EROSION RESISTANT CERMET LININGS FOR OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION, REFINING AND PETROCHEMICAL PROCESSING APPLICATIONS

• Main Authors: CHUN, CHANG MIN, LENDVAI LINTNER EMERY BELA, FOWLER CHRISTOPHER JOHN, BANGARU NARASIMHA RAO VENKATA, PETERSON JOHN ROGER, ANTRAM ROBERT LEE, THIRUMALAI NEERAJ SRINIVAS
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 11.03.2009
• Subjects: ALLOYS; CHEMISTRY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; METALLURGY; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS

The present invention is directed to a method for protecting metal surfaces in oil & gas exploration and production, refinery and petrochemical process applications subject to solid particulate erosion at temperatures of up to 100O0C. The method includes the step of providing the metal surfaces in such applications with a hot erosion resistant cermet lining or insert, wherein the cermet lining or insert includes a) about 30 to about 95 vol% of a ceramic phase, and b) a metal binder phase, wherein the cermet lining or insert has a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0 and a KjC fracture toughness of at least 7.0 MPa-m1/2. The metal surfaces may also be provided with a hot erosion resistant cermet coating having a HEAT erosion resistance index of at least 5.0. Advantages provided by the method include,inter alia, outstanding high temperature erosion and corrosion resistance in combination with outstanding fracture toughness, as well as outstanding thermal expansion compatibility to the base metal of process units. The method finds particular application for protecting process vessels, transfer lines and process piping, heat exchangers, cyclones, slide valve gates and guides, feed nozzles, aeration nozzles, thermo wells, valve bodies, internal risers, deflection shields, sand screen, and oil sand mining equipment.