Welded Stainless Steels For Hot Hydrogen Sulfide Service

Abstract

Abstract A description is given of the effects of welding, heat-treatment and composition on corrosion rates of various grades of stainless steel exposed to 615 F hydrogen-hydrogen sulfide stream in a commercial desulfurizer. Study was made by weight loss measurements and metallographic examinations. It was concluded that in the thermally stabilized condition, the manganese substituted stainless steels showed slightly better resistance to high temperature hydrogen sulfide than the conventional nickel stainless steels. In the as received, quench annealed condition the former were equivalent to Type 304. It was found also that a thermal stabilizing treatment at 1630 F increased the corrosion rate of all the austenitic stainless steels tested in hot hydrogen sulfide. Seam-welded 304L stainless tubing in the as-welded condition showed no preferential weld zone attack in aqueous media. 3.7.3, 6.2.5, 8.4.3, 4.3.2