Maintaining the integrity of pressure equipment is an ongoing reality for any owner/operator.Owners/operators of equipment such as vessels, furnaces, boilers, exchangers, storage tanks, and associated piping and instrumentation rely on an integrity management program to assess equipment reliability and protect equipment integrity for safe and efficient operation.Various non-destructive techniques are commonly used to monitor critical components, as understanding the correct metallurgy of these components is critical to their reliability and safe operation.Using the wrong type of material can have disastrous results.
Testing some of these components (such as small parts or piping assemblies) for carbon analysis and material grades can be challenging due to geometry or size.Due to the difficulty of analyzing the material, these parts are often excluded from the Positive Material Identification (PMI) program.But you simply can’t ignore any critical sections, including the main small bore pipes.A smaller component that fails in a critical system can have the same impact as a larger component failure.The consequences of a failure may be smaller, but the consequences may be the same: fire, process plant downtime, and injury.
As Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) has moved from laboratory analytical methods to the mainstream, the ability to perform 100% of the required carbon testing of all components in the field is a huge gap in the industry that has recently been filled by analytical techniques .This handheld technology enables owners/operators to reliably and accurately test these components for material process compliance and provides a comprehensive solution for on-site material verification including carbon analysis.
Figure 1. Carbon Analysis of SciAps Z-902 ER308L Weld ¼” Wide Source: SciAps (Click image to enlarge.)
LIBS is a light emission technique that uses a pulsed laser to ablate the surface of a material and create a plasma.The onboard spectrometer qualitatively measures the light from the plasma, separating the individual wavelengths to reveal elemental content, which is then quantified by onboard calibration.With the latest innovations in handheld LIBS analyzers, including very small exit apertures, an inert argon atmosphere can be achieved without sealing curved surfaces or small parts, enabling technicians to test parts regardless of size or geometry.Technicians prepare surfaces, use internal cameras to target test locations and analyze them.The test area is approximately 50 microns, which will allow technicians to measure parts of any size, including very small parts, without the need for adapters, collecting shavings, or sending sacrificial components to the lab.
Several manufacturers produce commercially available handheld LIBS analyzers.When looking for the right analyzer for your application, users need to keep in mind that not all handheld LIBS analyzers are created equal.There are several models of LIBS analyzers on the market that allow material identification, but not carbon content.However, in applications where material grades are required, carbon is measured and the material is graded based on the amount of carbon.Therefore, carbon is critical to a comprehensive integrity management program.
Figure 2. SciAps Z-902 carbon analysis of 1/4-inch machine screw, 316H material.Source: SciAps (Click image to enlarge.)
For example, 1030 carbon steel is identified by the carbon content in the material, and the last two numbers in the material name identify the nominal carbon content – 0.30% carbon is the nominal carbon in 1030 carbon steel.This also applies to other carbon steels such as 1040, 1050 carbon steel, etc.Or if you are grading 300 series stainless steel, carbon content is the basic element required to identify the L or H grade of a material, such as 316L or 316H material. If you don’t measure carbon, you are just identifying the material type and not the material grade.
Figure 3. SciAps Z-902 Carbon Analysis of 1” s/160 A106 Fitting for HF Alkylation Services Source: SciAps (Click image to enlarge.)
LIBS analyzers without the ability to measure carbon can only identify materials, similar to X-ray fluorescence (XRF) instruments.However, several manufacturers produce hand-held LIBS carbon analyzers capable of measuring carbon content.There are some fundamental differences within analyzers such as size, weight, number of calibrations available, sample interface for sealed versus non-sealed surfaces, and access to small parts for analysis.LIBS analyzers with small exit holes do not require an argon seal for testing, and do not require widget adapters required by other LIBS analyzers or OES units to test widgets.The advantage of this technique is that it allows technicians to test any part of the PMI procedure without the use of special adapters.Users need to study the various functions of the analyzer to determine whether the instrument can meet the needs of the intended application, especially if the application requires 100% PMI.
The capabilities of handheld LIBS instruments are changing the way field analysis is managed.These instruments provide the owner/operator with a means to analyze incoming material, in-service/vintage PMI material, welds, welding consumables, and any critical components in their PMI program, providing an efficient and reliable solution for any asset integrity program. A cost-effective solution without the extra labor or cost of buying sacrificial parts or collecting shavings and sending them to the lab and waiting for results.These portable, hand-held LIBS analyzers provide users with additional functionality that did not exist just a few years ago.
Figure 4. Carbon Analysis of SciAps Z-902 1/8” Wire, 316L Material Source: SciAps (Click image to enlarge.)
Asset Reliability includes a comprehensive material verification program, now fully implemented in the field, to verify equipment compliance and safe and efficient operation.With a little research into the proper analyzer and understanding the application, owners/operators can now reliably analyze and grade any equipment in their asset integrity program, regardless of geometry or size, and get real-time analysis.Critical small-bore components can now be analyzed instantly, confidently and accurately providing owners/users with the data necessary to make critical decisions to protect equipment integrity.
This innovative technology enables owners/operators to maintain a high degree of integrity and reliability of their equipment by filling gaps in carbon field analysis.
James Terrell is Director of Business Development – NDT at SciAps, Inc., a manufacturer of handheld XRF and LIBS analyzers.
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