Oremet, Allvac, Wah Chang Join Forces
"...on March 24, a merger was approved."
New President of the High Performance
Metals Group, Dr. Carlos Aguirre
Mr. Ralph Nauman, President of Oremet-
Wah Chang
Specialty metals powerhouses Oremet, Allvac and Wah Chang,
makers of some of the strongest, most corrosion resistant, most useful alloys
in the world, just got bigger and better. On Tuesday, March 24, a merger
between Oremet and Allegheny Teledyne Incorporated was approved. Oremet, Allvac
and Wah Chang join the High Performance Metals Group, headed by former Oremet
President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Carlos E. Aguirre. The new metals
group also includes former Oremet subsidiaries Rome Metals and Titanium
Industries as well as a new plant in Richland, Washington.
Mr. Ralph A. Nauman, formerly President of Wah Chang, is now
President of Oremet-Wah Chang, comprising the two Albany, Oregon-based metals
facilities, the Richland site, and a facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Mr.
Nauman and Mr. John V. Andrews, who continues as President of Allvac, report to
Dr. Aguirre.
According to Dr. Aguirre, customers of the High Performance
Metals Group can expect a greater range of products now that the three
producers are united. A wide array of manufacturing equipment at the three
mills, in addition to unique facilities at Allegheny Ludlum and Rome
Metals, allows the new group to provide a much wider range of mill products in
alloys of nickel, titanium and the reactive metals family.
"The merger enables Oremet-Wah Chang to utilize
Allegheny Teledyne production facilities for titanium bar, wire, forged
products, and flat-rolled production of sheet, strip and plate, which will
permit us to make higher value-added products for our customers," said Dr.
Aguirre. "Prior to the merger, a significant portion of Oremet's sales
were in titanium sponge and ingot products."
Mr. Nauman believes the combined knowledge of three metals
pioneers will greatly benefit customers.
"We now have the ability to provide customers with any
wrought form--pipe, tube, rod, bar, billet, wire, plate, sheet, foil, castings,
etc.--in most specialty alloys from stainless steel to nickel-based metals, and
from titanium to zirconium and other reactive metal alloys. Our customers
requiring corrosion solutions are likely to see the largest benefits soonest,
as we bring our new capability to them."
Oremet is an integrated producer and distributor of titanium
sponge, ingot, mill products and castings for use in the aerospace, industrial,
recreational and military markets. The company operates manufacturing and
finishing facilities in Oregon and Pennsylvania and has nine service centers in
the United States, with additional centers in the United Kingdom, Germany,
Singapore and Canada. The titanium producer opened its Albany facility in 1956
(the same year Wah Chang began operations).
Mr. Richard R Simmons, Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer of Allegheny Teledyne, said the merger provided the
opportunity to realize significant synergies at the corporation's Oremet, Wah
Chang, Allvac and Allegheny Ludlum operations. "Oremet is an excellent
strategic fit with the specialty metals segment of Allegheny Teledyne," he
said. "The acquisition further strengthens and improves the
competitiveness of the specialty metals segment."
Allegheny Teledyne Incorporated is a group of
technology-based manufacturing companies with significant concentration in
specialty metals, complemented by aerospace and electronics, industrial and
consumer products. The corporation has approximately 24,000 employees
worldwide.
Welders' innovative approach meets deadline
"Welders' experience with
Zirconium dates back to 1983..."
Welders N.V., which celebrates its 50th
anniversary this year, is one of Europe's leading fabricators of integrity
process equipment, specializing in high alloys and reactive and refractory
metals destined to the hydrocarbon, chemical and petrochemical industries.
Welders N.V. designs and constructs heat exchangers,
reactors, tanks, columns, towers, burners, pipework and components in Superaustenitic and Ferritic
Austenitic stainless steels, Nickel-base alloys (Inconel®,
Monel®, Incoloy®, Hastelloy®),
titanium, tantalum and zirconium.
Welders N.V. is based in Belgium and has a small domestic
market but focuses on exports, which make up 70% of its production. The company
capitalizes on its engineers' versatility and conversance with ASME and
multi-faceted European codes, such as Dutch Stoomwezen, French Codap, German
A.D. Merkblatter and British Standards to tap neighbouring markets.
The company's main export drive is to overseas markets,
which account for two-thirds of its exports. Over the past few years, Welders
has served customers in South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Kuwait, Turkey, Jordan,
Saudi Arabia, India, U.A.E., Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Korea,
Singapore, China, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Brazil, Chile arid the United
States.
Welders' experience with Zirconium dates back to 1983, with
the construction of several heat exchangers and columns for a formic acid plant
engineered by Kemira OY from Finland.
Over the years, the company gained Considerable experience
with zirconium, particularly in Organic Acids applications. This expertise
played a key role in the award to Welders in 1996 of a Contract for the supply
of the critical equipment for a 10,000 TPA Formic Acid Plant, built in India by
a major chemicals operator and based on American technology. The order
encompassed 7 heat exchangers, fitted with seamless zirconium 702 tubes, and
one distillation column in solid zirconium 702, in accordance with ASME Code.
Welders' engineers developed and
adapted existing shielding techniques, resulting in a zero rejection rate for
colorization or oxidation of the welds.
The heat exchangers, BEM and BEU types, have an exchange
surface of 3 to 125 square meters with a shell diameter comprised between 300mm
and 890mm. Two heat exchangers are constructed from solid zirconium. The other
five have a composite metallurgy: zirconium channels and tubes, shells in S.S.
304, zirconium-clad tubesheets, each consisting of a zirconium 702 thin plate,
explosively bonded to S.S. 304 base plate, with a titanium interlayer. One heat
exchanger features 60 mm thick zirconium tubesheet. The 37.4m long column in
solid zirconium has a 1400mm/900mm diameter. Made of eight flanged sections, it
is self-standing, with guide supports at two intermediate levels. The shell
thickness varies from 4mm to 12mm, from top to bottom.
To avoid any weld contamination, the equipment was
fabricated partly in an exclusive dust-free room and partly in a secluded bay
of 1500 square meters in steady ambient conditions, and under restricted
access, using generally automatic or mechanized welding facilities for high and
uniform quality.
Zirconium heat exchangers await final
cleaning. In photo above: Left, complete solid zirconium execution; right,
zirconium shell fitted with stainless steel channel.
Solid zirconium column, 37.4m long,
1400mm/900mm in diameter, undergoing hydrostatic test. Seen from bottom end.
The column and heat exchanger shell seam welds were
performed by Pulsed Arc Plasma welding, which is not commonly used for these
applications. This efficient technique was selected after extensive research,
supported by a comprehensive battery of mechanical tests. This innovative
approach required the development of specific welding procedures. The
tube-to-tubesheet joint was carried out by the strength weld method, using a
TIG-pulse automatic orbital welding machine.
Welders' engineers developed and adapted existing shielding
techniques, resulting in zero rejection rate for colorization and oxidation of
the welds.
Much attention was also dedicated to the preparation and
cleaning of parts. All the edges and adjacent areas were systematically and
thoroughly cleaned with solvents. Hot-formed parts were treated with pickling
agents, specifically developed in collaboration with the chemicals supplier.
Solid zirconium column, 37.4m long,
1400mm/900mm in diameter, undergoing hydrostatic test. Seen from top end,
bolted to small carbon steel skirt.
Zirconium heat exchangers with
stainless steel shell and zirconium channel await final cleaning.
Numerous hurdles, mainly linked to export permits and
statutory approvals, jeopardized the project schedule (India is not a signatory
to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty). To minimize the delay, Welders
airlifted all the zirconium materials from the U.S.A. in spite of the heavy
weight (over 20 tons), through special shipping arrangements with Wah Chang,
saving four weeks transit time. The manufacturing schedule was also rearranged:
all components in stainless steel were pre-fabricated and ready for assembly
with the zirconium components; the zirconium clad tubesheets, supplied by one
specialist explosion-cladder, were drilled and ready for tubing.
The seven heat exchangers were completed in stages from 7-12
weeks from the date of receipt of the zirconium materials. The column was built
in a record 14 weeks, in spite of the end-of-year season. In January 1998, the
final hydrostatic tests were successfully performed.
The equipment was seaworthy-packed in strong wooden boxes as
a protective measure against mishandling; and to minimize shipment time, placed
in containers loaded on fast-service containerships sailing to Mumbai.
In spite of the sensitive nature of the equipment, domestic
transportation, customs clearance and shipping formalities were arranged in 48
hours. The order was duly completed in January 1998, to the satisfaction of the
end-user, whose project could remain on schedule. To contact Welders N.V., call
+32.53.77.76.77, fax +32.53.77.37.97 or Email: welders@unicall.be.
Rohm and Haas relies on Zircadyne 702 to improve equipment
reliability
…equipment fabricated from
Zircadyne has a quick payback.
by Larry Duke, Project Development Manager
Figure 1, Zircadyne heat exchanger
after 2 years of service in hot mid-range sulfuric acid.
Rohm and Haas recently had the opportunity to inspect a
Zircadyne 702 heat exchanger that was installed two years ago in their Deer
Park facility. The heat exchanger, fabricated by The Joseph Oat Corporation in
their reactive metals clean room, was installed as part of an expansion project
that added an additional production train.
The process contains hot mid-range sulfuric acid. The
equipment in the older trains had been typically constructed from both wrought
and cast versions of alloys B and C, and suffered various degrees of corrosion
damage.
...the exchanger with two years of
continuous operation showed no signs of corrosion damage.
Before the incorporation of Zircadyne 702, Rohm and Haas
faced frequent, costly, maintenance reliability issues with nickel-based
equipment. During the engineering phase of the new train, in-situ corrosion
testing was performed to evaluate alternative materials of construction for the
processing equipment. The results of the testing showed Zircadyne 702's
superior corrosion resistance compared to the nickel-based alloys. These
results are shown in Table 1.
Based on the testing results, Zircadyne appeared that it
would provide a significant improvement in equipment reliability compared to
previous experiences with alloys B and C equipment. To complete the evaluation,
Rohm and Haas conducted a life-cycle cost analysis to determine the economies
of the different materials of construction for the equipment. The results
showed that the equipment fabricated from Zircadyne 702 had a quick payback. Coupled
with improved equipment reliability and favorable economics, Zircadyne 702 was
chosen.
The concentration of sulfuric acid in the process required
that Zircadyne 702 receive a post-fabrication anneal (775 +/- 15°C for 1 hour
per 25.4mm of thickness) to maintain its corrosion resistance.
Rohm and Haas worked jointly with Joseph Oat to develop
fabrication and heat treatment techniques to ensure that the heat exchanger
would perform reliably with the corrosion resistance matching the expectations
from the in-situ testing.
Mr. Keith Briegel, Manager of Materials, Inspection, noted
that in fabricating the heat exchanger "Joseph Oat met the challenge in
meeting Rohm and Haas' stringent weld quality and cleanliness
requirements."
The recent opportunity to inspect the condition of the
exchanger allowed the plant engineering group to validate their decision on
both the metal and fabricator made two years ago.
In sulfuric acid service, Zircadyne 702
exhibits excellent corrosion resistance in concentrations up to 70%...
Figure 1 shows that the exchanger with two years of
continuous operation showed no signs of corrosion damage. Based on the initial
testing and the follow-up inspection, the exchanger is expected to have a
useful operating life that will exceed 20 years.
In sulfuric acid service, Zircadyne 702 exhibits excellent
corrosion resistance in concentrations up to 70% and at temperatures to boiling
and above within this range. Below 45% concentration sulfuric acid, Zircadyne
702 can tolerate large amounts of strong oxidizing agents.
Figure 2 shows the iso-corrosion curve for Zircadyne 702 in
sulfuric acid service. Above 55% concentration, Zircadyne 702 weld metal may
corrode preferentially. A heat treatment at 775 +/- 15°C for 1 hour per 25.4mm
of thickness can be applied to restore the corrosion resistance near that of
the parent metal. []
Q&A:
QUESTION
What problems have been encountered
using zirconium heat exchangers in nitric acid, and how can I avoid them?
ANSWER
Generally speaking, two types of
problems have been identified which are responsible for the premature failure of zirconium equipment in nitric
acid. These problems stem from product contamination or
mechanical damage to the equipment, both of which can cause severe damage. We
will review the root cause of the problems and how to avoid being caught in
this situation.
It is widely known that zirconium has no resistance to
fluoride-containing acid solutions. A combination of concentrated acid, high
temperature and fluoride contamination will rapidly degrade zirconium. While
this fact is widely known, instances of fluoride contamination have occurred
from unexpected sources. In the modem chemical plant, there are many sources of
fluoride which, if introduced to the process stream, will cause trouble.
Real-world examples include a leaking air chiller that introduced Freon into
the process and ammonia feed that was contaminated with fluoride from a nearby
phosphate operation.
Troubles with fluorides are easy to deal with in that the
problem is solved when they axe removed. Once complexed with zirconium, the
fluorides will be flushed out of the system. In some instances the addition of
zirconium chemicals, such as zirconium nitrate, can be used to complex fluoride
ions and thus dramatically reduce the potential for corrosion.
Heat exchanger failure due to excessive vibration has been
an ongoing problem for the process industry and has not been limited to any one
material. These vibrational problems were either the result of exceeding
production design limits or inadequate design. Instances of both have been
reported and the root cause has been insufficient vibrational analysis.
The Seventh Edition of the "Standards of the Tubular
Exchanger Manufacturers Association" opens Section Six on Flow Induced
Vibration with "Fluid flow, interrelated with heat exchanger geometry, can
cause heat exchanger tubes to vibrate. This phenomenon is highly complex, and
the present state-of-the-art is such that the solution to this problem is
difficult to define." Subsequent sections of the standard repeat the
message that vibrational analysis is a complicated undertaking in that many
parameters acting independently, or in conjunction with each other, can affect
the flow-induced vibration analysis.
Zirconium is ideally suited for nitric acid production,
providing the following criteria are met:
1. Stress-relieving and proper design
to avoid stress corrosion cracking in greater than 70% acid.
2. Avoiding fluoride contamination, and if a suspected source exists,
monitoring process streams for fluorides.
3. Ensuring that vibrational analysis precedes any new installation or
process modification.
Under properly controlled conditions, zirconium can provide
more than 25 years of service. While incidents have occurred, they were
preventable and advances in the application technology for zirconium have
greatly reduced the likelihood of these incidents being repeated. A brisk
business in new and retrofit equipment stands as a testimony of the industry's
acceptance of zirconium.
This issue's Question & Answer was
submitted by Rob Henson, Wah Chang's Mineral and Chemical Processing
Applications Engineer. Henson spent 12 years of his career in Metallurgical
Research and Development.
Nitric Acid Producers Meeting Update
May
18-20, at the Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, Canada.
Oremet-Wah Chang, Allegheny Ludlum and some of the world's
best fabricators and suppliers to the Chemical Processing Industry will co-host
an Exhibition and Hospitality Events at the 1998 Nitric Acid Producers Meeting.
The meeting will tee off with a Golf Scramble on the morning of Monday, May 18,
at Jasper Park's award-winning course. (Time to be announced.) After golf, the
group will host Hospitality Suites in Beauvert Rooms A and B from 5:00-10:00
p.m., then again on Tuesday, May 19 from 5:00-10:00 p.m. Oremet-Wah Chang and
friends are also sponsoring a Conference Lunch on Tuesday, May 19 at 11:30 a.m.
in the exhibit hall. Events include food and beverages, entertainment and a
Grand Prize drawing on Tuesday evening. As in the past, exhibitors will be
available to answer questions about materials, fabrication, equipment design
and more. We look forward to seeing you at Jasper!
Note: After the meeting,
Agrium will host a tour of its Redwater plant-site. Shuttle buses leave the
Hotel MacDonald (in Edmonton) Thursday, May 21 at 11:00 a.m.
CE Expo held in June
June 3-4, at the George
R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
The Chemical Engineering Exposition and Conference (CE Expo)
will be held June 3-4 in Houston, Texas. Conference organizers bill the event
as the first ever to address the impact of intelligent systems and new chemical
engineering technologies on the chemical process industries. The conference
program, developed by the editors of The McGraw-Hill Companies' Chemical
Engineering magazine, will focus on how the integration of these systems
and technologies is changing the way companies will do business in the 21st
century. Oremet-Wah Chang will be at Booth #335 to answer questions about its
corrosion resistant alloys. For more information on the conference, call (203)
847-9599.
Welding Seminar Set for July
July 21-23, in Albany, Oregon.
Oremet-Wah Chang's 16th Annual Welding Seminar will take
place this summer. Sessions will include classroom and hands-on instruction in
welding a variety of reactive and refractory metals and alloys. Classes
familiarize attendees with welding and repair techniques for equipment used in
the Chemical Processing and other industries. Past seminars have focused on
zirconium and titanium alloys. To register for the seminar, or for more
information, call (541) 967-6924, or (541) 926-4211, ext. 6225, or fax your
request to (541) 967-6990. Registrants must be experienced in stainless steel
or titanium welding. Space is limited to 10-12 welders; please register soon. •
Note: Wah Chang may add a
second session, August 4-6, if the first session fills, and enough people
indicate they would like to attend a second session.
ANPSG slated for October
Oct. 6-8 in Jackson, Wyoming.
Coastal Chem Inc. will host this year's Ammonium Nitrate
Producers Study Group (ANPSG), October 6-8 in Jackson, Wyoming. The Cheyenne,
Wyoming-based chemicals producer has selected the Snow King Resort as the
meeting site. For hotel reservations call (307) 733-5200. Oremet-Wah Chang and
a group of materials producers, fabricators, engineering design firms and
others will again host an exhibition and hospitality events at the meeting. For
more information on joining the vendor group, contact Kirk Richardson at (541)
967-6955.
Oremet brings castings expertise
With the combination of Oremet and Wah Chang come greater
Capabilities, such as the availability titanium and zirconium castings. Oremet,
which built the world's first titanium casting foundry in 1957, is a leading
producer of corrosion resistant titanium and zirconium castings for the
chemical processing, marine and other industries. Typical applications include
pollution control, pump sets, valve sets, anodes, impellers, agitators and
mixers, marine hardware, logging equipment, hydrofoil components, oceanographic
instrument housings, seaballs (for oceangoing submarine valves), and special
purpose equipment. Oremet-Wah Chang produces centrifugal, centrifuged or static
castings, depending on shape and size. For more information on maximum
dimensions, tolerances, weights and corrosion data, contact Oremet-Wah Chang at
(412) 935-6322, or by Fax at (412) 935-1423.
Note: look for a case history article about the largest
zirconium cast pump ever produced in the 2nd Qtr. issue of Outlook.
