Use of 316L in Water systems

Offshore.
Possibilities & Limitations

By
Torfinn Havn, Ztrong AS, Norway
Use of 316L in water systems offshore.
Possibilities and limitations.

Agenda

1 What is 316
2 Properties
3 Limitations
4 Extended possibilities
5 Examples
 Use of 316 in water systems offshore.
Possibilities and limitations.
What is 316

•The 316 is an alloy belonging to the AISI 300 series, which have
minimum of 16% Cr and 6% Ni. The alloying elements are balanced
to give an austenitic structure.
•The 316 consists of 16-18 % Cr, 10-14% Ni and 2-3% Mo
•The 300 series are available as sheet, plate, all wrought forms and
castings. The most widely used group of stainless steels (e.g.304).
•The brittle and detrimental sigma phase is not a problem for 316.
But any additional Cr or Ni increases rapidly the risk for sigma
formation.
•Protecting films formed by Cr, Mo and O atoms cause the high
corrosion resistance
 Use of 316L in water systems offshore.
Properties

Corrosion of stainless steels might be due to

• General corrosion
• Pitting corrosion
• Intergranular corrosion
• Stress corrosion cracking

The problems experienced offshore with 316 are pitting and stress
corrosion cracking.
Both mechanisms are due to local breakdown of the protective films.
”On the borderline corrosion”.
PRE = %Cr + 3.3(%Mo + 0.5%W) + 16 %N
Use of 316L in water systems offshore. Stress Corrosion Properties.
 Use of 316L in water systems offshore

Pitting corrosion is due to local breakdown of the protective films.

• Chloride ions are main responsible for the breakdown

• Increased temperature contributes
• Presence of oxygen increases the electrochemical potential and
leads to increased pitting risk

Oxide
Oxide layerlayer
Cr m Cr
On m+OMo,W
n + Mo,W
2H+2e- = H2 thickness
thickness 20-40 20-40
Å Å

Steel + Cr + Mo + N + W
Use of 316L in water systems offshore.
Typical overvoltage curve.

Εcrit

Εrepass

log current
 Use of 316L in water systems offshore.

Increased Εcrit Increased

Chloride oxygen
content & content &
tempe- chlorite
rature (NaOCl)
Εrepass

log current
 Use of 316L in water systems offshore.

Increased Εcrit Increased

Chloride oxygen
content & content &
tempe- chlorite
rature (NaOCl)
Εrepass

By ”cathodic protection” or impressed current protection

log current
Use of 316L in water systems offshore.

F++
Εcrit e OH-

Εrepass
OH-

By ”cathodic protection” or impressed current protection

log current
Use of 316L in water systems offshore. Limitations.

• Can be used for fresh water only. Not for sea water.

• Can not be used for produced water if there is oxygen

present (O2 > 20-40 ppb).

• Can not be used at temperatures > 60 C (140 F) due to

risk of chloride induced external stress corrosion
cracking.
Example 1

Use of 316L in fresh water systems offshore

• A survey was undertaken to assess the limitations for
316L piping for fresh water in living quarters.
• Both cold and hot water systems were needed in the
living quarter
• Some small amounts of chloride must be anticipated due
to two reasons; either the fresh water is produced
offshore by evaporation technique, reversed
osmosis technique, or the water is transported by
ships over the sea.
Example 1

Existing material was CuNi pipe

CuNi pipe for fresh water suffered from external
corrosion due to thermal insulation, 10 year in service
Example 1

Existing material was CuNi pipe

Wall thickness 0.9 mm External corrosion of

CuNi pipe 1 ¼ ” OD
and original wall
thickness of 2.5mm.
Externally insulated.
Service 10 years.
On a North Sea
platform.
Some locations had
leakages through the
wall thickness.
Example 1

Experience with CuNi pipe

Strong demand: All bathrooms in offshore living quarters

shall have fresh water of minimum 55 C within 5 seconds.
This means that hot water is circulating 24 hours a day
in the looped pipe system.

The circulation of the water is damaging to CuNi piping

which at some locations suffer from internal erosion
corrosion.
Externally the thermal insulated CuNi suffers from general
corrosion.

Lesson learned; CuNi piping beneath thermal unsulation must be painted.

Use of 316L in fresh water systems offshore

The chloride content of various types of fresh potable water

which must be anticipated:

ppm chloride
Water from Norwegian lakes 0 – 10
Water produced by evaporation 5 – 15
Water produced by reversed osmosis 10 – 75
Water transported by ship from land 50 - 300
 Safe use of 316L in fresh water with chloride as function of temperature

C
ESCC

Pitting
176 F 80

140 F 60

104 F 40

Safe region for

316 SS

68 F 20

1 10 100 1000 10000 100k

ppm Cl-
 Safe use of alloys in fresh water with chloride as function of temperature

C
Ti gr 2
Superduplex 25Cr/ 6Mo
Vanlig duplex 22Cr
316L
176 F 80

140 F 60
Ti gr2

104 F 40
25Cr/6Mo

20
22Cr
68 F

316L

1 10 100 1000 10000 100k

ppm Cl-
The new material selection concluded with:

• Use 316 SS in cold fresh water piping up to 40 C (104 F)

•Use Ti Gr 2 in hot fresh water piping 40 C (104 F) - 60 C (140 F)
•Never use CuNi piping in the fresh water system (due to external
corrosion under insulation and constant high velocities in the hot
part of the piping system)
In general when 316L is not as corrosion resistant as service requires,
then use:

• A higher alloyed material as 6Mo, 25Cr or Inconell 625

• Titanium

• A solution based on 316L in a combination with a sacrificial material or

cathodic protection.
Extended possibilities
Example 2

Example of a technical solution based on 316L with a sacrficial material

A produced water tank was to be designed in the top of the drilling shaft
on Sleipner A platform in the North Sea

5m

5m

1.62m
 Example of a solution based on 316L with a sacrficial carbon steel.
T operation ( 40 F min , 50 F normal, 185 F max)
Medium: Produced Water with oil

Candidate materials:
1 Carbon steel + lining + paint + sacrificial anodes
2 6Mo / 25Cr 5m

3 316L + anodes
4 Ti Gr 2
5 GRP

5m

1.62m
Example of a solution based on 316L with a sacrficial material

Materials Initial Comments

cost k$
1 CS + lining High maintenance
+ paint + 60 cost, anodes do not
anodes work > 60 C

2 6Mo / 25 Cr 230 Pitting corrosion must

be assumed
3 316L + CS 130 Limited experience
anodes
4 Ti Gr 2 400 Technical superior

5 GRP Many inlets & outlets,

falling objects,
stiffness
The design of the carbon steel anodes for 316L tank (half the tank)

Anode current output =135mA/m2 x 11m2 + 0.12 A (self corrosion = 8.3% x 135 x 11)
= 1.62 A
Protection potential = - 300mV (SCE)
Anode potential = -620mV +(log 1.62A – log 0.12) x 60 mV/decade
= -553 mV (SCE)
Driving potential = -300 mV - - 553 mV = 253 mV
Anode size = 350mm x 350 mm x 35 mm
Anode resistance R = 30 ohmcm/ 2 x35cm = 0.43 ohm
Current output I = U/R = 0.253 / .43 A = 0.59 A
N1 = 3 anodes are needed
Anode mass for 20 years = (1.62x56x103x3600x8700x20)/(2x96500)= 294 kg
N2 = 294 kg/ (32.8 kg x 0.9) = 10 anodes are needed
The design of the carbon steel anodes for 316L tank (half the tank)
Seen from above.
After filling the tank with sea water, the anode potentials were measured:

Measured anode potentials

-500
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

-510

-520
SCE (mV)

-530
Average
-540

-550
Design
-560
After filling the tank with sea water, the potentials were measured:

The design potential = -300 mV SCE

Measured potentials on Stainless Steel at mid distance between anodes

-420
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
-430

-440

-450

-460
SCE (mV)

-470

-480

-490

-500

-510

-520

-530
After filling the tank with sea water, the potentials were measured:

The design potential = -300 mV SCE

Bottom of tank stainless steel

-372
1 2 3 4 5
-374

-376

-378

-380

-382

-384

-386

-388
After filling the tank with sea water, the current output was measured:

Values spanned from 250 mA to 327 mA for the anodes.

Average value was 282 mA.

The design was based on 150 mA from each anode.

The readings just a few hours after water filling were judged not
representative. Most probably deposits on the surface will build-up and the
protecting current will decrease.

After 15 years in service the carbon steel anodes are proposed replaced.
This means that the protecting current is higher than 135 mA/m2 most
probably 20/15 x 135 = 180 mA/m2.
Example of a solution based on 316L with a sacrficial material

Experience of the produced water tank after 15 years in service

1 No pitting corrosion in the tank

2 Anodes are to be replaced in 2009 or 2010
3 The tank concept has worked as planned
Example 3 Results from testing

Stainless steel 316 piping protected by carbon steel in sea water

The current demand for 316 SS surfaces:

With a biological surface layer:

150 mA/m2

Without a biological surface layer:

0.5 – 5 mA/m2

Biological surface layer disappears if:

The temperature of sea water is above 30-40 C

There is hypochlorite injection
Experiment for testing of protection length with sea water.

Isolation Isolation
Carbon Steel
Access for internal potential measurements (SCE)

Stainless Steel AISI 316L

R 2” ND Pipe

Resistance

Pump

Sea water at 2 m/s velocity

Water Reservoir
Stainless steel 316 piping protected by carbon steel in sea water

Development of potential
as function of distance from carbon steel
Unchlorinated water, resistance from 0 ohm - 30 ohm

-0,1000
Electrochemical potential v.s. SCE [V]

-0,2000

-0,3000

-0,4000

-0,5000

-0,6000
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 1000
Distance from c-steel [cm]
 SS and CuNi Piping protected by carbon steel in sea water

Galvanic current in connection vs. resistance

200

SS316 Chlorinated seawater

SS316 Seawater
[ mA/m2 ]

CuNi Chlorinated seawater

100 CuNi Seawater

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Resistance [ohm]
 Calculated protection length based on
results from 2" pipe experiments

50

45

40
Protection length [m]

35

30

25

20

15

10

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
Pipe Diameter [inches]
Tafel curve for Stainless steel 316 piping in sea water
Tafel curve for Stainless steel 316 piping in sea water

”The secret”
for the SS / CS
combination
Tafel curve for carbon steel in sea water
Example 4

Use of 316 SS protected by carbon steel in chlorinated sea water,

current demand = 10 mA/m2
Lined deoxygenation tank

Carbon steel pipe 200mm long, 24 mm wall thickness, current

output = 200 mA/m2, surface = 0.2 m2 . Design life time = 20 years
Electrical resistor of 20 ohm

Static mixer 2000 mm long, 4m2 internal surface

Cost difference Static mixer in Inc 625 (UNS

N10625) compared to 316 SS (UNS S31603)
= 74 000 USD

25Cr piping
Sea water for water injection
Example 4

Use of 316 SS protected by carbon steel in chlorinated sea water,

current demand = 10 mA/m2

Cost difference:
Static mixer in Inc 625 (UNS N00625)
compared to 316 SS (UNS S31600)
= 74 000 USD
Example 5

Carbon steel corrosion spool piece design

• To avoid galvanic corrosion between different materials, it is common to

install isolation spool pieces between the metals.

• The spool pieces are typical of length 5xND – 10xND and internally lined

• The spool pieces are expensive and the lining may flake off
How the Isolation Spool piece works

Carbon steel Isolation piece Ti

R = ρ x L / A (Ω) ρ = resistivity
L = length of spool piece
A = cross section
U = R I (V) R = resistance

= paint film
Carbon steel corrosion spool piece design

• Example of corrosion spool piece:

• Piping upstream fire hose reel stations are typical made of 6Mo, 25Cr or
Titanium, while the hose reel stations include CuNi piping and valves in Cu
alloys
• A carbon steel corrosion spool piece can be designed instead of an
isolation spool piece.
•A typical length of a corrosion spool piece is 0.4 m with a wall thickness of
15 – 25 mm depending of diameter and life time.
•A 6” ND spool piece of 25 mm wall thickness can protect a CuNi pipe for
30 years and a stainless pipe for much longer time.
Conclusions

1 Stainless steel of 316 quality can not stand chlorides and high
temperature at the same time
2 With cathodic protection, the limits for use of stainless steel 316 can be
considerably extended
3 The cathodic protection can be by use of sacrificial carbon steel pipe or
by sacrificial anodes.
4 Based on available data, a safe and reliable design can be made
5 A 2” ND 316 stainless steel pipe can be protected up to 14m length
6 The carbon steel will work as sacrificial anode up to high temperatures
7 The carbon steel potential is low enough to protect 316 SS, but not so low
that hydrogen evolution take place and limit the potential length due to high
ohmic potential drop
8 Stainless steel 316 with carbon steel protection save significant costs