Critical Issues in Fabrication of Stainless Steel Equipment for Nuclear Recycle Plants

Santosh Takale, Ramakant and D. S. Rana Nuclear Recycle Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085. Key Words: Stainless steel, NAG, corrosion, IGC, filler wire, fabrication, quality control.

Abstract
Austenitic stainless steel (ASS) is the mainstay of nuclear recycle plants comprising spent fuel-reprocessing plants and associated nuclear waste management facilities. Stainless steel grade 304L is not only used in process equipment and piping, but also in other applications such as cladding of concrete hot-cells, staging members, supports structures etc. However, as the process equipment and piping handle highly radioactive and corrosive fluids, standard ASTM grade austenitic stainless steel does not suit this application. ASS with modified composition and metallurgical cleanliness was developed and has been successfully deployed. Use of this specifically developed ASS viz. nitric acid grade SS 304L requires especial attention during fabrication to achieve the requisite quality. The process equipment once installed in the concrete hot-cells are not amenable for any kind of in-service repair or maintenance and hence are required to be fabricated for life-time service. As these process equipment encounter highly radioactive liquids, provisions have to be made for their in-situ decontamination and decommissioning. All these requirements pose a great challenge to the fabricator. The paper brings out the critical issues in the manufacture of process equipment right from material selection through fabrication methodology, inspection techniques and testing procedures. Requirements over and above those stipulated in ASME codes have been described. Process planning, manufacturing sequences, jigs & fixtures required in the fabrication have been detailed out. Experience gained in the fabrication of over 350 Nos. of process equipment is shared.

1. Introduction
Nuclear Recycle Group (NRG) of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is responsible for carrying out all activities associated with the back-end of nuclear fuel cycle. These include design, engineering, construction and operation of spent fuel reprocessing plants and waste management plants. Besides, NRG is also responsible for research & development activities for back-end of fuel cycle such as process & equipment development, remote handling gadgets, waste matrix development, process simulation tools, development of new systems for the management of radioactive wastes arising from the operation of various nuclear facilities. Chemical processing of spent nuclear fuel, besides separating useful fissile and fissionable materials from fission products also generates large quantities of radioactive wastes. The processing of spent fuel and radioactive waste processing are carried out behind substantially thick shielding. RCC cells having wall & roof thickness ranging from 900 mm to 1500 mm are normally constructed for housing process equipment and systems. The radioactive wastes arising from spent fuel processing are categorised as high-level,

intermediate-level, and low-level, depending upon the process streams from which these are generated. The complete processing of spent fuel and subsequent waste management is performed in nitric acid medium, containing a host of isotopes some of which are highly corrosive. Further, presence of higher levels of radioactivity makes maintenance of the equipment and vessels non-feasible. Hence, it is imperative that the equipment, vessels and assemblies for process systems are designed and fabricated to their life time use. The reprocessing of spent fuel and waste management employ special equipment viz. dissolver assembly, extraction columns, thermo-syphon evaporators, conditioners, denitrators, annular vessels, condensers, scrubbers, etc. Besides, large number of process vessels is used for in-process hold-up of solutions and interim storage of liquid wastes. Each of the above equipment and vessels is designed for different process conditions ranging from normal temperature to boiling condition operations. As mentioned above, the processing is carried out in nitric acid medium, concentration of which varies from 0.1 M to 12M. Thus the process equipment and vessels are subjected to aggressive environment. Austenitic stainless steel 304L (SS 304L) is the most suitable material for use in nitric acid medium and same had been used in earlier generation of fuel reprocessing and waste management plants. However, standard ASTM grade SS 304L contains large amount of impurities and residual elements which render this material to corrosive attack during use. Hence, need for SS 304L with controlled chemical composition and metallurgical cleanliness was felt. Non-amenability of the process equipment and vessels to repair and maintenance during use and to achieve life-time integrity made it is essential that the equipment are fabricated beyond the call of code of fabrication with respect to quality so that no deficiency is introduced during fabrication. Design features also provides for in-situ decontamination and decommissioning of the equipment and vessels at the end of design life. Thus, stringent specification for raw materials, material handling, fabrication, inspection and testing are not only drawn but also rigorously implemented. Special techniques are developed for manufacturing and quality assurance. Subsequent sections of this paper and attached photographs bring out the experience gained by us during fabrication of about 350 Nos. major and over thousand auxiliary equipment in the last couple of years.

2. Material Specification
2.1 Raw Materials: SS 304L generally shows very good corrosion resistance in acidic oxidizing environment and is widely used in process equipment and piping of chemical process industry. While the process conditions in nuclear recycle plants are acid and oxidizing, presence of corrosion promoters in process solutions makes ASTM grade SS 304L venerable to corrosive attack. Hence, special composition for SS 304L was developed in consultation with corrosion specialist from BARC to suit the process environment prevailing in our plants. A comparison between standard SS 304L and modified SS 304L viz. SS 304L (NAG) is presented below. The challenge was not only in developing the correct specification for SS 304L raw materials such as plates, pipes, tubes, rounds etc. but also in producing these through indigenous manufacturers. Due to prevailing technology control regime, it was not possible to procure the bulk quantities of raw materials for our use from overseas producers, who could readily meet the product specifications. Hence, considerable efforts were put-in first to

convince the local manufacturers on the need for such materials and then during actual production trials. Typical composition of SS 304 L & SS 304L (NAG) materials with observed corrosion rates as per ASTM-A 262 Practice` C (accelerated corrosion test) is given below: Table 1 -.Composition
Grade min. 304L max. 304L NAG min. max. 0.030 0.02 2.0 1.8 0.75 0.35 0.045 0.025 0.030 0.005 20.0 18.0 20.0 12.0 10.0 12.0 0.10 0.05 C Mn Si P S Cr 18.0 Ni 8.0 N -

Note: Other elements need to be controlled are O, Cu, Al, B, Ti, Mo, etc.

Table 2 - Corrosion rates (mpy)

Cycle 1 Grade 48 Hrs 304L 304L NAG 21.08 7.2 96 Hrs 23.19 7.2 144 Hrs 26.90 6.0 192 Hrs 28.79 4.8 240 Hrs 29.74 6.0 5 Cycles 25. 94 6.2 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 Cycle 5 Avg. for

Another significant aspect to note that the lower corrosion rates in case of SS 304L (NAG) material is achieved not only due to limiting conditions on chemical composition but also due to its metallurgical cleanliness. In case of standard ASTM grade materials no such specification exists. However, for SS 304L (NAG) this was controlled by specifying the limits for inclusion rating and achieving in large scale actual production. Table 3 Inclusion Rating
A Grade Thin 304L NAG 1 Heavy 0.5 Thin 1.0 Heavy 0.5 Thin Heavy Thin 1.5 Heavy 0.5 B C D

Note: ASTM E 45 overall limit of inclusion rating (A+B+C+D) < 4.0

2.2 Welding Filler Wires: Developing specifications for raw materials were not the only the critical issue but equally essential was developing suitable filler wires to be used in welding of the SS 304L (NAG) materials. Special efforts were made to develop the welding filler for gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) which had controlled -ferrite content and could conform to low corrosion rates, matching to parent materials, under inter-granular corrosion (IGC) tests as per Practice A & C of ASTM-A 262. Typical composition of the filler wire is presented below.

Table 4 Composition
Grade SFA 5.9 ER 308L min. max. min. max. C 0.030 0.025 Mn 1.0 2.5 1.0 2.0 Si 0.3 0.65 0.4 P 0.03 0.02 S 0.03 0.01 Cr 19.5 22.0 18.0 20.0 Mo 0.75 0.20 Ni 9.0 11.0 10.0 12.0 Cu 0.75 0.1

SFA 5.9 ER 308L (spl.)

3. Special feature of the Equipment

The process equipment for nuclear recycle application are clearly distinguishable from the ones for other chemical process plant in terms of nozzle penetrations. Due to inaccessibility of the equipment and to facilitate in-situ decontamination, provisions have to be made for remote instrumentation, passive modes for agitating the contents of liquid and its transfer, decontamination sprays, adequate spares for liquid inlet & outlet, remote liquid sampling, cooling/ heating coils, etc. Thus the number of nozzles typically required per equipment is in the range of 40-60 and makes internals of the equipment highly complex. Conventionally used means for fluid transfer such as pumps are replaced by passive systems such as steam jet ejectors & air-lifts. Similarly, instead of mechanical agitators, air is used as the medium for agitating the liquid. An array of spray nozzles is arranged inside the equipment in such as way that cleaning of internal of equipment is achieved by means of externally fed solutions. Pressure, level, density, etc. are obtained by air purging method. Temperatures are sensed by remotely inserted and replaceable thermocouples. All these provisions inside the equipment make the fabrication even more challenging task.

4. Fabrication
The end-use specification and special design features demands that equipment are fabricated to nil defect. This requires numerous steps; only a few of which are detailed below: 4.1 Manpower Orientation: This is the first and most important step. Our equipment being non-standard with custombuilt requirements, it was essential that technical & supervisory staff to be engaged in the fabrication was fully briefed on the Dos & Donts. This was the real challenging task as most of shops under jobs with varied specifications at the same time. Orienting them was necessary so as to understand our requirements on aspects such as material storage & handling, cleanliness, contamination, process planning, manufacturing sequence, welding, inprocess inspections, testing, quality assurance etc. It is advisable these are written down and prominently displayed such that the staff is regularly reminded of the special requirement of the job. Clear, crisp, correct & effective communication among the managerial, supervisory & technical staff is vital. Necessity of retaining the staff once trained for a particular fabrication work is essential. 4.2 Shop Floor Practices: Implementing the so called `Good Shop Practices both in letter and spirit was the next difficult step. Clean and dust free shop floor was the first pre-requisite before receipt of the

raw materials for fabrication. Well segregated bay, which ensures protection against rain and windy conditions, exclusively for fabrication of stainless steel equipment was a necessity. Cross contamination through tools, material handling accessories, plant & machinery etc. is to be avoided. Walking over the raw materials such as plates, pipes etc. is prohibited so is the direct contact between the carbon steel and stainless steel surfaces. All material handling gadgets, rolls for plate bending, forming tools, jigs & fixtures etc. were cladded with stainless sheets. Care was taken that welding fixtures, clamps or manipulators do not have any surface made from lead, zinc or copper/copper alloy that can cause contamination of the stainless steel work-piece. 4.3 Mock-ups Trials: SS 304L (NAG) is not only very costly material but is also difficult to work with, unlike carbon & commercial grade SS steels. Hence, before the start of fabrication, besides numerous written down procedures and approvals, it was felt necessary to conduct mock-up trials on every important and critical parameter & process. This was to establish and achieve the written down procedures on mock-up pieces rather than on actual job and if necessary to modify the procedure & process. 4.4 Fit-ups: Achieving good fit-up for any weld joint is very vital. A good fit-up not yields defect-free weld joint but also reduces residual stress to a large extent. Hence, wherever possible machined fit-ups were provided. For flush nozzles, inside profile were pre-matched by grinding to suit inner profile of the vessel. For through nozzles/penetrating nozzle at curved surfaces, the profile of the opening was prepared to provide uniform gaps. Different types of fixtures were developed to suit specific need to avoid distortion, deflection, misalignment etc. during welding such as spider for cir-seam joint of shell sections, three-leg support arrangement for cooling coil subsection joints, sandwiching mechanism with clamps for multiple nozzle to flat end closure joint etc. The all the mating clamps, jigs, fixtures were of stainless steel only. 4.5 Welding: Owing to high thermal expansion and low thermal conductivity controlling heat in-put during welding of stainless steel is essential. Therefore, manual welding GTAW over automatic welding processes were preferred to have better control primarily because of the presence of internals in the equipment. Purity of argon gas for welding found to have great impact on the weld joint quality. Therefore, only high purity argon gas (>99.995%) for shielding as well as purging was used in all welding operations. Care was taken to envelope all surface expose to weld heat during and after welding to avoid any heat tint or oxidation. HF units were used for arc initiation. Only qualified welders were permitted to do welding including temporary and attachment welds. Weld procedures were qualified not only to meet ASME Section IX criteria but also to meet the requirements of corrosion, ferrite etc. To the extent possible all the welds were full penetration joints, back chipped & re-welded. Inside weld joints were finished smooth with uniform contour. This way it was ensured that no crevices were left during fabrication, which otherwise is highly detrimental during the use of the equipment. Reinforcement on welds was not allowed to exceed 10% of the material thickness.

Reduction in residual stresses introduced during forming, welding etc. was one of the critical requirements of fabrication, as this may result in stress related corrosion during use. Solution heat treatment was resorted to wherever it was found necessary. Skip-welding, backstep welding, specially designed fixtures etc. were used to avoid distortion and control residual stress. 4.6 Cleanliness & Contamination Checks: Earlier experience from the failure analysis of some of the equipment reveled that the contamination getting introduced at any point during fabrication may have affected its performance under use, even though no apparent defects were noted during its fabrication. Hence, it was a great challenge to convince the fabricators of not only providing contamination free environment but also to maintain it all stages of fabrication. Cleaning of raw materials before use of any paint, oil, grease, dust or any other contamination was strictly adhered to. Cleaning of prepared edges for welding and completed weldments was done on immediate basis. Wire brushes used were of stainless steel and reserved specifically for this job to avoid contamination of the weld surfaces and these brushes by carbon steel material. All scales, dents, burrs, weld spatter, oxide, oil and other foreign materials were completely removed from inside and outside of the vessel. Chloride & Iron contamination checks were carried out on a continuous basis.

5. Quality Assurance
Finally, the result of any fabrication work is revealed through quality surveillance and control regime followed during fabrication. Towards this, a detailed quality assurance plan was drawn well before the start of fabrication activity. Requisite inspection & tests were prequalified on mock-up trial pieces so as to achieve satisfactory results on production job. Visual inspection is the most important tool and much emphasis was given to it during fabrication. Acceptance criteria specified were more stringent than the codal requirements. Example of acceptance for liquid penetrant test (LPT) is given below: Codal requirement (a) Rounded indications above 1.6 mm relevant & above 4.8 mm unacceptable (b) Cluster indications could be acceptable as per chart (c) No definite criteria on indications inside the equipment NRGs specification (a) Rounded indications above 0.8 mm unacceptable (b) Cluster indications unacceptable (c) No indication on equipment inside wall acceptable

6. Conclusion
It has been possible to address only a few critical issues in this presentation. Nevertheless, in conclusion it can be said that considering the nature of end use of the equipment for nuclear recycle plants, material specification including welding filler wire is the first critical issue. Orientation of fabricator towards specific fabrication requirements and its implementation throughout is the next issue to be handled. Equally critical is extensive mockup trials for establishing fabrication as well as inspection & test procedures. Contamination control remains the central issue to be addressed throughout the fabrication work.
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Typical Layout of Equipment in side a Process Cell

Back side of the penetrating nozzle weld

Hollow bar nozzle to avoid burn through of nozzle

Full vessel inside purging with high purity argon during closure joint

Annular vessel (at final inspection stage)

Regards. Santosh Takale,
Scientific Officer, BARC Ph - 0-9967584554. santoshatbarc@gmail.com
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