September 15-19, 2006, ATI Wah Chang celebrated its 50th Anniversary with members of the community, employees, suppliers, and customers. Event highlights included receptions as well as a customer-supplier golf scramble, technical presentation session, and dinners. Guests came from around the world.

Wah Chang thanks all of those who contributed to the occasion and those who traveled to Albany, Oregon to join the festivities. The company wouldn’t be the success it is today without a strong network of suppliers, customers, and partners.

Over the last 50 years, Wah Chang has developed a reputation as a ground-breaking innovator. The company’s customers and industry partners have been instrumental in driving us to create new products and services. Many times, the solution starts when we collaborate with you.

Back in 1956, it was a customer, the United States Government, that helped pave the way for a new metals plant in Albany, Oregon. The country needed a supplier of zirconium for critical nuclear programs and made Wah Chang its solution.

Through the decades, Wah Chang, which means Great Development in Chinese, has lived up to its moniker. We are very proud of what the company has accomplished in the last half century and expect the long trend of success to continue for the next 50 years.


   

COURTESY OF DON ARNER, EVERGREEN AVIATION MUSEUM

This is an exciting time for ATI Allegheny Ludlum as it enters new markets and applications, both with existing products as well as new ones. Lean alloy substitution with our “The Switch Is On™” campaigns has been quite successful in a number of different markets. With the continued volatility in raw material prices the cost savings incentive offered in the surcharge portion of a product’s price is substantial. Our high-performance, lower-nickel austenitic alloy, AL 201HP™ (UNS S20100), is being offered as a lower and more stable cost alternative in applications where Type 304 and Type 301 are currently being used without performance or manufacturing problems. Similarly our AL 201LN™ (UNS S20153) alloy is being offered in applications where Type 304L, 9% nickel carbon steel or HY 80 carbon steel are currently being used. In July 2006, this alloy was granted approval of Code Case 2504 of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code for a maximum design temperature of 800?F (+427ºC).[1] Allegheny Ludlum personnel were instrumental in getting this approval granted. Both of our 201 alloys are higher strength than the materials they are replacing often allowing a thinner gauge to be specified, which provides further cost reduction since less weight is needed.


Lean Duplex Substitution

Our lean duplex AL 2003™ (UNS S32003) stainless steel alloy is being offered as a substitute for Type 316L due to its improved corrosion resistance, its higher strength, and its competitive price in a growing number of applications in oil and gas. Other applications for AL 2003™ include tubular heat exchangers for the power generation industry as well as piping for mining, pulp and paper, and transportation — just to name a few. Two papers were presented at the Stainless Steel World Conference in Houston this November on our lean alloy substitution alternatives.


Lean Austenitic Alloy Substitution

Our AL201LN™ alloy, also part of our “The Switch Is On™” campaign, replaced HY 80, a high strength, low-alloy carbon steel, for a ballistics application for suspect luggage containment in commercial airports. HY 80 is a common material used for ship construction. Additionally we’ve seen some interest coming from the CPI and other process industries in using AL 201LN™ alloy. The recent approval of ASME Boiler and Pressure Code Case 2504 and amended 2504-1 is critical in the material selection process for applications in areas like the CPI or other process industries like the ethanol industry. Figure 1 is an example of a tank make of AL 201LN™ alloy.

Our “The Switch Is On™” AL 201HP™ campaign recently had a major success “switching” a high-end appliance manufacturer from T304 to our AL 201HP™ alloy. Year-to-date we’ve sold more than 20% AL201HP™ alloy than we planned for and expect 2007 to be strong year as well. Our success in “switching” applications has benefited from a focused team of AL and ATI employees in various areas of expertise.


High Performance Automotive Substitution

AL 332Mo™ alloy (UNS S35125) is another example of stainless steel substitution into a high-performance application, driven primarily by raw material costs. This new alloy provides a cost-effective option to 625 nickel-based alloy as a material for automotive flexible connectors, which operate under severe conditions and require an alloy with a combination of corrosion, oxidation, and fatigue resistance.


Welded CP Titanium Tubing Substitution

The use of AL 29-4C® (UNS S44735) stainless steel in condenser applications is yet another example of how an alterative alloy can be used for a more costly, harder-to-get material like welded Grade 2 CP titanium tubing, which is often used in condenser applications in sea and brackish water. AL 29-4C® and SEA-CURE® (UNS S44660) super-ferritic stainless steels and AL-6XN® alloy (UNS N08367), a super-austenitic stainless steel, are all suitable replacements for Grade 2 CP titanium tubing that meet or exceed the seawater alloy design criteria of a variety of forms of corrosion, erosion, vibration and fouling. All of this at about 1/2 to 2/3 the cost and lead-time of Grade 2 CP titanium.


Defense Applications

In the defense market the use of Grades 1 and 2 commercially pure titanium sheet in armored tanks such as the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System and the Stryker Armed Vehicle has continued to grow. The titanium sheet is attached to the exterior of armored tanks. It functions to deflect any rocket propelled grenade that comes in contact with the tank so that any explosion occurs outside of the tank. The light weight of the titanium helps to minimize the weight of these vehicles helping to increase their mobility.


Ethanol

Sparked by high gasoline prices, the prohibition of the gasoline additive MTBE, and active legislation, the market for ethanol is expanding rapidly. From coast to coast, with the highest concentration in the Midwest, ethanol processing plants are popping up. Currently there are 52 plants in some phase of construction or expansion. Another 50 plants are estimated to be started in 2007. The average size plant will produce 100 million gallons of ethanol per year and requires 900 tons of stainless steel for its fermenting tanks alone! The majority of the stainless steel in these plants is Type 304; Type 316L is also being employed. Companies are beginning to explore the possibility of substituting AL 201HP™ and AL 2003™ alloys for 304 and 316L, respectively.


Recent NORSOK Approval

In the oil and gas market, Allegheny Ludlum received certification in August of 2006 as a qualified producer under the NORSOK (Norwegian Oil and Gas Industry Standard) standards for our lean duplex AL 2003™ (UNS S32003) stainless steel alloy, AL-6XN® (N08367) super-austenitic stainless steel and AL 2205™ (UNS S31803) duplex stainless steels in cold and hot-rolled flat products.[2] The NORSOK standards are developed by the Norwegian petroleum industry and are intended to identify metals used in Oil & Gas applications that are safe and cost effective. AL 2003™ and AL 2205™ alloys are already employed in sub-sea flexible flow lines, which require exceptional corrosion resistance, as well as high strength characteristics.

For additional information visit our website at www.alleghenyludlum.com or contact Cheryl A. Botti, Manager, Market and Product Development at cbotti@alleghenyludlum.com or 724-226-6557.


RESOURCES

® Registered trademarks and ™ trademarks of ATI Properties, Inc.

SEA-CURE® is a registered trademark of Plymouth Tube Company

Wah Chang is pleased to announce its sixth international Corrosion Solutions® Conference, which will be held September 9-13, 2007 at Sunriver, Oregon. This conference follows the successful Corrosion Solutions Conference held in September 2005 that covered topics ranging from the performance of zirconium, titanium, tantalum, niobium, and specialty steels in corrosive environments to various aspects concerning the design, fabrication, and maintenance of processing equipment. Attendees represented companies from over 20 countries and included participants from chemical and mineral processing plants, fabricators, equipment manufacturers, engineering contractors, and academia.

The 2007 event will provide the latest information working with various materials of construction such as stainless steels, nickel alloys, titanium, niobium, tantalum, and zirconium, and will cover a broad spectrum of aqueous corrosive applications. At this time, we have preliminary commitments for technical papers from some of the world’s premier chemical companies and major fabricators.

Wah Chang invites you to participate in this unique event by submitting a paper for presentation or joining us as an attendee. We are looking for abstracts discussing the application of alloys in chemical process environments. Potential topics and areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Interested authors should submit an abstract with the title and author’s name by December 31, 2006 to richard.sutherlin@wahchang.com or submit by fax at 541-924-6892 (attention Rick Sutherlin). All abstracts will be reviewed, and authors will receive notice of acceptance on or before February 28, 2007. Due to limited presentation slots, Wah Chang will be unable to accept all abstract submissions.

Final manuscripts will be due to Wah Chang no later than May 1, 2007. All selected papers submitted within the deadlines will be included in the conference proceedings. Presenters’ registration as well as selected event fees will be waived. Contact Mr. Sutherlin at 541-967-6924 for more information or to discuss a potential topic.

If you do not plan to present a paper and the conference, but would like to register or reserve an exhibit space, contact Ms. Sheryl Renzoni at sheryl.renzoni@wahchang.com, by fax at 541-924-6892, or by phone at 541-926-4211 x6280 for details. Please check out corrosionsolutions.com during the coming months for continuing updates on this one-of-a-kind event!

In January of 2006 ATI Wah Chang, in cooperation with Snamprogetti SpA, publicly released OmegaBond™, a new advanced tubing technology designed to drastically reduce corrosion and erosion in urea strippers. Due to success of the technology in the urea environment, ATI Wah Chang looks forward to further developing the technology for use in other process applications like nitric acid, desalination and mineral processing. Over the past year ATI Wah Chang has had the opportunity to engage in conversation with many professionals in the urea market, this Q&A is reflective of common questions we’ve received from those professionals.


QUESTION:

What is OmegaBond™ Advanced Tubing Technology?


ANSWER:

OmegaBond™ Advanced Tubing Technology is a set of material solutions that combine corrosion resistant materials in new ways using new joining techniques.  Specific examples of this technology include Zircadyne® 702 and titanium extrusion bonded tubing and Zircadyne® 702 and titanium solid-state joints. 




QUESTION:

How is OmegaBond™ Advanced Tubing Technology different than bi-metallic tubing?


ANSWER:

OmegaBond™ tubing is produced in such a way that metallurgical bonds form between the interfaces of dissimilar metals. Rigorous testing has shown these metallurgical bonds to be very strong and robust, even when the tubes are heavily deformed by forming operations. With a metallurgical bond, there is no opportunity for seepage to occur between the tubing layers where crevice corrosion may propagate. In standard bi-metallic tubing, a separate liner tube of zirconium is fitted inside a stainless steel tube. The zirconium liner is then expanded into the stainless steel outer tube where friction holds it in place due to its tight fit. This configuration may allow for seepage between the layers, and in particular stainless steel, may be vulnerable to crevice corrosion. Another primary advantage of OmegaBond™ tubing over bi-metallic tubing is that it can be welded in place using the same basic procedures as used for welding solid titanium tubes.  


QUESTION:

How can OmegaBond™ Advanced Tubing Technology be integrated into my process?


ANSWER:

In the Snamprogetti urea process, solid titanium stripper design consists of solid titanium tubes fusion welded into a titanium clad tubesheet. An OmegaBond™ tube-to-tubesheet weld will be essentially the same, using procedures very similar to those used for solid titanium. Since the OmegaBond™ tube-to-tubesheet weld will be titanium-to-titanium, the problems of a dissimilar weld are avoided. In this way, corrosion resistant materials, such as zirconium, can be installed into existing aggressive chemical processes quite easily without having to resort to dissimilar welds or flanges.


QUESTION:

Why would I want to use OmegaBond™ Advanced Tubing Technology in my urea stripper?


ANSWER:

OmegaBond™ tubing offers numerous advantages over the other material options available for chemical processors. Zirconium is very well established in the urea industry as the most corrosion resistant material available. By removing stainless steel from the stripper’s wetted surfaces and putting zirconium on the inside of the tubes, strippers will be able to operate at significantly higher temperatures. The higher temperature improves the yield of the stripper, effectively adding up to 10% additional capacity. Also, due to the superior corrosion/erosion resistance offered by OmegaBond™ tubes, chemical operators can expect to see significantly longer equipment lifetime with much lower maintenance costs.

Please contact Dave Goin, ATI Wah Chang Applications Engineer, at 541-926-4211 x6188 or by e-mail at david.goin@wahchang.com, with further questions or comments regarding this topic.

ATI 425™ titanium recently gained Aerospace Material Specification (AMS) approval for use in aerospace applications. According to AMS 6946, the new specification for titanium alloy 4Al-2.5V-1.5Fe sheet, strip, and plate can be used for parts requiring strength up to 750ºF (400ºC), weldability, ductility and cold formability, and superplastic forming capabilities.

The approval of ATI 425™ titanium for these and other uses provides the Aerospace Industry with an alternative to the most common high-strength titanium alloy. ATI 425™ titanium offers strength comparable to Ti-6Al-4V; yet, unlike Ti-6Al-4V, ATI 425™ titanium is both hot and cold workable.

ATI 425™ titanium, originally designed as a low cost armor alloy, was patented in 1999. Since that time, ATI 425™ has been accepted by the ASTM as Grade 38 Titanium (UNS R54250) and has realized numerous applications, including pressure vessel construction as outlined in the 2005 ASME Code Case 2532.

Research and development for ATI 425™ titanium is ongoing, and new uses for the alloy in the aerospace, defense and industrial markets emerge on a regular basis. For additional information about ATI 425™ titanium, please contact John Seton at 541-812-7057 or john.seton@wahchang.com.

LYNN DAVIS
President

PARRY WALBORN
Vice President — Commercial

ANDY NICHOLS
Director of Marketing

GARY KNEISEL
Director of Sales

KIRK RICHARDSON
Editor

STEPHANIE O'CONNOR
Assistant Editor

Copyright ©2006 Wah Chang. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this newsletter by any means, in whole or in part, without written permission is prohibited by law. Outlook is published quarterly by Wah Chang. The newsletter contains information on reactive and refractory metals, including hafnium, niobium, titanium, vanadium and zirconium, as well as chemicals. The properties listed herein are average values based on laboratory and field test data from a number of sources. They are indicative only of the results obtained in such tests and should not be considered as guaranteed maximums or minimums. The starburst logo and Wah Chang are registered trademarks of ATI Properties, Inc.

ATI Wah Chang
(headquarters)
P.O. Box 460
Albany, Oregon 97321
T 541.926.4211
F 541.967.6990
www.wahchang.com
www.corrosionsolutions.com
www.wahchanglabs.com

Sales/Tech Support
T 541.967.6977
F 541.967.6994
custserv@wahchang.com

CPI Service Center — US
T 541.917.6739
F 541.924.6882
ellen.baumgartner@wahchang.com

CPI Products
T 541.967.6906

Nuclear-Grade Alloys
T 541.967.6914

Ti, V, and Nb Products
T 541.967.6977

ATI Allvac
PO Box 5030
Monroe North, Carolina 28111-5030
T 704.289.4511
www.allvac.com

ATI Allegheny Ludlum
500 Six PPG Place
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
T 800.258.3586
www.alleghenyludlum.com