Methodology for calculating the thickness free of sigma phase in duplex stainless steels large section parts during hiperquenching

Abstract

To achieve the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance desired by duplex stainless steels used by the petrochemical and nuclear industry, parts are subjected to a hiperquenching heat treatment from about 1050 °C. This avoids the risk of intermetallic precipitation which drastically reduces the properties of these materials. However with increasing depth to which the deposits are present, the thicknesses for such pipes have been increased, resulting in higher levels of demand on all its manufacturing process, including the heat treatment. To avoid the precipitation of intermetallic phases such as sigma phase it is necessary to know the cooling profile in the center of the workpiece and for this purpose to know the value of the Surface Heat Transfer Coefficient (h) is essential. This coefficient changes during the hiperquenching and its value is determined experimentally as it depends on several process parameters. Studies reveal that its value is stabilized within a few seconds. We can then assume that to know the cooling profile in the center of large sections it is only necessary to know the stabilized value of h. However, all the studies found in the literature are referred to diameters smaller than 100 mm. This paper has developed a methodology to predict the precipitation of intermetallic phases in duplex stainless steel parts with large thicknesses in industrial facilities from the calculation of h. This methodology allows us to calculate the cooling profiles without wasting any workpiece using one or more sensorized patterns with thermocouples and a subsequent simulation with ANSYS.