested in better understanding

the properties of titanium, super

Caldera Uses Science to Develop Ceramic-based Solutions> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

duplex stainless steels, and PTFE.” They will have plenty of opportuni-ties to get involved in these projects and more than 20 other ongoing

materials engineering studies. MTI welcomes Caldera and its contribu-tions to the community! n

Valve trim analysis.


Materials Technology Institute continues to invest in the future of

materials science and engineering — today’s most promising college students. Every year, MTI awards the two winners of its Bert Krisher Memorial Scholarship with $5,000 to help cover educational expenses. Applications are due January 5, 2018. As MTI expands its influence globally, the organization has ex-panded the reach of its scholarship program. The best and brightest candidates from around the world are able to submit their qualifica-tions for the scholarships. MTI members will have access to this pool of applicants for consideration as interns/co-ops and possible development as future employees. For students, winning an MTI Scholarship offers the unique op-portunity to network and build future working relationships with some of the most notable engineers in the process industries. “In addi-tion to receiving money for college

expenses, the two students who win the 2018 scholarships will have the opportunity to travel to ei-ther MTI’s Summer or Fall Ameri-TAC Meeting,” notes Kirk Richard-son, MTI Marketing Director. “This is a great chance for tomorrow’s materials engineers to connect with the industry and learn from ex-perts in their chosen field. Taking a little time to prepare an application could lead to valuable connections that help launch a career.” MTI is looking for students who show an interest in pursuing a career related to Materials Engi-neering in the Process Industries through enrollment in Materials Engineering, Materials Science, Corrosion Engineering, and other relevant programs; relevant course-work (completed or scheduled); academic achievement; personal and professional activities; work experience; and letters of recom-mendation. The scholarships are open to all undergraduate students. “Please spread the word about the MTI scholarships within and

outside of your organizations,” requests Richardson. “This scholarship, now in its 11th year, is addressing the primary objective of encouraging qualified engineers to pursue a career in Process Industries-related Materials Engineering,” according to Srini Kesavan (FMC), Scholarship Committee Chair. Previous schol-arship winners have been from many different schools in the USA and Europe. The majority of them are now employed as full-time materials engineers within the Process Industries. Forms, requirements, instruc-tions, selection process details, and other information are available by following the links at http://www.mti-global.org/mti-scholarships. To enter, all required paperwork must be received no later than January 5, 2018. Winners will be announced this winter and in-vited to attend the Corrosion 2018 meeting (April 15-19) in Phoenix, Arizona to receive the award. n

MTI Scholarship Applications Due in January

FALL 2017 | 14

Kirkham, who spent 34 years in materials engineering at Chevron, Arco, and Lyondell Chemicals prior to retiring, believes that there were two major factors that predes-tined chemical plants to very high exposure to CUI. “First, many of the chemical and petrochemical processes have lots more equip-ment that operates in the hot water temperature range,” he says. “These processes require better feed and product purity. So there are many more distillation columns that are condensed on cooling water and heated at the bottom by a steam reboiler, which guarantees the columns will be insulated and have large exposure to the hot water temperature range. “The second factor was the chemical company mentality that wanted to build it quickly and cheaply, because it will soon be replaced by a better, more efficient, lower cost process, which will put these units out of business. The most money to be made was right now. There was no consideration for life cycle cost. Consequently, there were miles of uncoated insu-lated carbon steel piping installed. “My epiphany was hearing a senior executive say to a room full of employees that he hated to waste money painting equipment. His comment was made 20 years after those units started up, and all of those units are still running today. That paradigm had to shift as the pace of new process developments slowed down. The focus had to shift to more efficient operation and maintenance. The chemical guys had a lot to learn about main-tenance from the refinery guys.” Moore who has faced CUI chal-lenges at BP’s refineries prior to his retirement from the company in 2017, believes that the issue is mostly inspection/maintenance budget-related and a matter of spending that budget wisely.

“When we strip a lot of insulation

hunting for the needle in the hay stack and then don’t find anything, our credibility when we ask for more budget next year is damaged,” he observes. Moore thinks that one of the most important issues is how to correctly risk assess and prioritize what needs inspection. He adds that one of the questions engineers should be asking is: “Have we gotten the inspection priority right?” Dr. Nakahara, who has been studying CUI data for many years and presented on the topic at the MAP Europe Conference, suggests that the most important point to consider is quantitative risk evaluation of leakage induced by CUI. “For this reason, the accurate likelihood estimation model for CUI is important for appropriate management for CUI,” he believes. “The statistical analysis of CUI inspection data would be the most effective method to develop the CUI model that could be applied to estimate the location, time and degree of CUI quantitatively.” During the session, Dr. Nakahara plans to introduce the results of CUI inspection data analysis and effort to develop of an estimation model in Japan. MeLampy contends that even best practices can lead to problems. “In more recent years, industry has developed concerns and practices for dealing with CUI, including risk based inspection processes,” he reports. “But for many, mainte-nance has not been done or delayed as long as possible. So, the current status of the facility is based on what can be very deteriorated con-ditions.” He adds that operational issues and needs, including produc-tion, often prevent maintenance and repair activities. “Furthermore, globally accepted standards and processes have not been available, and as such, owners have had to develop their own prac-tices, including material selection.

More modern coatings formulas, testing, and acceptance practices can allow for better coating selec-tion and also allow for some main-tenance and repair to be completed while the plant is operational. “Good long-lasting solutions to CUI need to take into consid-eration proper coating selection, proper insulation selection and properly selected and maintained cladding systems. This also means that the actual operating conditions of the pipe or vessel are well under-stood. As an example, the coating materials need to be chosen based on the normal operations as well as any upset conditions that may take place. Once this information is known, then a standard process for coating selection can be used, based on appropriate acceptance testing and criteria. Having a few peak thermal temperature CUI catego-ries for describing typical coatings can allow standardized testing and acceptance criteria for proper selec-tion of coatings for CUI service. Using the most cost effective (both first and life cycle cost approach) solution can allow the facility owner to reverse the trend of cor-rosion and in particular CUI from eating away our facilities faster than they can be maintained.” It’s another problem that eats at Dr. Sridhar. “The corrosion on carbon steel under insulation is not difficult to understand since it occurs under conditions of water accumulation under insulation combined with alternate wetting and drying and oxygen ingress into these areas,” he notes before digging into the deeper issues. “There are three major chal-lenges, in my opinion, associated with managing this form of CUI: (1) identifying where it is likely to happen, (2) how rapidly will it corrode, and (3) how to mitigate it. There are engineering solutions to all three challenges. There are risk assessment methods to help

Focus on Corrosion Under Insulation> CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4


identify most likely locations, there are statistical approaches to esti-mate maximum corrosion rates, and there are coating solutions to mitigate the problem. The reason the corrosion of steel under insula-tion continues to occur is because it is hidden. Not all parts of insu-lated systems are easily accessible, so it is often ignored. There is a lack of a good method to identify most probable locations of attack so we can prioritize resources to address them. As plants age, new issues are bound to crop up and proactive management using leading indica-tors is a key.” Fortunately, industry has a head start. Materials engineers, metallurgists, and scientists have been studying CUI for many years. Technology, including equipment, inspection and analysis methods, have also advanced. While the leading experts don’t have all of the answers, collaboration on MTI and other JIP projects has enabled them to incrementally improve best practices. Kirkham thinks that discus-sion at the roundtable could lead to a future MTI project (maybe focused on coating performance on hot equipment) and knowledge sharing. “The first technical article that I came across when I started researching CUI and external SCC of SS was dated 1965 and written

by Bill Ashbaugh, a chemical company guy,” he reports. “A lot has been written since then on the topic. Most recently API 583 was issued in 2014. It is a very comprehensive document, but it is decades after the chemical guys started talking about it. The point here is that the refinery guys could likely learn something from the chemical guys.” Despite the fact that the world has been looking for solutions to CUI for more than 50 years, Whittaker believes the reason the problem hasn’t been solved indus-try-wide is lack of awareness on the part of the engineering community and thus lack of steps to prevent the problem during plant design. But he believes that technology will ultimately prevail and plans to summarize a project that he is currently working on that utilizes a layered approach to mitigation and prevention. “It includes a new paint, relatively new insulation and relatively new-in-the-USA jacket material,” he notes. “These layers of protection will prevent CUI for many years.” Moore is looking forward to sharing ideas with and learning from his fellow panelists. “I think the DNV GL AI- (artificial intel-ligence-) type approach is of real interest, and I want to hear how it is progressing,” he says. “Have they

shown good correlation between predicted problem areas and actual problem areas?” Dr. Nakahara, who is traveling all the way from Tokyo, Japan to participate, hopes to gain broader knowledge by comparing notes with others studying the problem. “The location, timing and degree of CUI may vary widely, so it has been difficult to estimate the occurrence of CUI,” he observes. “I would like to know the interest points of CUI and the CUI estimation model in the USA or other area in the world.” MeLampy, who will be attending his first MTI meeting, offers a final sobering thought on CUI: “The big-gest concern is not knowing where and when there will be a perfora-tion of a pipe or vessel that could result in a fire and/or accident, where human injury or death can happen, environmental damage can take place, and the facility could be shut down for short or long term and even permanently.” Avoidance of such catastrophic outcomes often starts with a meet-ing of the minds and piecing to-gether valuable information. Please bring your questions and ideas to table at the Refiners Roundtable or get involved in the debate by posting on the MTI forum. n

Example of aggressive CUI damage on refinery piping with excessive wall loss.

Example of CUI damage on insulated refinery piping. Under the significant scale, one may or may not find significant corrosion damage.

New TAC Awareness Bulletins AvailableMore on the Way!

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1001 Craig Road, Suite 490 St. Louis, MO 63146http://www.mti-global.org

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T he TAC Awareness Bulletin Committee (Project 240) has been very active for the past

three years and has successfully completed and published for mem-bership use seven new bulletins: Composition of Duplex SS, Defini-tion of RAGAGEP, Definition of Country of Origin, Flexible Hose Reliability, How to Manage Used Equipment Lacking Documenta-tion, a discussion on Metal Dusting and another on Reformer Tubes. “All of these were written by MTI members and reviewed by other members, who contributed their valuable time to assist in educating all of MTI on these interesting and important issues,” reports Project Champion, Chuck Young (Tricor). Members of the committee are currently working on at least three new technical topics that will be published in 2018 as TAC Bulletins, while other members have volunteered to review older bulletins to ensure that the infor-mation contained is correct and up-to-date in terms of technology,

according to Young. “We have the goal of reviewing at least five of the older bulletins every year until we have completed all of them,” he adds. “We will continue to monitor all published bulletins to ensure their relevance to MTI and our members.” The Committee welcomes any MTI members who would like to contribute their expertise to the development of these important technical documents. “We meet at every AmeriTAC meeting and are always looking for new members,” notes Young. EuroTAC and AsiaTAC members are also welcome to join and will be included via emails

or telephone contacts. If you are interested in participating, contact Randy Scheel at MTI, Young at Tricor Metals or join the discussion live at the next AmeriTAC meeting you are able to attend. n

Documents

A Materials Technology Institute Publication COMMUNICATIONS · MTI Communications to: Materials Technology Institute, Inc. 1001 Craig Road, Suite 490 St. Louis, MO 63146 1-314 - 567-