The Amazing Qualities of Super Duplex

September 20th, 2011

Super duplex stainless steel was first developed for use in the sulphite paper industry in Sweden over 70 years ago. Today it is recognised as being an improvement on duplex stainless steel because its higher alloy content provides it with increased resistance levels to the potentially destructive effects of pitting, crevice and stress corrosion and cracking. In addition, it is also significantly stronger than normal stainless steel and duplex stainless steel.

Physical properties
Super duplex’s amazing physical properties allow it to resist corrosion fatigue, enjoy higher thermal conductivity and experience low coefficients of thermal expansion to a far greater degree than austentic stainless steels. Furthermore, tests have also shown that super duplex has high energy absorption, high strength, very effective resistance to sulphide stress corrosion and is ideal for welding. In addition, the high chromium levels present in super duplex stainless steel makes it far more resistant to acid chlorides and caustic solutions than other stainless steels. Naturally, this helps to make it the ideal solution for the most strenuous environments. In fact, these robust properties make it a very real replacement option for nickel based steels or 300 grade stainless alloys.

Chemipetro
We here at Chemipetro are one of the largest stockholders and manufacturers of super duplex pipes, fittings, fasteners and associated products in the United Kingdom. To view our extensive range of high-quality products in more detail, take some time to browse through the relevant pages here on our easy-to-use website.

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Introduction to Duplex Stainless Steel

September 20th, 2011

Duplex stainless steel was developed in the early 1990’s by metallurgists who were conducting research on combining metals for welding applications in the electric power industry. The metallurgists’ research found that the combination of austenite and ferrite in the same material created a new material that was incredibly resistant to the effects of corrosion. This new material was named “duplex” to reflect the fact that it was made up of a two phase micro-structure consisting mainly of ferritic and austenitic stainless steel.

Succesful and cost-effective
The potential of this new material was clear to see and in a very short time, it was proving to be very successful and cost-effective in a number of different ways. Indeed, not only were the constituent materials relatively inexpensive to source, but manufacturers also needed to use less of them to create their end product. This was because duplex ‘s corrosion resistant properties allowed products such as pipes and flanges to be made much thinner than comparable products made from more traditional materials.

Chemipetro
This revolutionary development in stainless steel has helped to completely transform the manufacturing and production industries. To reflect this, we here at Chemipetro offer a full range of flanges, pipes, fittings and other products made of duplex, as well as other materials. To find out more, and to view our products in greater detail, take some time to explore our web pages further or get in touch with one of our friendly customer service operators, today.

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The leading causes of pipe failure

July 31st, 2011

Pipes fail for all kinds of reasons. Simple weakness is the first and most obvious. If the pipe material just isn’t strong enough to take the weight of the soil above it and account for slow movement over time, it will break or crack. Super duplex pipes are good choices if there is any reason to fear this kind of failure.

Super duplex is a type of construction rather than a material. Pipes can be made from a variety of different things depending on the intended purpose. Most types of metal piping can rust or otherwise decay quite quickly, except for lead (very soft and also poisonous) and stainless steel. We stock seamless stainless steel pipe, which is one of the best types available.

Sometimes pipes fail not because they too weak or too old, but because of subsidence, invasion by large tree roots, freezing water, high gas pressure, or through some other kind of disturbance. If one corner of a pipe connection is moving and the other is fixed, there may be a great deal of strain on the pipe and it may eventually break. It’s not unknown for pipe failure to be a sign of something deeper going wrong at foundation level.

Failure can almost always be avoided by installing a high quality product like seamless stainless steel pipe, and making sure the conditions around the pipe are stable. If you are in any doubt about the best kind of pipe for a particular job, you can always get in touch. Our experts will be only too happy to help.

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US Power Plant Suffers Steel Alloy Failure

July 12th, 2011

As a leading global supplier of super duplex and related alloy products, we keep our ear to the ground for industry news, particularly when it makes its way into the public arena. In July 2011 it was reported by news website wboy.com, that American Electric Power’s Mountaineer and Mitchell power plants (located in West Virginia, US) had both suffered internal corrosion due to a supposedly non-corrosive alloy corroding within the scrubbers (desulphurisation chambers) of the power plants.

According to an American Electric Power spokesperson the problem caused no serious damage and presented no likelihood of a catastrophic event. A task force was set up to investigate the issue and find a solution. Liners were finally added to the scrubbers and no further degradation has been reported. According to recent findings, a similar type of corrosion has been found within scrubbers produced by several other manufacturers.

Super duplex and related steel alloys are a speciality here at Chemipetro. Of course, our expert engineers are adept at creating small components like socket head cap screws etc, but a conundrum like terminal scrubber corrosion certainly peaks their interest!

We believe that shoddy standards and a “make-do” attitude could be behind scrubber performance issues. Our project management style is, of course, to keep costs down, but NEVER at the expense of safety and product performance.
If you’d like more information on any of our products – from couplings to socket head cap screws – get in touch today and together we’ll find a 100% reliable solution.

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Dynamic Duplex

February 26th, 2011

Chemi Petro makes use of duplex stainless steel alloys which are just perfect for use in products such as seamless pipe, flanges, butt welded pipe and socket weld and screwed pressure fittings. We also make extensive use of super duplex stainless steel, which was developed in the 1980s to replace the first generation of duplex stainless steel materials.

Super duplex steel has many advantages: it is extremely high strength, is completely resistant to pitting and corrosion, will not crack or corrode and has a high thermal conductivity. Super duplex also has a high energy absorption rate and is easily weld-able and workable.  We also make use when it is appropriate, of premium titanium and regular traditional stainless steel. We only work with the very best materials and carefully consider which is the best material for each  particular product.

Our considerable experience in the manufacturing industry puts us in the ideal position to have a great depth of knowledge of the unique properties of each material as well as the foresight to recognize new developments early as far as new high tech materials are concerned.

Whether you need to order regular products from our comprehensive range or require a bespoke solution to a particular problem, we always enjoy the challenge of turning a problem into an opportunity to hone our specialist skills. For more details and in order to obtain a quote, please contact us via our website today at www.chemipetro.co.uk.

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What is Duplex Stainless Steel?

February 21st, 2011

There are very few people who have not heard of stainless steel. After all, many common items in homes, gardens and workplaces around the world are made from this material. Its properties have made it popular among manufactures and consumers alike.

Indeed, here at Chemipetro we use the substance in many of our products, such as flanges and pipe fittings.

However, unlike its more well known sibling, duplex stainless steel remains somewhat mysterious for many people.

This metal gets its name because it has a two-phase microstructure that consists of grains of ferritic and austenitic stainless steel.

It has a number of properties that make it attractive to manufacturers of flanges, pipe fittings and other such things. For example, it is around twice as strong as regular versions of the metal and it is also significantly tougher and more ductile.

As with other types of stainless steel, its corrosion resistance depends mainly on its specific composition.

Meanwhile, the duplex versions are very good at resisting corrosion cracking.

In terms of cost, it can be cheaper because of its lower alloying content and this is particularly the case during times of high alloy surcharges. Also, because of its enhanced strength, it is often possible to reduce the section thickness, meaning less of it needs to be used.

For this reason, both cost and weight savings can sometimes be achieved compared with other forms of stainless steel.

So, if you have not yet begun using products made from this metal, now may be a good time to start. To find out more about the products we offer, have a look at the relevant section of our website.

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Monel 400

January 15th, 2011

At Chemipetro we produce a wide range of pipes, pipe fitting and flanges to meet the demanding needs of the petro chemical industry as well as other industrial users. We manufacture products from a wide range of materials such as duplex and super duplex stainless steels to meet these specialist needs. These specialist stainless steels have increased strength and corrosion resistance over regular steels which are needed for some of the harsh environments they are to be used in.

Sometimes, however, even these specialist stainless steels are not adequate and it is necessary to use even more specialist materials which we refer to as ‘exotic alloys’. One such material is Monel 400.

This alloy, which is primarily composed of Nickel and Copper with a small amount of iron and other trace elements, was developed by the International Nickel Company and patented in1906. It was named after the president of the company Ambrose Monell. One L was dropped as at that time the patent office did not allow use of people’s names for products.

Monel is extremely resistant to corrosion and can therefore be used in the harshest of environments. However it has two main drawbacks.

The first is that it is difficult to work compared to steel. It work hardens very quickly and so has to be machined very slowly and at low feed rates.

The second is that it is prone to galvanic corrosion when installed adjacent to steel in marine environments. Great care therefore has to be taken in its use. However, where it can be used its greater strength can be of great benefit.

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What Pipes Should be Made From

December 6th, 2010

It would seem a pretty obvious statement that a pipeline must be able to withstand the fluids that it is actually going to transport, but this is one of the key principles set out for pipeline designers in the Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996.

No one would deliberately set out to design a system that was ‘not fit for purpose’ but this can be the outcome if full consideration is not taken as to what the long term effects of a particular medium will be on the pipeline through which it runs. Engineering history is full of instances where existing methods and materials have been applied to new technologies only to find that what used to be adequate is now not so and in the petrochemical industry in particular a system failure can lead to catastrophic results.

Duplex stainless steel was developed where greater strength was required than was available from ordinary austenitic stainless steels. When even further resistance to corrosion was required super duplex stainless steel was developed with a higher chromium content. These changes were made to ensure that the pipes and pipe fittings made from these materials could withstand the rigours of the new applications they were being asked to cope with.

With future development such as the production of new bio fuels rapidly happening there will be greater pressure to develop more resistant material to cope with these new fluids.

At Chemipetro we manufacture flanges and pipe fittings from specialist materials and look to develop new products so we can always be sure we can get you the pipe fittings and flanges you need that are made from the right stuff.

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It Comes in a Tube

October 18th, 2010

Everyone knows that a pipe is a long tube but we probably does not think beyond that. However, there are different types of pipe and not just in the material from which it is manufactured such as duplex stainless steel or other more exotic metals.

Steel pipes fall into two main types determined by their method of construction. These are seam welded and seamless construction.

The welded construction type of steel pipe is the older method, the first examples dating from the early 1800s. With this type of pipe a flat sheet is passed over grooved rollers until it forms a tube. The seam is then welded to complete the pipe.

A seamless pipe is constructed from a solid billet which is cast in the basic tube shape. This is then rolled to stretch the steel until it is the required wall thickness. These types of tubes were originally developed for the construction of bicycle frames and produce a lighter pipe with a thinner wall thickness.

These different types of pipes have different uses. Welded pipes are typically straighter and are more robust. However they are not so suitable for use in high pressure installations. Seamless pipes are typically thinner and lighter for a given pipe size and are better able to withstand high pressures.

At Chemipetro we stock pipes to a range of types, sizes, standards and wall thicknesses. Together with a compatible range of pipe fittings we are sure to be able to meet your specification requirements.

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The Changing Future of Pipe Fittings

August 12th, 2010

We at Chemipetro manufacture flanges and pipe fittings for use within the petrochemical industry. Our products such as pipe flanges are manufactured from various grades of steel, such as duplex and super duplex, specifically to meet the demanding requirements of the chemicals that are currently processed.

Oil is becoming a scarce commodity and at some time in the future it will be necessary to develop other types of energy sources which can be used as fuels. These alternatives however will provide their own technical problems and challenges which will have to be dealt with.

One such fuel could be hydrogen, which may become a major fuel in the next 50 years. If this was to happen then it would be necessary to develop large scale production, storage and transport infrastructure for this.

However when hydrogen comes into contact with steel it can have a deleterious effect. Hydrogen atoms are the smallest atomic structure and are small enough to penetrate the crystalline structure of steel. This can cause the steel to become brittle and develop fractures. Also, when exerted to high pressures, pockets of hydrogen can develop causing the steel to fracture.

To prevent this happening it is currently necessary to introduce a barrier layer to prevent the hydrogen coming into contact with the steel. Other techniques and materials will also have to be developed so that these systems can be easily manufactured on the scale which will be required.

So in the future a duplex pipe will no longer be a simple steel tube but will have to be in itself a sophisticated piece of engineering.

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