KILN MAINTENANCE

I Fractured kiln welding

by Castolin Eutectic,
Switzerland

Figure 1: fractured kiln tyre

he manufacture of cement creates

a demanding environment for
all equipment, in particular the
kiln, due to process related wear, heat,
corrosion and stresses. Cement kilns are
subject to chronic, low frequency cycles
of thermal and mechanical loads causing
dynamic tensile, compressive and shear
stresses conducive to creep, deformation
and metal fatigue.
Should for any reason the kiln axis
become misaligned or if the massive
kiln tyre castings contain small inclusion
defects or unintended surface stress
raisers, then slowly but surely micro-cracks
will be initiated and extended into fatigue
cracks risking total kiln stoppages.

It is not often a simple assessement to know the best solutions for

fractured or cracked kiln tyres. Welding is one option, entire kiln tyre
replacement is another. In this article, Castolin Eutectic investigate the
repair route with a choice of welding alloys and procedures, plus analysis
of how a suitable electrode is more likely to prevent repeat cracking.
Reliable welding
Specialised in maintenance and repair,
Castolin Eutectic has developed during
its 100 years of experience, a wide range
of technologies and alloys to combat
industrial wear and tear. One of the major
successes achieved in the cement industry
is the use of a special welding electrode
Xuper NucleoTec 2222 to repair cracked
or fractured kiln tyres.
There has always been a difference of
opinion as to whether or
Figure 3:
not cracked, fractured or
repair process
spalled kiln tyres can be
considerations
welded with any reliability.
With the great number of
repairs which have been
undertaken around the
world by Castolin Eutectic
and which since have
been running troublefree, it is well worthwhile
to examine this welding
repair procedure which has proven to be
eminently successful and economical.

The direct cost of this type of welding

repair is approximately 20 per cent of
the cost of purchasing and installing a
new tyre and the required replacement
kiln sections. In addition, the repairs are
typically accomplished in less than three
weeks total time, saving approximately
20 weeks production downtime when
compared to the 24 weeks best possible
delivery typically quoted for the
replacement tyre and kiln sections.

Causes and modes of

failures
Cement kilns are vulnerable to
thermal shocks, cycling, complex
torsion and compressive stresses,
and even fatigue failure. This is
due to their size and length as
well as the operating conditions
and extreme loading they must
endure.
The kiln tyres carry the entire
weight of the kiln, supported between
two relatively small-diameter trunnions,
creating rather high ratios of line loading
on the surface of the cast steel tyres.
Due to these accumulated high cyclical
line stresses, micro-cracks can eventually
form often underneath the surface. The
fracture mechanism is one of fatigue and
will typically propagate from weaknesses
in the original material such as casting
inclusions adjacent to the original riser
positions.
Because of the on-going work
hardening and associated strengthening of
the tyre surface, defects or cracks initially
form almost invariably below the surface.
These fatigue cracks propagate unseen
until the cross-sectional area is large
enough to weaken the tyre sufficiently
that they cause a sudden and unforeseen
break through the remaining tyre section.

Time scales and constraints

Figure 2: fatigue crack in kiln tyre

90 ICR DECEMBER 2005

In todays highly competitive market, the

KILN MAINTENANCE

profitable manufacture of cement hinges

on the ability of each individual plant to
keep equipment running and producing at
the highest possible output, while keeping
operating costs at the lowest possible
level.
Since a broken kiln tyre effectively
removes a kiln from operation until the
tyre is either repaired or replaced, it is
readily apparent that time is absolutely of
the essence in any situation where a kiln
tyre failure has occurred.

and the amount of heat lost through

conduction and radiation, can be almost
insurmountable.
Another factor that must be considered
also is the softening of the work hardened
surface in the welded area, and a severe
hardness gradient at each end of the heat
affected zone. These effects, themselves,
can give rise to increased susceptibility to
Figure 4: coefficent of thermal expansion

Repair option
If the repair route is selected, a number
of decisions must be made very quickly.
These include whether to do the repair inhouse with existing staff and/or contract
welders, or whether to subcontract the
work to a company with experience and
equipment to do the entire job. In recent
years the latter has increasingly been
the most prevalent choice, especially in
light of the limited welding personnel
available in most plants today. It should
also be considered that once the repair
has begun, it is imperative and more
efficient to continue welding around the
clock until it is finished. This is much more
cost effective than frequently stopping
and starting, and minimises the difficulties
involved in maintaining correct base metal
preheating temperatures throughout the
entire repair cycle.

subsequent cracking and a repeat failure

at those points after the tyre has been
returned to service.
With respect to using a non-ferrous
alloy (Option 2), one electrode has been
widely accepted as the single most reliable
solution of its type by the major OEMs.
The Castolin Eutectic electrode Xuper
NucleoTec 2222 is a proprietary nickel
alloy with a tensile strength slightly higher
than that of the cast steel tyre, but having
exceptional ductility and impact values,

Process considerations
There are generally two alternative
options for selecting the welding alloys
and procedures to be used:
Option 1: The use of an autogenous,
AWS specification low hydrogen electrode
that meets the general standards for
welding this type of steel.
Option 2: The use of a dissimilar,
non-ferrous nickel-based alloy electrode
with a basic coating specially formulated
by Castolin Eutectic for repairing air
hardening steels.
While the ferritic alloy (Option1) closely
matches the chemistry and alloy content
of the base metal, the air hardenability
of the large volumes of weld metal to
be deposited would require rather high
preheat requirements, creating both
practical and procedural problems. In
addition, Post Weld Heat Treatment
(PWHT) would be mandatory. The
difficulties associated with these levels of
heating, considering the mass involved

Figure 5: effects of dilution

along with 40-45 per cent elongation and

superior resistance to cracking, even under
continuous thermal cycling.
By using Xuper NucleoTec 2222, the
lower preheat needed is more easily
attainable, and PWHT is no longer
mandatory providing that certain
techniques are rigidly adhered to during
the welding operation. The performance
of this alloy in relation to toughness,
ductility and resistance to hydrogen
embrittlement, even without PWHT, is far
in excess of the parent material. When
coupled with perfect metallurgical integrity
at the weld/parent metal interface and
skilled execution, Xuper NucleoTec 2222
gives the highest safety and reliability of
repair possible. The concern of surface
hardness degradation is also avoided due
to the work-hardening capabilities of the
alloy. Naturally, due to the high nickel
content there is a higher consumable
cost, but bearing in mind the immediate
downtime cost savings generated and the
long term reliability of the repair, the alloy
cost factor is completely justified.

Consumable
recommendations
When making the final selection of the
electrode to be used on a kiln tyre repair,
it is important to remember the severe
penalties associated with having the repair
fail again. The cost of the right electrode,
then becomes much less important than
knowing it will not only do the job, but
will continue to perform safely and reliably
for many years to come.
Primary factors that affect an electrodes
suitability include:
linear coefficient of thermal expansion
tolerance to the effects of dilution
microstructural stability
resistance to Hydrogen Induced
Cracking (HIC).
Unless the electrode is specifically
designed to accommodate all four of
the above factors, residual welding
stresses and the presence of hydrogen
in hardenable zones will increase the
risk of provoking unexpected cold
cracking phenomena 24 48 hours after
completing the repair!

Linear coefficient of
thermal expansion
Various metals expand and contract at
different rates during the welding process.
Stainless steel alloys, for example, expand
DECEMBER 2005 ICR 91

KILN MAINTENANCE

and contract much more than

the carbon steel tyre, thereby
increasing internal residual
stresses and distorting the
joint.
Xuper NucleoTec 2222
has a coefficient of thermal
expansion very similar to that
of the mild steel tyre over a
very wide temperature range.
Only minimal residual stresses
can occur in the joint, either
during welding or during
subsequent thermal cycling
in service, which promotes
maximum safety margin
repairs.

Figure 6: microstructural stability

Conclusion

Tolerance to the
effects of dilution
Dilution refers to the
percentage of base metal
melted into the weld deposit.
When conventional stainless steel alloys
are used to join or repair carbon steels,
the molten weld will invariably be diluted
by at least 20-30 per cent of the base
metal, which creates a weld deposit prone
to embrittlement due to the formation of
a hard martensitic structure.
Xuper NucleoTec 2222, on the other
hand, will tolerate up to 50 per cent
dilution with carbon steels and still
retain its tough austenitic structure again
promoting maximum safety margin welds.

Microstructural stability
When welding thick carbon steel
sections with conventional stainless steel
electrodes, hard, brittle Sigma phases may
be formed in the weld. This is especially
true when welding with the traditional
austenitic ferritic alloys often selected
for this type repair that contain chromium
and iron in high quantities. Sigma phase
precipitation is associated with time and
temperature and forms within minutes at
900C and after a few days at 500C. It
should be noted that these temperatures
are cycled several times during each weld,
regardless of what service conditions are
encountered later.
As seen from the Ternary Phase
Diagram (Figure 6), Xuper NucleoTec
2222 is situated far away from the critical
Sigma Phase zones. Even with dilution,
Xuper NucleoTec 2222 remains immune
to the formation of harmful, embrittling
Sigma Phases provoked by thermal
92 ICR DECEMBER 2005

very little to diffuse towards the

hardened HAZ (Heat Affected Zone)
steel interface, thus countering the
HIC risks.

cycles either during welding or service

conditions.

Resistance to HIC
The risk of delayed cold-cracking in
steels is multiplied whenever a hardened
welding zone accumulates critical tensile
stresses and excessive residual hydrogen
which is unable to escape by diffusion
phenomena (HIC).
Xuper NucleoTec 2222 minimises HIC
risks in two complementary ways:
1. The basic extruded flux coating ensures
tough, ductile welds with lowest diffusible
hydrogen contents.
2. The austenitic weld deposit structure is
Figure 7: repaired kiln tyre with Xuper
NucleoTec 2222

characterised by both a higher solubility

and lower diffusibility for hydrogen than
for traditional ferritic deposits.
This simply means that any errant
hydrogen entering the molten weld pool
will be safely dissolved and retained in the
weld deposit after solidification, allowing

The comparison of the physical

properties of typical cast steel
kiln tyre material with the Xuper
NucleoTec 2222 electrode explains
the exceptional success and reliability
of this alloy when repairing kiln tyres.
Their tensile strength and hardness
values are relatively close.
Both the impact strength and
elongation of the Xuper NucleoTec
2222 electrode, however, are more
than triple those of the base metal.
This combination of properties
provides tough, ductile welds that are
extremely resistant to crack formation
when proper welding techniques and
procedures are employed.
While the initial surface hardness of the
weld metal is lower, it increases rapidly
in service by work hardening effects
until it is almost the same as that of the
surrounding base metal. While the cost
per kilo of this specifically formulated,
high-nickel alloy is significantly higher, the
reliability of Xuper NucleoTec 2222 in this
type repair makes the initial investment
negligible when compared to the cost
of potential failure if traditional repair
electrodes are used.
In addition, the savings generated by
carrying out an in-situ repair, without
necessitating the removal and replacement
of kiln sections, makes the selection and
use of Xuper NucleoTec 2222 highly
recommendable.
PWHT may be used for Xuper
NucleoTec 2222 repairs but when heavy
steel sections are involved, PWHT is not
always a practical or economic in-situ
solution. In such cases where time/energy
consuming PWHT facilities are considered
too complex or simply unavailable,
many Castolin Eutectic case histories
have proven that Xuper NucleoTec 2222
weld repairs without subsequent PWHT
have given totally safe and satisfactory
service performance. This also helps to
explain the fact that after more than three
decades, many of the repairs made with
this alloy worldwide are still operating,
with no documented cases of cracking in
the weld deposit or the heat affected zone
of the base metal. ___________________I