Petromaster is pleased to announce its on-site life assessment capabilities including replication, hardness testing, and field metallography. These services are complementary to our plant integrity and life assessment services as well as other capabilities and utilizes the extensive knowledge and experience of Petromaster’ s in-house and international technical experts. Field metallography provides early warnings of the onset of many damages to the process and engineering industries.

The replica can then be examined in the field using a portable optical microscope or in the laboratory. This process gives our metallurgical engineers the ability to examine microstructural features such as grain size, cracks, carbides, and other damage mechanisms.

Damage mechanism like creep, fatigue, stress relaxation cracking, high temperature corrosion including hydrogen attack, intergranular corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen induced cracking, graphitization are possible to detect in the early stages and possible to monitor them with time and provide the judgment to replace or repair the component.

What Type of Damages can be identified by Replica Metallography?

1. 1. Spheroidization Of Pearlite
   2. Creep Damage
   3. Stress Relaxation Cracking
   4. Grain Growth
   5. Hydrogen Attack
   6. Stress Corrosion Cracking
   7. Sigma phase Evaluation

Benefits of In-Situ Metallography in industries

1. 1. Monitor The Damages to the Plant Components.
   2. Preventive Maintenance and Inventory Control.
   3. Safe and Reliable Operation.
   4. To Ensure the Use of Correct Metallurgical Status of Components.
   5. Useful for Indigenization.
   6. Localization of Imported Components Heat treatment certification.
   7. Useful for Repairing Decisions for used Components.

Relevant Codes and Standards

Currently ASTM and ISO standards only describe the preparation and application of replicas in general terms:

1. 1. 1. Standard Practice for Production and Evaluation of Field Metal­lographic Replicas, ASTM E1351-01 (2012)
      2. Non-destructive Testing – Metallographic Replica Techniques of Surface Examination, ISO 3057: 1998

Guidelines are available from European research organizations where the actual creep damage, determined with replicas, can be compared with reference images:

1. 1. 3. VGB-S-517 “Guidelines for Rating the Microstructural Com­position and Creep Rupture Damage of Creep-resistant Steel for High Pressure Pipelines and Boiler Components and their Weld Connections” (2014), formerly VGB standard no. 507
      4. NORD TEST NT TR 302 “Guidelines for Evaluating In-service Creep Damage” (1995)
      5. NORD TEST NT TR 170 “Reference Micrographs for Evalua­tion of Creep Damage in Replica Inspections” (1992)

In-Situ Metallography as a tool for FFS

A fitness for service (FFS) assessment generally needs to verify shape, thickness, mechanical properties, and metallurgical condition of a component.  Some level of engineering analysis is also required.  FMR is one task that may be required within the framework of a fitness for service assessment.  We provide teams of metallurgists and technicians to conduct the in-situ FMR assessments or, if needed, leverage resources back at our laboratories. This approach enables us to quickly assess degradation mechanisms that impact the service life of your equipment. These results can also be used as important inputs in fitness-for-service assessments (e.g., API 579-1ASME FFS-1).

Petromaster offers a comprehensive suite of replica services aimed at ensuring the integrity and longevity of critical components within process plants:

1. 1. Microstructure Surveys: Conducted for monitoring and health assessments of vital components like Boilers, Pipelines, Reactors, and Vessels.
   2. Databank Development: Utilizing periodic monitoring to establish a robust databank for process plant equipment, facilitating preventive maintenance and inventory control.
   3. Expert Recommendations: Providing insightful suggestions on repair and welding of used components, driven by databank insights for optimal performance.
   4. On-Site Evaluation: Enabling swift evaluation of metallurgical and heat treatment condition directly at the site, ensuring efficient decision-making.
   5. Assistance in Studies and Projects: Offering valuable support in remaining life assessment studies and failure analysis projects, aiding investigators with precise insights.

Unlock the power of precision with our replica services. Ensure the integrity of your critical components and machinery.

Contact us for further information at info@petromaster-sa.com