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Cladding is defined as the process of protecting one metal by bonding a second metal to its surface. Cladding of subsea production components is performed to protect the base material from corrosion. The cladding process can be performed in a variety of ways, depending On the application.
Cladding is defined as the process of protecting one metal by bonding a second metal to its surface. Cladding of subsea production components is performed to protect the base material from corrosion. The cladding process can be performed in a variety of ways, depending On the application.
Cladding is defined as the process of protecting one metal by bonding a second metal to its surface. Cladding of subsea production components is performed to protect the base material from corrosion. The cladding process can be performed in a variety of ways, depending On the application.
Corrosion-Resistant Alloy Cladding of Subsea Componets
David R. Berridge, CRA Technologies, Inc. Copyright 2011, Offshore Technology Conference
This paper was prepared for presentation at the Offshore Technology Conference held in Houston, Texas, USA, 25 May 2011.
This paper was selected for presentation by an OTC program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Offshore Technology Conference and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Offshore Technology Conference, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Offshore Technology Conference is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of OTC copyright.
What is cladding? Cladding is defined as the process of protecting one metal by bonding a second metal to its surface. 1
Why is cladding utilized in subsea components? Cladding supplies a combination of desired properties not found in any one metal. A base metal can be selected for cost or structural properties and another metal added for some special property such as corrosion protection.
For example, a majority of subsea components are designed to meet a minimum yield strength of 75 ksi and are constructed from low alloy chrome moly steels such as UNS G41300. Although the mechanical properties of 4130 are excellent and it has been the bell weather base material in the oil and gas industry for the past 25 plus years, it is not known for its corrosion properties.
On the other hand Alloy 625 (UNS N06625) is known for its excellent corrosion properties, but it only has a yield strength of 60 ksi minimum.
If you combine both alloys, 4130 as the structural component and Alloy 625 cladding as the corrosion component, both desired characteristics are attained.
The cladding of Subsea production components with Corrosion Resistant Alloys (CRA) is performed to protect the base material from corrosion, thus assuring the structural integrity of the components over the proposed life of the field. Considering the cost of recovery, loss of production and the replacement/refurbishment of subsea components, it is prudent to protect them from corrosion.
What is the difference between cladding, inlay and overlay? There are no differences; all three terms are used interchangeably, which sometimes creates confusion.
Historically the application of Corrosion Resistant Alloy Cladding has been a viable, cost effective and reliable method of corrosion protection that has been incorporated into oil and gas components over the past 50 years. Cladding was originally used to combat crevice corrosion and was applied in ring grooves and seat pockets. Up until approximately 15 years ago the predominant cladding material was 300 series austenitic stainless steel grades. API 6A 2 explicitly details the qualification of cladding welding procedures, which include acceptable chemical composition and the distance from the base material where the chemistry should be sampled.
The most common cladding material in the austenitic stainless steel grades is Type 316L. The "L" grades are used to provide extra corrosion resistance after welding. The letter "L" after a stainless steel type indicates low carbon. To avoid carbide precipitation in the material when heated in the critical range of 800 F to 1600 F carbon is kept to 0.03% or less. Coincidently PWHT of cladded components are conducted at the lower end of this temperature range. Carbon precipitates out of the cladding and combines with the chromium which gathers on the grain boundaries, thus denying the material of chromium in solution, which in turn promotes corrosion adjacent to the grain boundaries. By controlling the amount of carbon in the cladding filler material the migration of carbon is minimized. 3
2 OTC 21973 In the mid to late 90s the application of Alloy 625 cladding became more prevalent, although still not entirely replacing the 300 series austenitic stainless steel grades. The reason for the change in alloys was to attain a higher level of corrosion resistance which can be determined by use of formulas to determine a pitting resistance equivalent number or PREN.
One PREN formula for stainless steel is; PREN =%Cr +3.3 x %Mo +16 x %N 4
One PREN formula for nickel alloys is; PREN =%Cr +1.5(%Mo +%W +%Nb) +(30 x %N) 5
The higher a Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number (PREN), the more resistant the material is to corrosion and pitting. As can be seen in Table 1, the nickel based Alloy 625 has a PREN of 25% to 50% higher than the Type 316L stainless steel.
Significant alloying additions of chromium, molybdenum and other elements are essential for applications that require a high level of corrosion resistance. Chromium provides resistance to oxidizing environments, while molybdenum enhances resistance to reducing environments. A combination of chromium and molybdenum intensifies resistance to localized pitting and crevice corrosion. Additions of tungsten may augment resistance to localized corrosion. Although nickel provides resistance to caustic and mild reducing environments, its main advantage in alloys containing high levels of chromium and molybdenum is to maintain a stable austenitic single phase structure.
The most commonly used test to determine corrosion resistance is that in ASTM G48 6 , which measures resistance to a solution of 6% ferric chloride, at a temperature appropriate for the alloy. If an artificial crevice is added to the sample, the test measures crevice corrosion resistance rather than pitting resistance.
Although many types of corrosion resistant coatings have been used, i.e. thermal spray, brush plating, etc it has been determined by the industry that a metallurgical bond is desired and the most robust. Metallurgical bonding is attained through one of the many different welding processes.
The use of cladding to protect critical surfaces from corrosion and wear is well established. When applying such welding deposits, the intermixing of the base material and cladding material is critical. This is known as dilution and can be defined by the ratio of the base material to the cladding material. (Figure 1) It is critical to get a 100% metallurgical bond between the base and cladding materials, while diluting as little as possible of the base material. This is a fine balancing act and is very dependent on welding process, welding parameters, percentage of overlap and performing and maintaining a repeatable process.
Heat input goes hand-in-hand with dilution, the higher the heat input, the higher the dilution and vice versa. Heat input is determined by the formula shown below;
Heat Input =(Amps X Volts X 60) / Travel Speed =J oules/Inch 7
For example: Utilizing the SMAW process with a 1/8 E7018 electrode, 150 A, 26 V and 6.5 IPM Travel Speed.
Heat Input =(150 X 26 X 60) / 6.5 =36,000 Joules/Inch or 36 kilo-Joules/Inch (36.0 kJ/In)
Percentage of overlap is also a key influence for dilution, the less overlap, the higher the dilution and vice versa. (Figure 2)
The fundamentals of the welding processes and their strengths/weaknesses for the application of cladding will be discussed below.
SMAW Shielded Metal Arc Welding
Is a manual arc welding process that utilizes a consumable electrode coated with flux. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. As the electrode is consumed, the flux coating of the electrode decomposes which shields the molten weld pool and provides a layer of slag, both of which protect the weld area from atmospheric contamination. 8
Strengths Reliable and time proven process Versatility and simplistic Low initial equipment investment
OTC 21973 3
Weaknesses Very operator dependent Not a repeatable process High defect rates Cannot be automated Straight polarity to minimize dilution, but still high, not an optimum process for cladding High Heat Input Process Inefficient arc time is 60 to 75% Costly - filler material waste 20 to 40%
SAW Submerged Arc Welding
Is a machine arc welding process that utilizes a continuously fed consumable solid or tubular (cored) electrode. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. The electrode is fed into the molten weld pool while being submerged under a blanket of flux .When molten, the flux shields the molten weld pool and provides a layer of slag, both of which protect the weld area from atmospheric contamination, as well as preventing spatter and shielding the arc so a shaded welding lens is not required. 9
Strengths Reliable and time proven process Efficient arc time is 85 to 95% Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2% Low Defect Rates High deposition rate Medium initial equipment investment Can be automated
Weaknesses High dilution, not an optimum process for cladding Operator dependent High Heat Input Process Mainly used on outside diameters, cannot weld small internal diameters
GMAW Gas Metal Arc Welding
Is a semi-automatic or machine arc welding process that utilizes a continuously fed consumable electrode and an inert shielding gas. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. The electrode is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. 10
Strengths Efficient arc time is 85 to 95% Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2% Low initial equipment investment High deposition rate Can be automated (Considerable equipment investment)
Weaknesses Very operator dependent Not a repeatable process High defect rates historically 40-60% (Even when automated!!!) High Heat Input Process High dilution, not an optimum process for cladding
GMAW-P Gas Metal Arc Welding - Pulsed
Is a semi-automatic or machine arc welding process that utilizes a continuously fed consumable electrode and an inert shielding gas. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. The electrode is fed 4 OTC 21973 into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. The difference between GMAW and GMAW-P is the pulsing of the current which alternates between the high energy (peak) current and a lower energy (background) current. The benefit is that it produces desirable fusion characteristics while considerably reducing the heat input. Also the new welding power sources have the ability to manipulate the wave form to fine tune the process further. 11
Strengths Efficient arc time is 85 to 95% Low Heat Input Process Low dilution, an optimum process for cladding Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2% Low initial equipment investment Can be automated (Considerable equipment investment) A repeatable process with low defect rates (When automated)
Weaknesses Operator dependent when not automated No long term experience with cladding subsea components, but appears to be an excellent process with good prospects
GTAW Gas Tungsten Arc Welding
Is an arc welding process that utilizes a non-consumable tungsten electrode. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. A filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. The process can be manual, semi-automatic or automated. 12
Strengths Efficiency dependent upon automation arc time is 40 to 95% Low initial equipment investment Can be automated (Considerable equipment investment) A repeatable process with low defect rates (When automated)
Weaknesses High Heat Input Process Medium to high dilution, not an optimum process for cladding Cost effectiveness dependent upon automation - filler material waste up to 10% Very operator dependent when not automated
GTAW-P Gas Tungsten Arc Welding - Pulsed
Is an arc welding process that utilizes a non-consumable tungsten electrode. An electric current is used to establish an arc between the electrode and the base material. A filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. The difference between GTAW and GTAW-P is the pulsing of the current which alternates between the high energy (peak) current and a lower energy (background) current. The benefit is that it produces desirable fusion characteristics while considerably reducing the heat input. The process is normally utilized as a machine or automated process. 13
Strengths Efficient arc time is 85 to 95% Low Heat Input Process Low dilution, an optimum process for cladding Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2% 15 +year track record with this process A repeatable process with very low defect rates
Weaknesses High initial equipment investment for automated equipment Lower deposition rate than other welding processes OTC 21973 5
PAW Plasma Arc Welding
Is an arc welding process similar to GTAW, the key difference is that PAW positions the non-consumable tungsten electrode within the body of the torch separating the plasma arc from the shielding gas envelope. The plasma is forced through a precisely bored copper nozzle which constricts the arc and the plasma exits the orifice at high velocity and temperature. A filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. 14
Strengths Efficient arc time is 85 to 95% Electrode contamination minimized Columnar-shaped arc, not spread out like GTAW Can be a low heat input process Can be low dilution, an optimum process for cladding Cost effective - filler material waste less than 2% Can be a repeatable process with very low defect rates High travel speed and deposition rate
Weaknesses High initial equipment investment for automated equipment Very concentrated arc, can be very high dilution Used for hard facing rock bits, but little history with cladding
LBW Laser Beam Welding
The laser beam is targeted on the surface of the part to be welded and the concentration of light energy is converted into thermal energy. The surface of the part begins to melt and filler material is fed into the molten weld pool and shielded with inert gas which protects the weld area from atmospheric contamination. 15
Strengths Efficiency dependent upon automation arc time is 90 to 95% Can be low dilution, an optimum process for cladding Must be automated A repeatable process with low defect rates Low heat input process Small heat affected zone
Weaknesses High initial equipment investment Skilled operator required to operate automated equipment Position restricted when using powders
We have discussed the many types of welding processes utilized for cladding, along with their strengths and weaknesses. Although GMAW-P, GTAW-P and LBW are all viable welding processes for cladding, we will concentrate on the dominant welding process used today to clad subsea components, which is GTAW-P.
There are two types of GTAW-P processes, hot wire and cold wire. This is referring to whether or not the welding filler material is electrically resistance heated before it reaches the molten weld pool. Utilizing the cold wire method has a few disadvantages; first when feeding a cold wire into the molten weld pool it has a tendency to quench or shrink the weld pool, which makes it smaller and challenging to direct the wire where required. Secondly it restricts the amount of filler metal that can be fed into the molten weld pool, thus lowering the deposition rate. The hot wire method is much more robust since the filler material is electrically resistance heated before it reaches the molten weld pool, so the weld pool does not shrink and more filler material can be added which increases the deposition rate. 16
When the Hot Wire GTAW-P cladding process is automated, it is a very repeatable process with little to no defects. The defect rate is critical since most subsea components are constructed from Low Alloy Steel (LAS) and require a Post Weld Heat Treat (PWHT) or temper after the components are clad to reduce the hardness in the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). With 6 OTC 21973 each PWHT cycle the base material mechanical properties are reduced by 7 to 9%. Normally most subsea components can be subjected to two to three PWHT cycles, although this is dependent upon the original mechanical properties of a given component.
The automated equipment utilized in the Hot Wire GTAW-P cladding process controls the amperage, voltage, travel speed, overlap distance and wire feed speed with a certain amount of operator override, which can be controlled be each owner of the equipment. With these parameters controlled this becomes a very repeatable cladding process.
The Hot Wire GTAW-P process is the predominant cladding process used worldwide in the manufacture of subsea components. The strengths and weaknesses have been discussed above. The only negative connotation associated with this process is that it is a slow process. But considering the quality and cost benefits, it is the authors opinion that it will be some time before this process is replaced with an alternative cladding process.
UNS SPEC TYPE or ALLOY Cr Mo W Nb N PREN S31603 316L 16.0-18.0 2.0-3.0 N/A N/A - 22.6-27.9 N06625 625 20.0-23.0 8.0-10.0 - 3.15-4.15 - 36.7-39.2
Table 1
Figure 1
Figure 2
OTC 21973 7 References API Specification 6A: 19th Edition, J uly 2004 Specification for Wellhead and Christmas Tree Equipment ASTM G48 - 03(2009) Standard Test Methods for Pitting and Crevice Corrosion Resistance of Stainless Steels and Related Alloys by Use of Ferric Chloride Solution AWS Welding Handbook. Ninth Edition, Volume 2. Welding Processes, Part 1. ISBN 0-87171-729-8 Calculation of pitting resistance equivalent numbers (PREN) BRITISH STAINLESS STEEL ASSOCIATION http://www.bssa.org.uk/topics.php?article=111 Cary, Howard B. and Scott C. Helzer (2005). Modern Welding Technology. Upper Saddle River, New J ersey: Pearson Education. ISBN 0-13-113029-3. Dictionary.com. Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition. HarperCollins Publishers. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cladding Lincoln Electric (1994). The Procedure Handbook of Arc Welding. Cleveland: Lincoln Electric. ISBN 99949-25-82-2. S. A. McCoy, B. C. Puckett & E. L. Hibner High Performance Age-Hardenable Nickel Alloys Solve Problems in Sour Oil and Gas Service http://www.specialmetals.com/documents/High%20Performance%20Age- Hardenable%20Nickel%20Alloys%20Solve%20Problems%20in%20Sour%20Oil%20&%20Gas%20Service.pdf White Paper - Stainless Steel. Stainless Plate Products, Inc. http://www.sppusa.com/reference/white_paper/wp_ss.html
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