API-571 Damage Mechanism comparison Chart (FOR API 510 EXAM)

S.N Damage Appearance or Prevention/ Inspection/

O. Mechanism Description Affected Material Critical Factors Affected Units morphology of Damage Mitigation Monitoring Remarks
Amine Stress Tensile stress & CS & LAS Residual stresses from All non PWHT'd Cracks parallel to welds, In PWHT at 1175 +/- WFMT,ACFM and ECT
Corrosion Cracking corrosion in aqueous welding, cold working, piping & weld metal transverse or 25F, Use SS, Water PT not
alkanolamine systems lean amine services & equipments in Longitudinal wash. effective. (AET for
to remoe H2S or CO2, Wet H2s, increasing lean Amine crack growth)
Alkaline SCC, stress level increase Services
1 adjacent to Non severity of
PWHT'd CS welds cracking,assosiated
with lean amin.

Atmospheric Marine & moist CS, LAS Physical location, Poor paint/ Localized, If no coating then Surface Preparation VT & UT.( ECT
Corrosion polluted indutrial & Copper alloyed Marine 20mpy, coating General & Proper Coating Screening tool)
Al Industrial 5-10 mpy , application
2 Inland 1-3mpy,Rural
<1mpy, Temp upto
250 oF

Brittle Fracture No ductility or Plastic Mainly CS& LAS. Unclean steel, Large Autorefrigeration Straight, Non branching & no Material selection, routine inspection not
Deformation (400 Series also if grain size, Thicker units, Ambient plastic deformation, (shear Controlled operating normally used. Pre-
not embrittled) Material, Temp. below Temp lips, chevron marking.) conditions, PWHT, existing flaws/ defects
3 ductile to hydrotesting Warm Hydrotest
brittleTransition
temperature

Caustic Corrosion Localised corrosion CS, LAS & 400 NaOH or KOH Boilers, Steam Localized metal loss, Grooves prevented UT, RT, (VT using
due to Alkaline & series. (when Generators in boiler tubes, Local throughProper boroscope- When
corrosive salts. passivity damage thinning under insulation, CS design, (water internal access is not
General thining at in 300 series 160 corrosion >175oF . flooding & Water possible)
elevated to 210 deg.F) flow to minimise hot
4 temperature. spots) Alloy 400 &
Nickel base alloys
resistant

Caustic Stress Surface initiated CS, LAS & 300 Caustic 50 to 100ppm Caustic & H2s On BM parallel to weld. Can PWHT at 1150oF,Use WFMT (first priority), Fig (3-15-
Corrosion Cracking cracks primarily series Ni alloys are sufficient to cause Service also occur on WM or HAZ, Ni alloys, Avoid EC, RT or ACFM PT 1)
adjacent to non resistant,duplex cracking Spider web appearance steamout of Non not effective (CAUSTIC
PWHT'd welds,ASCC susceptible but PWHT pipes (AET crack growth) SERVICE
5 (ALKALINE SCC) shown improved CHART)
resistance
S.N Damage Appearance or Prevention/ Inspection/
O. Mechanism Description Affected Material Critical Factors Affected Units morphology of Damage Mitigation Monitoring Remarks
Cl SCC Surface initiated All 300 series SS Temp > 140°F, PH >2, All 300 series Surface break cracks, Use resistant for pressure
cracks under stress, highly susceptible, Ni 8% to 12% highly piping & Branches,Spider web or Material, Low Cl in vessels,piping ECT,
temp & aqueous Cl Duplex SS more susceptible. Ni above equipment Craze Crack. hydro, High temp SR PT .(PT High pressure
environment. resistant but still 35% highly resistant, for 300 series water blast and
suseptible. above 45% nearly polishing for PT)
6 Ni alloys are highly immune CS, LAS,400
resistant but not series not susceptible
immune

Cooling Water Dissolved salts, gases, CS, All SS, Cu, Al, Ti Increase in cooling Water cooled HX General corrosion, Pitting, Proper design, Cooling water O2, PH,
Corrosion organic compounds or & Ni alloys water outlet temp, & Cooling towers MIC, SCC & fouling, ERW operation & chemical Outlet temp,
microbiological scaling potential for grooving treatment, Inlet temp corrosion probes and
activity Fresh water above < 140oF, Periodic corrosion coupons
140oF & Brackish, Salt cleaning of tubes (EC or IRIS or
water above 115oF, RFET of tubes.)
7 Low Velocities 3fps, Ti
> 180oF hydriting
embrittlement

CUI Trapped water under CS, LAS, 300 & 400 CS,LAS &400 SS 10 to All insulated CS & LAS- rough uneven Proper Painting/ Stripping, UT,RT,PEC.
Insulation OR Fire series & Duplex 350°F, 300 SS 140 to piping & pitted with loose Flaky Coating before (Newtron Back scatter
proofing 350°F, DUPLEX SS 280 Equipment appearance, 300 SS chloride insulation , good & IR for Wet
to 350°F SCC insultn, Closed-cell insulation)
8 foam glass, Low Cl
insl for 300, AL spray
paint for CS

Erosion/ Erosion- erosion removes All Metals/ Alloys Velocity & equipment Localised loss in thk- pits, for erosion Visual, UT, RT,
Corrosion protective & Refractories Concentration of exposed to grooves, gullies, waves, protection -improve Corrosion coupons
films/scales to Particles, Softer Moving Fluids rounded holes & valleys, hardenss,harder ( to determine
promote corrosion Material (Cu, Al), Directional, Failure in Short alloy,hard erosion)
Temp, PH time facing.erosion/corros IR Scan for
ion-use corrosion refractory loss
9 resistant alloys or Table 3-
alter process 27-1
( Erosion
&
Corrosion
rate)
High Temperature CH4 formation. CS & LAS. resistance increases Hydroprocessing location generally Use of High Cr & Mo .( AUBT & ABSA for
Hydrogen Attack Carbide loss, Methane Increasing Cr with increasing Cr and Units unpredictable or other Stabilizing success finding). TOFD
pressure forms cracks reduces Mo content Metallographic & SEM elements Tungsten & &PAUT for internal
Susceptibility,5Cr,9 Analysis Of damaged Area. Vanadium damage
10 Cr,12Cr not
suseptible
S.N Damage Appearance or Prevention/ Inspection/
O. Mechanism Description Affected Material Critical Factors Affected Units morphology of Damage Mitigation Monitoring Remarks

PH below 4.5 ,Alloy uniform thinning,localized

Most often 400, titanium and Crude & vaccum corrosion,under deposit
11 associated with dew All Materials UT, strategically
Nickel based alloys are units attack,300,400 SS pitting
point corrosion.Very resistant attack placed corrosion
Hydrochloric acid aggressive to most caustic injection of coupons/ Corrosion
Corrosion comman materials desalter probes
Mechanical Fatigue Cyclic stress or All Engineering Design- surface not supported Clam Shell type fingerprint Best- Good Design PT, MT, SWUT &
Thermal cycling well alloys notches most socket welds near having concentric ring called Low stress stamps PAUT.
below Yield strength critical,CS,LAS not pumps,transient beach marks. Multiple & marking, crack
happen below conditions nucleation sites Ratchet growth -FFS
12 endurance limit, fine marks.
grain better resistance

acidic sour water affects CS only PH, Temp, velocity,H2S overhead systems Typically general thinning, Process monitoring UT,RT, strategically
containing H2S,PH 4.5 SS,copper alloys concentration of FCC localized corrosion or and control are placing Corrosion
TO 7 and NI alloys more decrease as temp. localized under deposit important to probes or corrosion
13 resistant increase attack can occur minimize effect. coupons.

Sour Water
Corrosion
Sulfur at high temp, All Iron base Temp > 500oF . Crude, FCC, Uniform thinning or localized Upgrading to higher Monitoring process Fig3-61-1
also known as sulfidic including SS, Ni Increased resistance Coker, Vacuum corrosion Cr Alloy conditions, PMI (MVP) for
corrosion base & Cu base by Cr in 300 series & Ni programs. ( UT& RT) (Corrosio
14 Sulfidation alloys n Vs
temp)

Wet H2s Damage Hydrogen Blistering- CS & LAS & Hydrogen Wet H2S service SOHIC & SSC associated with SOHIC minimized by SOHIC focusses on
(Blistering/ HIC/ Bulging, H2 generated Martensitic SS permeationMinimum throughout Weldments PWHT, SSC weld seams and
SOHIC/ SSC) by Corrosion HIC- at PH7, Blistering, HIC refinery prevented by nozzles,WFMT,
Stepwise Cracking & SOHIC between reducing hardness to ECT,ACFM. ( Surface
SOHIC- Array of cracks ambient and 300oF, less than 200 BHN preparation is need
stacked, through SSC below 200oF for WFMT)
15 thickness SSC- SSC BHN < 200HB less
Stress, corrosion, susceptible