Duplex Stainless Steel

Duplex alloys are an important alternative to austenitic stainless steels. These alloys
consist of 50% ferrite and 50% austenite.
Provides excellent corrosion resistance, good toughness and less susceptibility to stress
corrosion cracking.
Using location: A wet, sour (H2 S) Environment which may also contain hydrogen
In petroleum industry, Corrosion and cracking resistance.
Mechanical properties
The duplex microstructure and the alloying with nitrogen contribute to the high
mechanical strength of the duplex grades. The high strength gives opportunities of weight
saving and therefor cost savings in a number of applications, thinner gauges can be used
with a duplex material compared to an austenitic material.
Physical properties
The duplex grades have a lower coefficient of thermal expansion than the austenitic
grades, close to that of carbon steel. Other physical properties are very similar to the
properties of austenitic stainless steel.
The duplex grades are superior to the standard austenitic grades when it comes to stress
corrosion cracking, SCC, resistance. The duplex grades show good performance in a
number of acidic and alkaline environments
Strength: Duplex stainless steels are about twice as strong as regular austenitic or ferritic
stainless steels.
Toughness and ductility: Duplex stainless steels have significantly better toughness and
ductility than ferritic grades; however, they do not reach the excellent values of austenitic
grades.
Corrosion resistance: As with all stainless steels, corrosion resistance depends mostly
on the composition of the stainless steel. For chloride pitting and crevice corrosion
resistance, their chromium, molybdenum and nitrogen content are most important.
Duplex stainless steel grades have a range of corrosion resistance, similar to the range for
austenitic stainless steels,
Stress corrosion cracking resistance: Duplex stainless steels show very good stress
corrosion cracking (SCC)

Cost: Duplex stainless steels have lower nickel and molybdenum contents than their
austenitic counterparts of similar corrosion resistance. Due to the lower alloying content,
duplex stainless steels can be lower in cost.

Duplex stainless steels have a two-phase microstructure of austenite and ferrite grains.

Types: Duplex and Super Duplex

I .Duplex 22% Cr (Chemical composition- as per ASME SEC -II)

DesignationB TypeC
Mo
N
S31803

C
Cu

0.030

Mn
Others
2.00

0.030

0.020

Si

1.00

Ni

4.5
6.5

Cr

21.0
23.0

2.5
3.5

0.08
0.20

3.0
5.0

0.24
0.32

0.5

Duplex Line Class -1P0P (SA 790 / SA 928/ SA 182 F51 / SA815 UNS S31803)

Min/ Max thickness of scope: 3.73 / 7.92 mm

II. Super Duplex 25% Cr (Chemical composition- as per ASME SEC -II)
DesignationB T y p e C
Mo
N
S32750 2507
0.030

C
Cu
1.20

MN
Others
0.035

P
0.020

Si
0.80

Ni
6.0
8.0

Cr
24.0
26.0

Super Duplex Line Class -1P0Q (SA 790 /SA 182 F53 / SA815 UNS S32750)

Min/ Max thickness of scope: 3.73 / 7.92 mm

Chromium:
Chromium is necessary to form to stable chromium passive film that is sufficient to
protect steel against mild atmospheric corrosion. Chromium increase oxidation resistance
at elevated temperature
Higher chromium also promotes the formation of intermetallic phases. Chromium effect
is important because of its influence on the formation and removal of oxide scale or Heat
tint *
Molybdenum
Molybdenum acts to support chromium in providing pitting corrosion resistance.
Molybdenum is a ferrite former and also increases the tendency to form detrimental
intermetallic phase.
Molybdenum is mainly used for added corrosion resistance in austenitic and duplex
stainless steels. In austenitic stainless steels between two and seven percent are added, in
duplex stainless steels, between three and five percent. The addition of one or two percent
molybdenum to ferritin stainless steels also significantly increases the corrosion
resistance and the elevated temperature strength of these stainless steels.
Nitrogen
Nitrogen increases the pitting and crevice corrosion resistance austenitic and duplex
stainless steels. In duplex stainless steel nitrogen typically added and the amount of
nickel is adjusted to achieve the desired phase balance.
The ferrite formers, chromium and molybdenum and balanced austenitic formers, nickel
and nitrogen to develop the duplex structure.
Nickel

Nickel is austenitic stabilizer, which promotes a change of the crystal structure of

stainless steels from body centered cubic (ferritic) to face centered cubic (austenitic).
Ferritic stainless steels contain little or No nickel, duplex stainless steel contains low to
intermediate amount of nickel.
The face centered cubic structure is responsible for the excellent toughness of the
austenitic stainless steel its presence in about half of the microstructures
Reference:
Our Project Specification:
BF-S-B00-1520-024 Rev.0 (Duplex Stainless Steel Requirements
API- Technical Report 938C -Use of Duplex stainless steel in the oil Refining Industry.
Related ASTM Standards:
ASTM E562 ferrite Measurement.
ASTM E407 Metallography examination.
ASTM G48 Method A - Corrosion testing.
Acceptable Welding Process: GTAW, SMAW, SAW, PAW. (Our Project using Process:
GTAW)
Nitrogen: Min & Max : 0.14 to 0.20 %
i)

Filler Metal Requirement:

Additional essential variables (to supplement of ASME SEC-IX) Same Brand name &
manufacturer

ii)

PRE= Cr+3.3Mo+16N (Pitting resistance Equivalent Number)

Filler wire: ER2209 -Duplex (22% chromium DSS) the PRE Shall be equal to or
greater than 34.0
Filler wire: ER 2594 Super Duplex (25% chromium SDSS) the PRE Shall be equal to
or greater than 40.0
Production welds Ferrite Measurement
Ferrite content shall be 30 to 60%
Ferrite measurement in duplex 22 % Cr welds 10% to be check
Ferrite measurement in super duplex 25 % Cr welds 100% to be check
Back purging shall be maintained. And also refer with Approved WPS (Mixed gas
98%Argon + 2% N or 100 % Argon)

The oxygen shall be less than 500 ppm.

Ferrite limits and Precautions

DSS have optimal corrosion resistance and mechanicalProperties when 30 to 60% ferrite
content is maintained
Throughout the weld
Ferrite content exceeds approximately
60%, there will be a noticeable decrease in the ductile behavior and pitting resistance
Sources indicate there may be a negative effect on ductile behavior with ferrite levels
below 30%, and
Reduced resistance to SCC (stress corrosion cracking)
SCC- factors
Chloride content, pH, temperature, stress, presence of oxygen and alloy composition
is critical
factors.
Increasing temperatures increase the susceptibility to cracking.
When welding the DSS's the heat input and the cooling rate are important parameters.
At too rapid cooling chromium nitrides are formed .
The fact that at high temperatures the solubility of nitrogen in the ferrite is increased and at rapid
cooling, when the solubility drops, chromium
Nitrides are formed. A limited amount of chromium nitrides does not have any effect on the
properties of the weld unless they are
Located to the grains close to the surface. In that case, the corrosion resistance will be decreased
because of the depletion of chromium. Thus, welding of heavy wall thicknesses with too low heat
input must be avoided.
Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)
The HAZ is the area of the base metal that has its microstructure and properties altered by
inducing intensive heat into the metal.
The HAZ should have corrosion resistance and impact toughness comparable to the base
material minimum requirements. DSS and
SDSS exhibit a narrow-HAZ, in comparison to austenitic-SS, due to the low heat input welding
processes and the high thermal
Conductivity of the material.
A low heat input welding process has sufficient heat to promote the transformation of
discontinuous ferrite in the HAZ, and will contribute to the fine grain size responsible for the
increase in toughness of the region.

Maximum recommended inter- pass temperature should not exceed 200C

for DSS alloys And

150 for SDSS alloys

Hardness requirement:
Hardness for Duplex: Max: 290 HV 10 Reference Approved WPS: CCC-W-DUP-11- GTAW
-Process (Repair Qualification is Balance)
Hardness for Super Duplex: Max: 319 HV 10- Reference Approved WPS: CCC-W-DUP-21 (To
be Run PQR)
Super Duplex Stainless steels Factors
i) Welding technique- Vestal filler metal supplier (Buhler Group) will be give Welder training
using filler metal dia 1.6mm (Cold pass technique)
ii) Back purging & shielding gas purity conformation (Oxygen content to be measure)
iii) Heat input control & inter pass temperature maintain follow as per Supplier recommendation.
iv) Original PQR &Repair Qualification to be run (For repair Qualification -technical Query CPY
-should be follow)
v) As per Project spec -welder Qualification ferrite measurement to be check
Weld Repairs
Only two repairs shall be allowed per weld. After two repair cycles, the weld
shall be cut-out and re welded.
WPS shall be qualified for the number and type of weld repairs to be made.
The WPS shall meet all the testing requirements of the design code and this
technical sheet.
Summary of Duplex Characteristics

Twice design strength of austenitic and ferritin stainless steels

Wide range of corrosion resistance to match application

Good toughness down to minus 80 dig C but not genuine cryogenic applications

Particular resistance to stress corrosion cracking

Wieldable with care in thick sections

More difficult to form and machine than austenitic

Restricted to 300 deg C maximum

Notes:

*Heat tint (temper)

The color formed when stainless steel is, in the heat affected zone of welds, is
dependent on several factors that are related to the oxidation resistance of the steel. The heat tint
or temper color formed is caused by the progressive thickening of the surface oxide layer and so,
as temperature is increased, the colors change. Oxidation resistance of stainless steels